Wanted: Opinions Regarding Going Ballistic After A Bad Loss

[pawildcat]

I appreciate your position and generally agree that many people devote too much time and emotion to sports (judgmental, I know - sorry). Some fans of professional sports, in particular, become obsessed with watching other grown men perform their jobs, with nothing in common with them but temporary residences in the same city or state.
But, college sports are a bit different. NU made me who I am today. I met my wife and some of my best friends there. I am still close to certain faculty members 39 years after graduation. I learned so much, grew so much, and developed so many loyalties from my years at NU - and credit the special qualities of the particular institution for those changes more than just the general opportunity to go to college. I want to celebrate NU, to relive, in even small ways, my experiences there, and to see the school receive the attention and respect it deserves. Football provides a great way to accomplish all three goals.
I believe that for NU to really field a competitive football program, worthy of respect and attention, it must win its' share of Big Ten titles - on average, I every 14 years. It has been 17 years since our last conference title - we are due. Moreover, Fitz has not won one yet. He needs to. I like and respect him, as a man and a coach, and desperately want a title for him and the players.
This was to be our year. We returned the best RB in the Big Ten, an experienced QB with pro potential, an experienced OL supposedly improved with new additions from recent recruiting classes, 2 of the best DTs in the conference, a wealth of talented corners and safeties, and some young and talented DEs and LBs to play alongside some returning starters. Next year, many of these pieces will be gone and our expectations will likely be for a seven or eight win season. 2017 was the year - for 11 or 12 wins and the trophy in the case. It was the year to cement our status as a solid Big Ten program with legitimate claims to being the best. The loss to a mediocre Duke team (which we have outrecruited and which lacks even our fan support, history, and facilities) in so inglorious a fashion, has alerted many of us to an uncomfortable reality. 2017 is not our year - and next year will not be either.
Our dreams and hopes have been shattered. It is not for us we mourn, but for our alma mater. She deserves better.

I share some of your concerns and agree that the goal of any football program should always be divisional and league championships. The problem is that the other 13 teams in our league want the same thing, and some of them have significant recruiting advantages over us. I hope this year straightens out. As far as respect, Northwestern certainly is recognized as one of the top academic schools in the country and can be found on almost any top 20 list of college rankings I've found. I certainly didn't go to Northwestern in 1969 for the football, but because NU had (and continues to have) one of the best journalism schools in the country. If we can reach a higher profile in football, fine, although we're certainly taken a lot more seriously than years ago. Collins appears to be raising our visibility in basketball. It's always amazed me how stunningly mediocre NU has been in basketball over the years because it's generally an easier fix than football.

 

[Frabjous]

With a few exceptions (maybe ND & Michigan) schools are good in football (e.g USC, 'bama, tOSU) or
basketball (Kansas, Duke, IU, among others), but not both sports. Suspect the reason is financial. With basketball on the rise under Collins, wonder if NU is quietly going all-in on basketball, and letting football drift.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

With a few exceptions (maybe ND & Michigan) schools are good in football (e.g USC, 'bama, tOSU) or
basketball (Kansas, Duke, IU, among others), but not both sports. Suspect the reason is financial. With basketball on the rise under Collins, wonder if NU is quietly going all-in on basketball, and letting football drift.

A state of the art practice facility says otherwise.

 

[NJCat]

A state of the art practice facility says otherwise.

Wish we had a state of the art football staff....

And if you haven't watched this episode of The Foundation do so. These are really like able kids. Win or lose I really root for them in life.

 

[wildcatpn]

Great discussion. I think part of the fun of being a fan (aka fanatic, right?) Being emotionally involved and riding the rollercoaster makes it much more difficult when your team loses, and much much better when they win. The key is knowing where and when to draw the lines. During the game I used to scream and carry on during the games. Then I discovered "live threads", where I can vent- even unreasonably, without making my wife re-consider her wedding vows and not scare my children. Kidding... kind of...

In my opinion, the proliferation of radio/tv talk shows, websites, and social media have made things worse. I assume many of us posting here often frequent those media sites. Because of the time invested it makes us more invested in the team, because we know more than the average fan it makes us feel more like insiders and part of the team, and because we hear and see the "haters"- it makes us more sensitive to negative discourse not to mention outright insults.

It's ok to be crazy for a couple of hours as long as you don't break laws, hurt anyone, or make an irreparable ass of yourself. It's not Ok to let it control your life because as much as we want to be more; we're just fans and spectators- not an active member of the team. We really don't invest our bodies and lives, nor do the losses impart a permanent black mark on who we are or want to be. Of course, I wasn't thinking that this past Saturday as Baker Mayfield was planting the flag in the middle of Ohio Stadium.

So I say enjoy the game, be entertained, be incredibly joyful, and understandingly disappointed, but also keep some perspective.

I also think a lot of it has to do with the rivalries we have with friends, family, neighbors etc. I never really hated the Illini until i moved to an area that has a handful of Illinois grads. These handful of guys are delusional about their teams and although I always liked when they lost, I want them to lose to everyone now. It also makes the Cat losses hurt worse because I know I will have to talk with them about it.

 

[klemman]

I also think a lot of it has to do with the rivalries we have with friends, family, neighbors etc. I never really hated the Illini until i moved to an area that has a handful of Illinois grads. These handful of guys are delusional about their teams and although I always liked when they lost, I want them to lose to everyone now. It also makes the Cat losses hurt worse because I know I will have to talk with them about it.

Family, friends, and some co-workers, are kind of a separate category. Back in the 90's we would have Thanksgiving Dinner at my in-laws. It was the era of John Cooper's great teams that always found a way to lose to Michigan, usually the Saturday before. My brother-in-law who was from Michigan (but not an alum.) would show up with his entire family decked in Pee Color and Blue. Drove me crazy. One year Northwestern upset Michigan, so since I couldn't show off OSU colors due to another loss, I bought the entire family Wildcat gear. I hated having to deal with his rubbing it in, but I didn't hate him. The opposing fans you don't know are the ones you end up hating and villainizing. It still stinks though when a friend, family, or co-worker rubs it in the MONDAY after.

 

[Jonny2TheP]

Thanks to everyone for the responses in this thread. I find the psyche of a sports fan to be somewhat fascinating, and enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts, rituals, etc. I really find it interesting how some people watch games, especially knowing the result before deciding to watch the game or not. That's something that does not work for me. I actually have a family birthday party tomorrow night (kid birthday parties are terrible, but that's a topic for the Rant Board maybe), so I'm turning off my phone and alerting everyone at the party to not talk to me about the NU game, DVR'ing the game, and watching it on delay when I get home not knowing the result.

 

[D_C_B]

I lost it last weekend - basically because JJTBC getting 7 yards is the equivalent of anybther back in the Big Ten getting -63. JJTBC gets 70 yards+ per game just walking out of the tunnel from all the tackles he breaks for yards after contact. So 7 was beyond miserable. Blame technique. Blame recruiting. Blame effort. Blame whatever you want. It all falls on Cushing.

I'm over it now. Cats by 21 on Saturday. But we damned well better be shoving the BG linemen into the back of the end zone!