Last fall, freshman safety Jamal Adams flashed speed, strength and savvy through his big hits and occasional flops to make a name for himself on the LSU football team.
His play style quickly made Adams a fan favorite. Every time they looked up, Adams was making a tackle and getting the team and the stadium fired up.
But what did Adams see when he looked up after he made those tackles? Empty seats.
Excluding the Ole Miss and Alabama games, Tiger Stadium was a ghost town all season long. LSU unveiled the new-look, 102,321-seat Tiger Stadium against Sam Houston State, but no more than 60 or 70 thousand people were there despite the attendance number released.
Most fans used the rationale that they didn’t have to go to those games because LSU is a top-tier program and they don’t need to show up for a game that’s below them. This mindset has spread from football to the rest of LSU sports, excluding gymnastics.
On Wednesday night, my roommate and I went to the LSU men’s basketball team’s final home game against Tennessee. It was the dreaded 6 p.m. start, and when I walked in 5 minutes before tip-off, fans were nowhere to be found.
By halftime, it was a more respectable half-full (or half-empty) PMAC. But once LSU went down 62-44 with eight and a half minutes to go, the fans there picked up and started heading for the exits.
The Tigers ended up going down to the Volunteers, 78-63, but it was Adams who made the headlines postgame.
He took to Twitter to express his disappointment in the fans leaving early, saying “I can’t hold my tongue. LSU fans show no loyalty. You expect so much from us athletes, but won’t stay and support throughout the whole game.” He followed that up seven minutes later with, “LSU has been known for having such prideful and loyal fans, and I hate to see people ruining that image. The game’s not over until it ends.”
You can’t see, but I’m applauding right now. Bravo, Jamal. You’re right.
LSU fans have become spoiled in the big three sports. Football fans quit attending the games against inferior opponents. Baseball fans expect their Tigers to win every time they take the diamond, and if they don’t, somebody needs to be fired or have their scholarship taken away.
For those sports, I can understand the privilege attitude. LSU has the national championships to make them feel better than most opponents. But basketball?
LSU’s last national title was 80 years ago. The program has four Final Four appearances in its history. The basketball team isn’t the high and mighty powerhouse LSU fans apparently think it is.
But regardless of the championships and whatnot, how can an adult look at a bunch of 18-to 23-year-olds and criticize their mistakes?
You probably wouldn’t like it if the players followed you to your waitress job and talked bad about you every time you didn’t refill the customers’ drinks. Or to your warehouse job and said you were being lazy every time you weren’t working your hardest to get an order done on time.
These students athletes put more effort in behind the scenes than most of you in everything you do.
You’re probably thinking, “but they get a scholarship to play these sports, they should be great.” But they’re amateurs, not professionals. Get off their backs. These student-athletes are giving everything they have out there. The only person who can convince me they aren’t is them because they’re the only ones who know.
Get off the fence, Tiger fans. Support your team or find a different one because Adams and the rest of the athletes are tired of the waffling.
Brian Pellerin is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Kenner, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @Pellerin_TDR.