Appalachian Promise

[Appaholic69]

No matter which thread I go to today all I read about is how our fans behaved. I was at the game and I was fortunate not to see any of our fans doing anything classless before the game started. I do agree that coming on to the field with 3:14 left in the game was very premature. That being said, I don't think that taking the field when the game is over is a bad thing.

I do want to start something however. I want to start a thread in which App fans will committ to making sure that our team is honored in the way that we fans act. I'm starting this by promising that if I ever, and I mean EVER see an Appalachian fan behave in a disrespectful way before, during or after a game that I will do my best to stop them.

We are champions! And now we must take on the responsibility of behaving like champions. Our team has worked hard for 3 consecutive years to live up to their responsibilities and bring the bling home to Appalachian. Join me in this promise! Show your true championship spirit and state now that you will help make Appalachian be the best experience ever!!! For EVERYONE!!!

xpeacex xpeacex xpeacex xpeacex

[ERASU2113]

I've grown tired of hearing and reading people say how bad our fans have acted. I have never seen this but I feel ashamed every time I read about it. I try to defend ASU every chance I get...either the team, the school, the chancellor, the students, the fans...and I can only do so much.

I too will make this promise to do whatever I can to make sure our fans behave and act with more class...by which fans of other schools says it brings a disgrace to ASU.

I'm only 1 person, but I'll do my best.

xthumbsupx xthumbsupx

[Appaholic69]

I've grown tired of hearing and reading people say how bad our fans have acted. I have never seen this but I feel ashamed every time I read about it. I try to defend ASU every chance I get...either the team, the school, the chancellor, the students, the fans...and I can only do so much.

I too will make this promise to do whatever I can to make sure our fans behave and act with more class...by which fans of other schools says it brings a disgrace to ASU.

I'm only 1 person, but I'll do my best.

xthumbsupx xthumbsupx

I agree with you and that is why I've started this thread. But now you aren't just one person. Right now it's two people and I know that App fans will show how much class we really have and disprove the nay sayers by taking this pledge.

Champions Unite!

[ERASU2113]

I agree with you and that is why I've started this thread. But now you aren't just one person. Right now it's two people and I know that App fans will show how much class we really have and disprove the nay sayers by taking this pledge.

Champions Unite!

Amen!

ASU has been trying for two years now to work on how people behave at games. Most recently with the C.L.A.S.S initiative (Champions Love Appalachian State Spirit). Didn't really hit off...but I think the university is working to improve everything involving ASU athletics.

[appmountaineer]

As much as people talk about our classless fans i only see classy ones. I know that there are the few, but most aren't like that. Every college is going to be that way. Every college will have their rude fans. I'm just tired of hearing about us. I too promise to help make sure that fans stay classy.

[asu7]

I have and will continue to try and get our crazed fans to stay in line

we all have our bad apples and that does not make it right but still ... people are trying to rain on our parade

[Appaholic69]

Well tell everyone you know that we are starting what is now to be known as the "Appalachian Promise." Tell them to visit this message board, register and then make their promise to make sure that everyone gets to see how much class Appalachian really has.

[appmountaineer]

agreed...its because we are in the spot light... Once another team steps in, they too will be called classless

[Herdman]

I voted "yes" in the name of ASU Junior, Garrett Hughes. He's a very cool kid!

[ERASU2113]

agreed...its because we are in the spot light... Once another team steps in, they too will be called classless

Yea it's one of those things, everyone wants to bash the team on the top. Once we don't win a title it'll be the next team. Then so on. It's the way to world moves

[Appaholic69]

I also want to ask that we keep this thread "smack free." This is an honest to God real initiative we are beginning here.

If anyone tries to interupt it, let's just remind them of what we are really trying to achieve.

[Tribe4SF]

ASU is not alone in having issues with fan behavior. JMU launched a campaign with messages from Coach Mathews, the President, and student leaders that helped improve fan behavior at their home games. All of our schools suffer from unruliness, and ugly behavior to some degree.

I commend your efforts to create a better atmosphere for your most deserving program. Those of us that played the game know that regardless of talent, it takes extraordinary dedication, and hard work to produce a championship team. Fans should make games a celebration of achievement, and recognize the efforts of all athletes to be the best they can be.

"We're number one!" is a celebratory chant that recognizes the sense of community that athletics creates. "You suck!" debases that very community.

