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Derek Tam
Is there a solution to the apathy? Only with your help
A look into the inner problems of NU fandom
feld: "Another point you may have missed: a lot of kids who go to NU are from the midwest where college football is huge. Growing up they probably had college football allegiances - but not to northwestern. If someone rooted for Mich or Ohio State since they were five, they're not going to switch to a lousy team with a suspect fan base."
It’s a phenomenon that I haven’t been able to comprehend since arriving at Northwestern.
There are plenty of sports fans at Northwestern. Walking around campus, one can see Cubs hats, Bears jerseys, Bulls shirts and merchandise from professional and college sports teams from across the country. On fall Sunday afternoons, yelling and cheering can be heard all across campus, especially in the fraternity quads, based on the outcomes of NFL games.
But the ravenous nature of these sports fans often does not carry over to Northwestern athletics. I recall one of my friends choosing to stay at home and watch a Tennessee-Memphis college basketball game (he’s from New York) instead of going to a nationally televised Northwestern basketball game vs. Indiana, just one day after Kelvin Sampson was fired.
Sadly, many NU students would do or have done something similar.
Because I can’t understand why many sports fans at Northwestern won’t adopt the Wildcats as their newest team to follow passionately, I sought out my friend Elliot, who loosely fits this mold.
Gotty: So first, how big a sports fan would you consider yourself?
Elliot: I would consider myself a very big sports fan. I don’t know how you classify or rate that, but for certain teams I’m as loyal and diehard as they come.
Gotty: Do you have a preference when it comes to college or pro sports?
Elliot: Yes, I follow pro sports much more closely.
Gotty: Did you look at NU’s athletic program when you were applying? How much of an impact did the school’s sports teams have on your decision to come here?
Elliot: I definitely looked at the program when I was applying here, but only as a perk and nothing more than that. I came here for the academic reputation and Big 10 sports was just a cherry on top. I was deciding between Michigan and Northwestern so clearly the sports program was not the most important contributor to my decision.
Gotty: How big of a Northwestern sports fan would you consider yourself?
Elliot: I consider myself an above average sports fan. With some sports, football and basketball, I’ll know the full roster, stats, scores, etc. throughout the season. Further if any team is doing really well, men’s soccer or women’s lacrosse, I’ll jump on that bandwagon too. I think that’s more than most Northwestern students put into NU sports.
Gotty: Did you anticipate being more into NU sports though? Did you think you would go to more games than you do?
Elliot: Absolutely. I can remember making fun of a family friend for leaving the 2005 Iowa game early when Northwestern recovered an onside kick and went on to win that game. Now that’s me – I don’t even show up to the games. However, I have always maintained my stance that my attendance does not make me “not into NU sports.” I don’t go to game for many reasons, but I personally don’t think that makes me a bad fan.
Gotty: What would get you to go to more games?
Elliot: A consistent, winning football team like last year’s and more importantly, a better environment in the student section. That is specifically for football; basketball games are an awesome experience that I waited too long to attend. No complaints there.
Gotty: Why do you think so many sports fans that are so passionate about say, the Jets or the Red Sox or USC won’t extend that passion to Northwestern, like students do at schools all across the country?
Elliot: Great question. I think this has to do with how long and when you become a fan of a team. For me, my alliances were shaped simply by who was good and when. I was a little kid in New York and first it went the Knicks in ‘94, Jets in ‘98, and Mets in 2000. Specifically for college sports, this same success matters but it’s more about your parents. If you’re born into a USC family you get to watch a great college football team compete at the highest level from a very young age simply because your mom or dad is watching next you. You are bred to be a diehard year after year after year. Northwestern doesn’t have that. It’s small and hard to get into. How many of us have Northwestern alumni for parents who love Northwestern sports? Not many. If yes, how long has Northwestern big-time sports been consistently good? Not too long. Therefore, we all come in here at 18 years old and you expect us to have the same passion for Northwestern sports that we do for teams that we’ve loved and followed for our entire lives? That’s not easy.
Here are my quick responses to a couple of the things Elliot brought up in the interview:
•Not showing up to any of the games automatically makes him a sub-par fan of Northwestern sports. I don’t care if you watch every game on television and know the number of every Northwestern defensive back, the best way to support a team is to go to the games. In college sports, fan and student support can make a big effect on the outcome of a game. By refusing to show up to any games, students let the school’s athletes down.
•Elliot’s point about consistent winning is spot on. Competing for a national championship every year would do a lot to solve the school’s spirit and attendance issues. But it’s not realistic, just as it isn’t realistic at hundreds of schools across the country that have far more spirit and attract bigger crowds than Northwestern.
•The last point in the interview, combined with a historical lack of winning, probably accounts for the main issue in converting Northwestern students into NU sports diehards. Few children grow up loving Northwestern sports, and of those children, many either choose not to go to Northwestern or cannot get into the school. Whereas a child from Columbus who goes to Buckeye games from birth and then attends Ohio State, Northwestern attracts students from all over the country with team loyalties deeply entrenched. Thus, many students see the apathy already present on campus and simply fall into line. Unless Northwestern makes the Rose Bowl or NCAA tournament, it will be tough to create a campus-wide frenzy about the athletic program. It’s a shame, but it’s the truth.
Thus, heading into this week’s game against Michigan State, apathy remains high with the team still trying to forge an identity at the halfway point in the season. It’s doubtful that many students will tune in to ESPN2 to check out the rhythmic tones of Pam Ward as the ‘Cats battle MSU in East Lansing.
Apathy Rating: 4. A win against MSU could send this higher with Homecoming and the Penn State game on the horizon. A loss will ensure a half empty student section for Indiana.
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Another point you may have missed: a lot of kids who go to NU are from the midwest where college football is huge. Growing up they probably had college football allegiances – but not to northwestern. If someone rooted for Mich or Ohio State since they were five, they’re not going to switch to a lousy team with a suspect fan base.