Posted

who was disappointed with his Autzen Stadium game-day experience last Saturday.

Received a few responses... among them, a note from "John" who said,

"I have witnessed similar behavior at other games, directed at opposing fans, opposing players, and Duck players. It always detracts from my ability to enjoy the game."

Also, from "George," who wrote:

"I have had season tickets for over 10 years (section 23) and not one time, not once have I heard a fan berate the Duck players... I also thinks it hurts the credibility of the story to not know who it is. I understand why but wonder if there is an agenda on his part. I hope not."





Also, from "Chuck," who wrote:

"I will say that fans that pay their way to attend the game, get drunk, act ignorant, etc have that right...I guess."





Also, readers "Emily" and "Chris" and "Ken" and many others wished they could bring the former Ducks player to a game so they might give him a better experience. Also, there were some angry/ignorant who chimed in via the comment section to claim that the letter must be "a fabrication" or a "hoax" --- as if it couldn't be true that a former player was shocked at how awful some fans behaved.

Ron wrote:

"I would be surprised if the athlete in your column didn't also sit in, or close to the end zone. They are the least expensive seats, and draw the roughest crowd."

Interesting... true/false? You tell me.

The original letter caused a lot of discussion about fan behavior, also it exposed a host of others (see comments section) as part of the problem. What is designed to serve as entertainment can easily end up a sour experience when you combine alcohol/idiocy. Maybe at the base of the disconnect between players and fans is a lack of basic understanding of each other --- and maybe football.

Late Tuesday, I received a second email, this one from

, who initially bristled at the idea of signing his name to thoughts that might be unpopular with the fans. Ultimately McIntyre decided he wanted his name included because he's preaching this message all the time and it's an issue he really believes needs to be addressed.

His email:

I read the letter written by the former Ducks football player and found myself nodding in agreement. I played on the team as a walk on for the 2010 Rose Bowl team. I graduated from the University of Oregon in August, attend all of the home games, and count Duck football Saturdays as my favorite days of the year. But it is my belief that Duck fans, particularly the students, have become so self-entitled and spoiled with the team's success that I often find myself telling people that Oregon has one of the worst student fan bases in the country.



I first became jaded towards the student bodies support of the team following the loss to the Toby Gerhart lead Stanford team at the farm in 2009. Everyone I talked to following the big upset over Cal, and the Halloween win over USC, had nothing but praise for where the team was headed. Students associating themselves with the team's efforts by using the term "we" as if they had an integral part in the hard fought victory. I didn't think much of it at the time up until that loss in November. On the following Monday, people were not saying "we" played a bad game, it was "they played horrible", as if now they no longer wanted to be associated as a member of the team. A friend of mine said something along those lines and I called him out, stating that A) Stanford was a very good football team, and B) his only obligations he had to the football program were when he woke up Saturday mornings and started drinking. He was not at the facilities from 7-11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday busting his (expletive) in preparation for the next opponent, he was not heading back to the Casanova center after classes every night at 6 pm for film and team meetings. I believe that students act this way because they have no idea how hard the entire process is to win a college football game, and the sheer amount of man-hours in preparation it takes to do so. If they did, they would applaud the team for their hard fought effort in defeat instead of criticizing facets of the game in which they truly, from a football standpoint, do not understand.



While in attendance at the Cal home game this year, I saw something that proved my theory on how terrible the fans in Oregon's student section are to a T. Following halftime, even with the torrential downpour and game already in hand, all around the stadium Duck fans still sat occupying their seats, trying to stay warm and cheering on their team. Though a lot of people had left due to the rains, a majority of the stadium was still full, all except the student section. All that was left standing were a few dozen students who, when it all boils down, I consider to be the only students worthy of watching this incredible stretch of Oregon football that has truly become a privilege to watch. I could not agree more with the ex-Duck who wrote the letter that you shared online, and I could completely understand where Nick Saban was coming from when he called out his own Universities student section at Alabama. As a fan it is your job to cheer on the team during the game, congratulate them for a hard fought victory, and commend the effort put forth in defeat. No one puts in as much effort, and has a more rigorous schedule, then a student athlete at the University. As a graduate of the business school I can say that it was a cakewalk compared to juggling football and academia. So to students and fans who are quick to criticize the football program, think to yourself how much joy the program has brought to you in your years, and you are only obligated to it for four hours, 13 Saturdays out of the year. Football for student athletes is a 365-day commitment for four or five years.



I plan on going to the remainder of the home games this year, and will not let the ignorance of my former peers deter me from what I enjoy most, but it is a sad truth. Oregon has one of the most ungrateful, ignorant student sections in the country and I am glad that another former player has the same feeling that I do.



Thank you. Go Ducks.

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