Crayola marker covered my cheeks Saturday morning.
My face, if you need that clarified.
While I'm not one to pull off the whole body paint mess, I felt conditions warranted the appearance of "Ball" and "State" just below my right and left eyes, respectively.
"Hell, it's Canada. Why not?" I thought to myself. When you drive 16 hours round trip and are spending a considerable amount of money to see a football game that isn't the Super Bowl, all logic is gone and no rules apply. As I came to learn, not everyone shared this sentiment.
The stands at Roger's Centre were still an hour from becoming a sea of red and white on either side of the field painted with the International Bowl logo. As kick-off approached the tide turned. Soon a crowd of more than 31,000 was on its feet for the singing of the Canadian and American national anthems.
Thirty minutes later, a majority of Ball State fans were back in their seats. With a few exceptions, they remained that way for the bulk of the game.
After a lengthy four quarters, the scoreboard indicated a Rutgers victory, but the real losers were Cardinal fans, not players.
The team lost the game, but Ball State fans lost the battle of the crowd. Not because of size, but rather apathy. Athletics is a thriving terrain for clichés, and one applies especially well here: It's not the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Ball State alumni and parent support at the International Bowl was plentiful, but pitiful.
My marker-covered face was nothing if anything. Full-body paint, red capes, large signs and much louder (and mouthier) fans earned their airtime on ESPN2 and the Rogers' Centre video system. In fact, the apathetic fans were not students, but an older crowd of alumni and parents. Appropriately dressed in Ball State gear, their body language and actions were better suited for a night at the Canadian theater - err, theatre - than a bowl game.
It seems illogical to make an eight-hour drive for overpriced alcohol, food and hotel rates, only to sit and twiddle thumbs in the midst of this school's fourth-ever bowl appearance. No one expected a win; it was possible but not probable. That's no excuse for acting apathetic in front of a national television audience.
Beyond showing up, parents and alumni put on a lazy show of support. Rutgers fans put us to shame, and students who couldn't attend the game in person should know this.
While fan behavior is the main culprit for failure, this does provide a suggestion for Ball State athletics and International Bowl planners. Make sure there's an assigned student section - and plan around it.
A good chunk of students found their way to the lower 50-yard line territory, but not all of them. My ticket had me 30-some rows back around the 40-yard line, with a smaller but prideful group of students. The separation weakened the main section and scattered other students. While it provided an elevated view of the game, it also allowed me to see an awful number of fans seated for the better portion of the game.
Just rows in front of us a group of fans adorned homemade T-shirts all supporting a single BSU player. They were seated shortly after kick-off. Outside of a few major plays, they remained butts-in-seats for the rest of the game.
True - youthful energy and healthy bodies are not as everlasting as loyalty to alma maters. But it's why rowdy fans earn a place up front - the team can interact, and the television cameras take notice. Watch CBS this March and pay close attention to student section placement around basketball courts.
Similar forethought is needed at the International Bowl - once the right fans are in place.
e-mail Dave at heydave@bewilderedsociety.com
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