Rutgers Fans and Navy

So there's been some commotion ever since the Rutgers/Navy game about our fans giving the Navy football team a hard time, heckling them, and screaming out obscenities at them. It’s gotten to the point where even Rutgers President Richard McCormick has written a letter of apology to the Vice Admiral of the Naval Academy for our actions.

Now, I agree that it’s idiotic for fans to yell out obscenities at games. There’s a lot of folks that paid a decent amount for a ticket, and are just trying to enjoy the game without some obnoxious asshole screaming in their ear and spilling drinks on them all game long. I mean, you’ve got to expect some noise at a game like this, especially in the NJ/NYC area, where we haven’t had a decent college football team in…well… pretty much ever, but you expect some modicum of respect from even the drunkest red-faced pot-bellied Neanderthal.

My thing is, though, that people are not getting up in arms about Rutgers fans because they’re being obnoxious and yelling at just any football team. They’re pissed off because Rutgers fans have the nerve to be obnoxious and yell obscenities at NAVY.

Not THE Navy, mind you. But the Navy football squad. I haven’t heard any reports of fans yelling out anything political. I don’t recall hearing any pro-Al Qaeda remarks. I’m not sure, but I don’t think they were giving the boys any shit about being forced to fight in this awful endless war. It was a simple case of “our football team is better than your football team” rhetoric. Nothing more, nothing less.

We were quoted as chanting “Fuck you, Navy”, “you got fucked up”, and (heavens no) “you suck”. The first one is obviously a little off-putting, but again, replace any other college we play with “Navy”, and it’s just a case of obnoxious assholism, not anti-Americana. As for the 2nd one there? A Rutgers player popped somebody, and the fans were there ready to jump at chance to let him know it. Typical fanfare, nothing really unusual for a football game. And as for “you suck”? Come on now, is this really the first time that one of their players have heard this one?

Now let me put up a quote from the other side:

“I felt like going up there and smacking somebody. I was mad, and it bothered me all weekend…At one point, I thought, we defend this country for people like this?" – Bill Squires, Navy’s academic recruiter

Okay, he’s understandably upset about it. I’ll give him that. The fans obviously got under his skin and that’s something that I can’t fault the guy for. But I’d really like to know if the Navy players would want special treatment at our stadium. I can’t answer for sure, but I’d wager a guess that they would want to be treated as any other football team would, and would be pissed off at Rutgers fans because they acted like idiots to their team, not because they acted like idiots to NAVY. But that last sentence, man, I won’t even touch that one with a 10-foot pole. All I can do is shake my head at that one.

Finally, I want to touch on the “WON’T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN” argument that’s bound to come up. Let me just respond by saying, your kid hears worse on television, movies, and on the playground, so stop thinking your child is some innocent vessel that has never been tainted by some naughty words before. Yes, I agree that these people need to calm down a little. Energy and noise are definitely appreciated at these games, and help to make the experience of a home football game unique, but you don’t have to be obnoxious about it. But your child isn’t going to become corrupted at the sound of another guy being a moron. No need to get indignant about it. You can complain about it, because it’s a worthwhile complaint, but don’t bring little Timmy into the conversation like this guy just stole his innocence.

All I can say is, thank the lord we’re away for the Army game, because otherwise we’d never hear the end of it after that one.