Since Monday, things on my walk to work have gotten more colorful. On Monday, there were a few tents outside the Spectrum, the basketball arena here at Utah State. I was shocked that people were already camping out. The next day there were more. Domed tents, spring bar tents, backpacking tents, one-man tents... Black, grey, red, blue, orange... I began to wonder about these campers. What in the world was wrong with them?
Tomorrow, Utah State (the Aggies) will play BYU (the Cougars) in basketball, and apparently, it is a bigger deal than I thought it to be. The Spectrum's crowd prides itself on being the meanest and loudest and most energetic crowd this side of the Mississippi. I have been to many basketball games and the atmosphere is fun and loud and almost hypnotic. BYU is the in-state rival, although I don't think that BYU considers Utah State their rival at all.
I don't care if it is BYU or anyone else playing at the Spectrum, this has gotten out of hand. People will camp out every game. A few weeks ago, people camped out the night before an exhibition game--what?!?! There is a tree with stuffed animals of cougars and other cats hanging by the neck--slightly disturbing. Today, I went around the tent city and there were about 200 tents with campers waiting to enter the game--don't you people have lives?!?!
And this really bothers me. These campers care more about athletics than they do about their education. If camping out for a week is more important than the acquisition of knowledge, what has our culture come to? From now on, when people get upset about Asian Indians or Chinese getting technology and engineering jobs "from hardworking Americans", I'm going to laugh. No wonder companies don't hire you! They can't rely on you to show up if there is an athletic event going on.
Knowledge is lasting. In college, you pay for knowledge. Some people only go to college for the sports. Some people like learning and learn for learning's sake. The people out waiting for the game probably think that "nerds" who like to learn are the ones who need to get lives. But hey, I'm not camping out in the cold for a basketball game. You get a life.
I've often heard people wonder how Romans could stand gladiatorial matches. "Aren't gladiators and the whole situation terrible? I would never be like that." Well, do some critical thinking and apply this principle to modern life and take a look at an Aggie basketball game, or any other athletic event. The crowds are frenzied. I can see them sentencing the losers to death--it isn't too far of a stretch from current circumstances. Think of high school, when rivals would get in fights after games and people end up seriously hurt. Think of crazy fans who act like someone killed their mom when their team is berated. Think of what programs are cut from public schools and universities first--the humanities--while athletics will stay until an asteroid hits the school.
And I like basketball, but I just had to get this off my chest. Now if you'll excuse me, I have two books to finish by the end of the week and I have some knowledge to acquire.
Santa
8 years ago
4 comments:
i always thought the same thing when i saw campers on byu campus to get the best seats to see jimmer play. but along with missing class, don't these people have jobs?! how can they just cancel everything to camp out? makes no sense.
Sarah I have a few comments to make about this post because I think you are wrong about a lot of things. Please excuse my bad grammar and spelling, though I do think it is getting better. Sports for a lot of us are all about entertainment. It becomes a temporary escape where you can forget your troubles and have a good time. There’s no need for you to come down on athletics like you have.
Clearly your schools basketball program has reached such a level of popularity that it has become difficult to obtain good seats with out getting in line early, especially to big games such as byu, you probably won’t have students camping out to get tickets to UVU but I could be wrong. This happens at a lot of schools when there teams get to be very popular, not only does it happen for athletic events but it happens for big concerts by famous groups or singers as well and has even been known to happen for certain movies. Being able to buy tickets on line though seems to have put an end to a lot of this.
The stuffed cats in tree are not anymore disturbing then what you would see at Halloween. You aren’t upset by the skeletons and other dead bodies hanging in peoples yards are you? This is just for fun, you’re trying to send a message to your rival and show your support for your school. It’s only disturbing if they are hanging the bodies of real cougars from the trees
Most of us go to school so we can have better jobs and make more money, most people don’t wake up in the morning thinking how excited we are to head to a boring class, read a boring book, do boring research, complete boring homework and write a boring paper. I am aware of how much you love school and learning and that is great but not everyone loves school as much as you do and that is just fine. That being said not every one loves sports as much as I do and that is also just fine.
I know you’ve probably never skipped a class but many of us have skipped class for one reason or another. Guess what? Most of us still graduate and may even have as good of grades as you, though my grades are not as good as yours. We’re still the same hard working Americans even though we may cut class occasionally. Your parents are taking a week off of work to go on vacation, does that make them less reliable as well?
Many schools bring in money from their athletic programs. The fact that your games up in Logan are now so popular is good for your school. It brings in money for the school that is then spent on education. A lot of the money that schools spend on athletics comes from sponsors and donors so you are not paying for it. A good athletic program makes your school more visible and more attractive to perspective students.
If it weren’t for athletics your brother would not of had a scholarship to UVU. With out athletics there wouldn’t be a marching band and I wouldn’t of had a scholarship and I also met both my wives in the marching band so I would not have been married to them.
You are somewhat correct about crowds getting out of hand at sporting events, it does happen but those are very rare occasions and defiantly not the norm. You’ve made a major leap thinking that fans at a basketball game want the looser to die. I very incorrect leap at that. I hate the Oakland Raiders a LOT! But I don’t want them to die, I want them to loose every game they ever play but I don’t wish for them to be killed. This might have been the craziest thing you wrote in your very incorrect rant.
Thanks Scott! You make a lot of good points. You also win the record for the longest comment I have ever gotten.
In my defense, this is mostly a major rant that also has a lot to do with my annoyance of the Occupy movement, since they are using that as part of their slogan for this game. I should have written that in my post.
Completely agree! Sports are fun but shouldn't be a lifestyle! :)
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