I was reading an article about the up-and-coming star, the Rally Possum, when I came to a realization. It states in the article that the LSU baseball team was losing 0-9 to the Arkansas Razorbacks. It also came to my attention that the article mentioned that a large number of fans left, showing no hope for their team. This really upset me.
Louisiana State University has one of the largest fan bases in the SEC and the country in general. So, why is it that if the Tigers are losing, the stadium goes empty after halftime. I am not here to talk to you about the fact that you just gave LSU your money, and now you're just leaving. I'm here to talk to you about the fact that our team's morale level depends on the fans. When the team sees that none of their fans have faith in them, it is really hard to keep a good energy level going.
Not only do fans leave early because the Tigers are losing, but because they're winning. Of course, people have always left early, but these days it's getting as early as the third quarter. Some people say its that they know we're going to win, but I would have to guess that it's mostly the traffic. Baton Rouge isn't technically listed in the top 10 cities with the worst traffic, but I would beg to differ. As a Baton Rouge native, I know that the drivers in this city are bad enough to make you want to cry, rip your hair out and straight-up leave your car right there on the interstate all at the same time. However, this is no excuse to leave a game early. Here's a little hint: there will always be traffic no matter what. I realize that sitting in traffic on two-lane River Road is that last way you'd like to finish your day, but your team needs you.
Last year after the shocking loss against Arkansas in Death Valley, LSU tight end Dillon Gordon was so disappointed that he posted a tweet calling LSU fans "the worst fans ever." Though this was quickly deleted, he did not hold back his feelings about the fans, saying he was hurt by the number of people that left in the third quarter.
LSU has one of the largest fan bases in the country, and the fifth largest stadium in the world. If you're really a true "fan," you won't let a stadium of 102,321 become empty while your team is trying to pull through.