[ASUMountaineer]

I commit to this. I actually did this, during the game some drunk students on Delaware's side were chanting, "block that *****" and "Delaware State." We told them to shut up and if you're going to chant, make it clever, afterall you're in college. Very disrespectful, but the Delaware fans around us thanked us for our effort.

[feb18blacksunday]

From the beginning of the year...Fans yelling overrated at Michigan,I ,we have been trying to chill the masses. Its starts with a few well placed emails. DJ even chaistised the knuckle heads on goasu web site. Rest assured ASU fans will be schooled in how to act like Champions.

[parr90]

People are always going to hate winners. That just the way it is. People hate our fans at GSU, but I never see anything bad. Maybe its because Im always on the home side away from students. I have seen bad fans everywhere I have been. Auburn, Georgia, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia eagles, Alabama, GSU, Furman, App, it doesnt matter. For the most part people have good behavior at all places. Im not sure that any other fans wouldnt have crowded those sidelines 3 mins before the game ended just like App did. You cant control how some people are going to behave. I know that when you have a team that wins alot, people tend to complain about their fans.

[mrklean]

App. St. welcome to club!

People hate winners!

Cant wait until GSU and App St. moves up to 1A.

[Seawolf97]

I voted yes in favor of the promise. I didnt see the game so CONGRATULATIONS on your 3rd National Championship! As for fans all programs have the type that cant leave a sour taste in anyones mouth. I read on this board awhile ago about how Rutgers fans acted in abosolute poor taste toward the Navy Midshipman at a game at Rutgers. Enjoy your Championship year , be proud you beat the best of the best to get there. A few knucklehead fans doesnt represent the class program you have or your university.xthumbsupx

[appstate38]

I voted NO because I take responsiblity for my own actions. And why should I make a pledge to do something I already do #1 and why should I make a pledge so that the other AGS'ers from other schools will like us better. Not going to do it.

Plus to add to it, we are getting some on here who are quick to point fingers when they have fans from their own schools that can act just as bad or worse. Clean your own house before you start in on ours.

[rob_p469]

As much as people talk about our classless fans i only see classy ones. I know that there are the few, but most aren't like that. Every college is going to be that way. Every college will have their rude fans. I'm just tired of hearing about us. I too promise to help make sure that fans stay classy.

Why do you think so many people from so many different teams have that opinon? You can't stay ignorant forever. Rushing the field with 3 minutes left in your 3rd straight National Championship? Come on.

[unicat87]

I vote yes. -unicat87

[AlphaSigMD]

Agreed. I saw a lot of great ASU fans at this game. In addition, I saw a couple classless ones. But I also saw a few classless Delaware fans as well, but the great majority were very nice.

We tried to help the elderly Delaware fans behind us see the game by adjusting positions so they could see, and sitting when appropriate. They were very gracious, and some of the nicest people ive ever sat around at a game. SOme of the App fans that I was in a hotel with saw us, and thanked us for being so nice to them.

[tralfangar]

I've had some time to think about this for the past couple days, so hopefully this will be more rational than it would've been Saturday morning. I was not at the game, nor could I watch it on television. I did listen on the radio and have seen many pictures of our fans on the field. I attended the championship in both 2005 and 2006, so I do have some past experience with the event.

To me this entire discussion comes down to a combination of many of the things that are being discussed. Some of it can be attributed to "sour grapes" (as much as I hate that phrase), some of it is actual evidence that we need to address these instances of unruliness while we still can, and some of it is endemic American cultural issues that are expressed through a winning program regardless of where said program is located.

Cultures don't change momentarily. It could take a decade, a generation, or more for something like the CLASS campaign to set in. This is not going to be an expose on southern football culture or Appalachian State, but just because our school is in the mountains does not mean all of our students do too. Many of our students come from the western part of the state of North Carolina which includes Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Charlotte. Also, Raleigh is another hometown with a lot of representation. South Carolina, the suburbs of Atlanta, eastern Tennessee and western Virginia are the main contributors for our out-of-state representation. All of these states (save Virginia) have enormous SEC fanbases who are well-known for their rabid fans. Yes, they have many respectable fans, but I think anyone who has been to a game at UGA, UT, USC, etc knows that there are more than a handful of obnoxious sh#itheads that you just want to punch in the face. This would be difficult to prove, but I think you can all see that I think part of the classless culture from some of App's fans could possibly come from their experiences growing up. Take that for what you will.

