FanPost

A Rainbow Rising from the Storm - My Alternate Take on why we may want to go to games

BShock, I usually enjoy reading your feedback, and also being a little more left brained, get where you're coming from. However, I offer a slightly different viewpoint for many of you to digest after ingesting oodles and oodles of back and forth arguments as to the merits and value of attending a Terps game as if it's merely a black and white, clear cut exercise in logic.

BShock's quote provoked some deeper thoughts and memories in me.

"True fans won’t root for any other team. But rational fans won’t toss good money after bad."

Not many "true supporters" have harped on it bshock, but I have my two cents convincing "rational fans" on still going to at a minimum "some games (number can be tailored to each rational fan's circumstance)."

I believe the intrinsic value of attending a game should be brought to the forefront a bit more in our rational, logic based discussions about why one would want to go to a Terps game.

The socializing factor of going to a game cannot be emphasized enough, especially for the 15-30 y.o. crowd that is on the board to note (more of you are probably die hards/regulars), but also for the so called casual/fair weather fans, 'fair weather" being an operative phrase (read further down).

Harkening back to the Krivak/Duff/Vandy eras (my friends luckily had the Ross era too), and then the Fridge era, many of my friends/acquaintances were going to the Terps games to mostly socialize at tailgates, enjoy a beautiful fall day of football, and get together for a post game get together afterwards. It was the day long event that many of us still frequently experience today, or depending upon one's current responsibilities/priorities, every once in a while.

I still fondly recollect many of the get togethers, some that were Terps victories, others that were close losses (infrequently big defeats). Upon reflecting on these great times (especially after the passing of one of the group's close friends to a rare disease), I realize that even for the tougher seasons, I will more importantly recall and value the time I spent with my friends than the score that was on the scoreboard those particular days.

Sure, my memories are enhanced by the times in the 2000s when I ran onto the field with my friends and our sons to stand and cheer with our players (Clemson, FSU, Miami, etc., wins), but I wouldn't trade the tailgate for the Wake game in '02 (when it poured in the 3rd Qtr like no tomorrow) for anything in the world. My friends and I still laugh about that game.

I think those of you who only measure our team's record as a sole reason for feeling value and whether or not to attend a game are missing the bigger picture, the one where supporting our team provides a large measure of intrinsic value to our life experience through our experience with fellow fans, friends and family.

I hope when the smoke clears from this season (which by any rational account was a very trying one for anybody involved), you'll take a step back and think about taking advantage of an opportunity next season to reconnect (or invite) with some friends you haven't seen for a few years - maybe to simply tailgate and watch the game in the parking lot if you choose (I've never done that, but some enjoy that as well). You may be surprised that if you look at the social aspect of going to a game more closely, you may wind up changing your mind about attending. If I didn't go to all those games with my deceased friend, we would not have had as many chances to talk as in depth about our lives as we did.

This opportunity can wind up being a part of the fabric of who we are. Even with the added responsibilities in my life, I still found a way to attend many games. My advice: Don't overlook and miss out on it - take advantage of going to games when you can - you may lose that chance later in life - I'm glad I didn't.

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