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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Mailbag: Sept. 15

Student disrespect toward football team

I’ve often wondered why the Zona Zoo doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. We are the largest student section in the conference, and yet in terms of stadium atmosphere, all anyone ever hears about out of the Pacific 10 is Autzen Stadium (rightfully so, though, since they are probably the loudest stadium in the nation). However, over the past two Saturdays, I found my answer. We don’t get the recognition we deserve because hardly anyone stays for the whole game.

By the middle of the third quarter against NAU, people were already leaving the Zoo. I wondered aloud what could possibly possess people to do so. The answer I received was telling: “”We’re a party school. People want to go drinking.”” That, my fellow Wildcats, is ridiculous. You spent more than $100 dollars to get an exclusive spot in Arizona Stadium and you can’t wait an extra half an hour or so before you leave? Is the alcohol really going to dry up if you don’t leave midway through the game? Are the parties going to suddenly shut down just because you didn’t show up? The answer to both of those questions, of course, is no.

It is completely ridiculous that people would put their priorities in that order, especially when the Zona Zoo pass is so expensive. I mean, what if NAU had staged a comeback and three-fourths of the Zoo wasn’t there to have the team’s back? We will never get the respect of programs with more well-known fan bases if our fans don’t give enough of a damn to stay for the whole game. If you’re not going to stay for the whole game, then please don’t buy a Zona Zoo pass and let someone with real loyalty to the team have your spot.

Until our fans start having some respect for the team and don’t just treat the game like a Saturday night time-killer until the parties start, Arizona will never get the respect it deserves, no matter how well the team does. Remember that the next time you’re abandoning the team in the middle of a game.

— Kevin Rand Wos

Political Science junior

 

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