I went to the senior night football game on Oct. 31 when MVHS played Homestead. Both teams went into the game undefeated and were playing to try to take a CCS spot. The Matadors lost a very tight game 13-9. It was a difficult game for the Matadors; one that they needed as much support from the crowd as possible to win. There were many times when they seemed to just need a little push from the crowd to get them going. But unfortunately the rain did not help the Matadors or their crowd.
Soon after the game started it began to lightly rain. As this happened, I noticed something that was really disappointing. Many fans left the stands and escaped the game to take cover in their warm homes. These are not the kinds of fans we want watching our football games. They run away at the sight of rain instead of supporting their team through anything.
Fans need to support their team in any weather because part of being a fan involves showing their team pride and dedication by staying at the game regardless of the weather. Fans encourage the team to make them play their best. Not having a supportive crowd completely takes away the advantage of playing a home game.
Even though some of the fans flee from the rain, it's good that teams don't stop playing football due to it. This is one of the few sports that plays through any weather. Other sports, like baseball, postpone or cancel the game after just a bit of rain. They are worried about possibly damaging the field or injuring a player, but this is rarely an issue.
The game should definitely go on and the fans that leave don't belong at the game in the first place. The players should be able to play through it. They are paid millions of dollars to play, so why can't they continue playing with a bit of rain?
The dedicated fans stand out there in the snow, supporting their team and wearing nothing more than their team colors freshly painted on their bare chests. And someday, I too would love to do that. Dedicated fans don’t care about bearing with harsh temperatures; it comes with supporting their team.
These are the fans that a team wants. It’s not the ones who lack pride or devotion, but the ones that sacrifice something for their team. They care enough for their team to give up so much for their team even when their team may not give anything back. That’s what a true fan is. With the support of these fans, sports need to play through anything. Let the rain separate the die hard fans from those “bandwagon posers.” Don’t let them off the hook by just calling the game off.