In terms of my own behavior, I am well known by my friends to be calm and analytical most of the time, but at a football game I can get caught up in the emotion. There was even a time or two when I was still young, underage and immature that I attended a football game at the Rock while heavily intoxicated. One time I went too far and since then I learned my lesson and I just drink a little before the game to be social. At both the 2005 and 2006 games I took it personally upon myself to try to make it a pleasant experience for other fans around me (Chatty locals and opposing fans). I told one App student to shut up in 2006 because he was being obnoxious and was obviously drunk. He shut up. I think we just have to all take responsibility for our fanbase. If someone is disrespectful, tell them, don't just ignore it. Ignoring it makes them think it's proper behavior.

On a similar subject, as others have mentioned, I truly believe that any fanbase for a semi-successful team is going to have overly drunk or overly boistruous or just flat out ignorant people. In 2005 my father, two brothers and I were almost physically assaulted by a drunk 40 year old man from UNI just because we walked by his tailgate. In 2006 a few UMass students displayed why northerners get a bad rep in the south. I didn't take it upon myself to go to some message board and tell the entire community how bad ALL Panthers fans or Minutemen fans are! No. It was only one case and I met plenty of other wonderful people. I'm only 24, but I've already realized that THIS IS LIFE. There are assholes that you will hate and there is nothing you can do about it. Just don't associate with them, and if you have the chance, put them in their place.

Finally, aside from the obvious security and safety of media personnel, players, officials, etc. I do NOT think it was such a terrible thing for our fans to be on the field early. There was no riot, there were no fights, etc etc...people were just excited to win THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! Just because you've won it two times before does not mean the third means less! Jeez, it is the ultimate accomplishment for our division and you want people to act like it's nothing? Again, I will not defend the safety aspect, but I think you have to admit we live in a sports culture today where kids grow up every year with images and videos of mad rushes onto a basketball court or a football field. Isn't it only natural that they might think it is acceptable when their time comes?

By now this has become a rant, but I needed to get all that out there. Thank you.

[Herdman]

tralfanger,
Nice post and agree with most of what you say, except for think it is okay for your fans to come down on the feild. It is never okay to do that and endanger the physical well being of the players and others that NEED to be down there doing their jobs. It's not a youth league game where moms and dads, brothers and sisters don't have bleacher seats and want to get a s close to the action as possible to help little Johnny score his first touchdown. Like I said in another post, even with the limited security the fans should have known better and should have had a level of maturity to police themselves. And like you said, it's not ASU's 1st or even 2nd NC so it should have been much easier for ASU fans to act like they've been there before.

Now, once the game is over have at it. Party all night long on the feild if they'll let you stay that long, just not before the end of the game.

Congrats on the win and best of luck for next year.

I'll say this, your coach was a class act in his on feild comments after the game.

[tralfangar]

As I said, I will not defend the security aspect, so what you have said is true and acceptable to me.

[KiddBrewer]

i know how to stop the nonsense folks.......







jerry moore and ken peacock tell everybody to cut it out, together.

[proasu89]

i know how to stop the nonsense folks.......







jerry moore and ken peacock tell everybody to cut it out, together.


It wouldn't hurt.

Cobb, Moore, and Peacock will be working on this.

[mountaineer in Cane Land]

Poor fan behavior has become a major problem at all collages. I have read several articles this year about how many schools are having major problems with their student bodies. LSU, for example, was extremely embarrassed with how poorly the student body acted during the Florida game. Virgina Tech was considering banning certain fight songs during the game becouse the student body was changing the words to the songs to vulger language. I personally saw a student at a FSU game this year carried out by 2 deputies, completely drunk and unconsious. My point is, when you have 7 thousand haft drunk students in one area of the stadium, the chances for some of them acting "classless" greatly increases. This not just an "App problem", this is a problem for all major collage in America. Final thought, it pisses me off when I read a message from some idiot of another school ripping us for having classless fans. One, their fans would have done the exact same things if they were in the same posiiton, two, it is pure jealously of our program and this is the best they can come up wtih. Should the kids have been at the field with 3 minutes to go.-NO-. But do not label all App fans as classless becouse of a few bad eggs.