One of my favorite parts of my non-journalism life is openly supporting the teams I care about. Giants? Yes. Yankees? Absolutely. Objectivity is a tough sacrifice in the sports world, and I'm thankful I don't cover athletic events like editors Zach Horner and Adam Lawson do. I give them credit for suppressing cheers and typing ruthlessly throughout the year, so here's to them.
But when it comes to the Phoenix, we're all on the same page...right? At Saturday night's men's basketball game, I was one of three Elon fans in the student section who started the game standing. Granted, today was a big day for fraternities, and there were significantly fewer Phoenix Phanatics out to root on the guys. It was awkward being on my feet among a sea of empty chairs, but come on, this is Elon basketball! It was disheartening to see such empty stands, but even worse that those in attendance chose not to get up. Many students moved from behind us so they could see. Fair enough. But in the beginning of the second half, there were complaints. I would never stand in front of someone who chose to sit behind me if all other seats were taken, but the section was empty. But I hate confrontation, so I sat.
With fewer than three minutes left in the game, things got really exciting, and everyone was up and cheering. But we can't wait that long, and we can't have it both ways. I'd be interested to know whether the players felt the difference tonight. Could they tell we weren't in it? Does it make a difference for them?
It was an interesting experience, and I wish everyone could have been more supportive. We all cheer differently, and I respect that. But I would hope that Elon fans could recognize that standing in the student section is always OK.