Today, the University of Virginia athletic department issued the following statement:
CHARLOTTESVILLE-- University of Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage announced Thursday that he is repealing the policy prohibiting signs, banners and flags in all UVa athletics venues.
“The policy prohibiting signs, banners and flags in all UVa athletics venues has become a distraction and has taken the focus away from supporting our student-athletes,” Littlepage said. “Our football team needs our support right now and that should be our collective focus. With that in mind, I am repealing immediately the policy prohibiting signs, banners and flags in all athletics venues. I encourage all of our fans to be in attendance at Saturday night’s football game with Maryland. My hope is our fans will wear orange and be prepared to support the Cavaliers.”
That is how desperate things have gotten down in Charlottesville. They have to resort to lifting a ban on signs to try get fans, especially students, to continue to support the team, despite the horrible start for UVA so far this year. The move is probably also aimed at trying to stop plans for students to protest the sign ban and poor play of the team by wearing blue to the game rather than the typical orange.
I'm sure there will be tons of signs on Saturday, but I'm guessing most of them will be aimed at Va. head coach Al Groh. And hopefully that is the case, since UVA students make Maryland student signs and chants seem rated G. The perfect example was when Juan Dixon lit up UVA in Charlottesville. The students responded by chanting "Crack head parents." For those that don't know, Juan's parents both died of AIDS.
This is just part of the reason why I hope MD comes out and stomps the Wahoos. Hopefully the final score will be 70-0.