Applause for the App State athletic dept: taking "idiot" fans to task

Here is a large excerpt from a longer article posted on the App State Athletics official website. I can't recall seeing an athletic department show outrage with its own fanbase in such a strong manner. I applaud David Jackson (Associate Athletics Director) for having the courage to stand up and say this. I actually picked up the phone and called him to tell him how impressed I was with this.

Thank You, Mountaineer Maniacs
by David Jackson (Associate Athletics Director)

November 28, 2007 - Mountaineer Maniacs – you are to be commended.

You are a vital part of a championship fan base that cheers, proudly respects and enjoys the efforts of your championship teams.

The preceding message is meant to be read and digested by 98 percent of the fans that attended the home events over the weekend.

The following is for the remaining two percent that attended Saturday’s football game at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

What are you doing? You know who you are! What possess you to show your backside, to deface the name of the great university you claim to love and cherish and to center these heinous patterns of behavior around a sporting event?

What is it about taunting, spitting and jeering at a player who has just had his heart ripped out in one of the most emotional, beautiful and painful ways possible that makes you feel better about yourself? What if that player was your son? And someone sauntered over to him after the ulmination of him pouring his heart and soul into an extremely grueling and physically demanding outlet for his passions, acted out over the course of a lifetime. And his first impression of life after football is someone like you being an idiot.

The actions of the two percent of you on Saturday were beyond appalling and its acts like this that endanger the existence of all of the great things that we know and love that make up Gameday Saturdays at The Rock.

If these comments apply to you, then take this opportunity to reevaluate your place in life and how this university applies to you.

Pride in Appalachian State University is at an all-time high and applications pile into the admissions office by the day. There are kids across the nation – the world, for that matter – that would give anything to experience Boone, to learn in the way we are taught at ASU, to experience the heartwarming Appalachian famil, and I bet we can even find a few in that stack that understand how to win and lose with class.

If alumni status applies to you, or if you are just a Mountaineer Fan and you were one of the jerks shouting profanities at families clad in Purple and Gold after the game, then we’d appreciate you turning in your tickets. We’ll give you a refund – we don’t need you back if that is what you consider appropriate behavior. That is not what Appalachian State University represents and we have plenty of respectful and mature students, alumni and fans that will gladly take your seat.