For Basketball, this was our fourth one as a group. Honestly, when we do these trips, we go for quality fans, not quantity. This is something that we may have strayed away from for this trip, regrettably.As for why there may have been less noise and cohesiveness later on, there were several factors. I’m sure that you realize what some of them were.As for Can't: Been there, done that. Their older fans gave were downright ungrateful for our presence there the last time around, and there weren’t really any students to speak of. Except that one chick that’s always there. It was actually a member of the Rowdies who suggested that we come to the JAR this year instead. We obliged.---- - I'm sorry that we weren't able to impress your contingent of bandies and "rowdies" that made up that little section along the baseline. Props on the huge cardboard signs though, and that red “X” that’s been around forever. They almost made us take you seriously.Come on. If anything, you have to admit that since you knew we were coming, you probably tried harder to get that turnout and make the noise. Also, don’t try to pass it off that your efforts to bring people to the game if it had been in Buffalo last night would have been any better. From el Presidente himself: This problem seems to be mutual. Not that we ever had anywhere close to 500-1000 students for soccer, I would never try to bull**** that. We’ve had excellent turnout maybe twice this year. Wednesday night home games, our student section is far from packed. Then again, our end bleachers are easily 5 times as large as yours. To bring as many as we brought, considering this was a 12 hour commitment, mid semester, with many of our truly dedicated members, i.e. the noise making bunch, being unable to travel due to classes, midterms, etc.. I’m alright with that.Now, as for the National Anthem issue… In the past, I used to be concerned that the “Home of the Bulls” line was classless, but honestly, I got over it. In the end, I have the utmost respect for anyone who has ever fought to defend that flag and what it stands for, in the traditional sense. Any argument to the contrary is untenable in my mind.“… but shouting over our choir during the national anthem wasn't very classy.”I, personally, was singing along, as were my compatriots, I assume. We do this all the time at home. It’s a great show of patriotism, is it not? I think that to sing along is much more respectable than to simply hum and make “tsss” sounds when the cymbals [should] clash, as some imbeciles do.Why were the lyrics displayed on that marquis at the far end of the court if there wasn’t some expectation of crowd participation? Was it a lack of confidence in the ability of your own choir, or will you try to pass it off as something that was done in consideration of the visiting Canadian delegation, who may not have known the words to the Star Spangled Banner? (Some of us thought that we should sing O Canada immediately following the national anthem to be ironic, but we quickly realized that collectively we knew not more than the opening stanza and the closing lines)All in all, it was a good time, when you ignore the game itself. I’d make the trip again, honestly. Maybe next year the game will be on a Saturday night, and we can really see what we’re made of.On an interesting, possibly petty note: Your band’s drummer seemed to be starting a majority of your chants, even when the ball was in play. Isn’t there a ban on noisemakers during game time at these events? We’ve been made to do our cowbell chants during timeouts, and we’re often fighting against our obnoxiously loud band. See you in Cleveland.
