If you asked 100 Superfans, probably less than half of them have stayed until the end of a BC Football game this season. Unlike most BC fans, I have the unique experience of being at the entire football game every week. As a member of the BC Marching Band, we’re on the field before the gates even open, and we’re the last group to leave the stadium. Looking out into the stands and seeing a sea of gold Superfan shirts is one of the best feelings, and it’s honestly really disheartening to see so many people leave during the third quarter.
We’re a school filled with so much pride for ourselves and our teams, and yet our fans can never manage to stay until the alma mater. If this pride doesn’t manifest itself in our actions, how can we actually cheer “We are BC” and mean it? If you wouldn’t be willing to stand by your team during good games and bad games, you aren’t really a Superfan. I was raised in a very sports-centric household, and I learned from a young age that no matter the circumstances, you never leave a game early. I wish the Superfans had this ideal.
When the Superfans do stick around, our team performs so much better. They feed off our energy and get hyped up by the cheers and the screams. Take the USC game. We were nowhere near projected to win, but because the Superfans stuck around even when the going got tough, the team got the extra boost they needed to tromp the Trojans. Even the Clemson game this weekend. Clemson was a clear favorite from the beginning, but because the Superfans showed up in full force, the team was energized and excited to play for a huge crowd of people cheering them on.
The final moments after the game ends are some of the most peaceful moments on campus. The team huddles together with their coaches and staff, the cheerleaders group up, the remaining Superfans grab their friends, and the Band plays the alma mater. Everyone singing together and taking a moment to reflect on their friendships and their pride for BC creates such a beautiful moment that is really unexpected during a game, and most of the Superfans aren’t around to feel that power.
You never know what could happen during the fourth quarter of a game. We could turn it around big time and pull out an unexpected win. You could miss some amazing plays. And don’t you get more Gold Pass points if you check in at the end? Plus (shameless plug), the Band plays some really cool stands tunes that you may never hear, including fan favorites like Sweet Caroline and Just a Friend! During the next game on November 8th against Louisville, try something different and stick around.
Sources:
Instagram – @butlerrb
http://www.bcinterruption.com/2008/09/overunder-georgia-tech-power-rankings.html
Facebook – Boston College Bands