COLUMN: Beer and football go hand in hand

Taylor Underwood, staff writer

I’m usually not one for going to college sporting events, mainly due to the fact that when I watch sports, I’m usually the guy standing up yelling at the officials or at my TV. However, getting worked up and emotional at ball games are a natural part of the event that should be encouraged.

There are some things in life that should just go together; Laurel and Hardy, peanut butter and jelly and beer and football.

Although I’m not a big fan of beer myself and certainly never drink to get drunk, I do feel USU would greatly benefit in both spirit and in merely opening the closed eyes of many students by grabbing a beer or two during a ball game.

I remember going to an Oregon State vs. Washington basketball game when I was younger. The fans were passionate full of hope and optimism. The stadium was full of Oregon State fans yelling at the top of their lungs, cheering when a basket was made for the home team and screaming threats when the refs made a bad call or when Washington scored.

This extreme joy and excitement came about not only due to the love of the game and school spirit, but also due to the booze flowing through their livers.

When I went to the USU vs. Boise State game, I was sadly disappointed to see the general feel of the game matched that of my high school football games, in which everyone was being supportive of everyone else and not even yelling. Compared to the shouting, profanity and intensity of other arenas, Romney Stadium was full of golf claps when our defense made a big play.

Where are the frat boys with A-G-G-I-E-S painted on their chests one letter at a time? Where is the tailgating? Where are the fights between fans and the intensity and passion?

I was sitting in the student section, yet all behind me and to my right and left there were complete families with small kids. The kids were even more vocal than the parents. We attend a university with an FBS football team, for crying out loud – there is an expectation of excitement, anger and passion that is severely lacking at our football games.

Compared to other state universities, we’re like the geeky kid who has to wear a colored shirt and bow tie to school while everyone else has on jeans and a designer shirt. Hell, the Academy of the Amish will probably beat us in a cool contest.

The only thing that makes us cooler than BYU is the fact that we can have facial hair and don’t have to pray before class. Don’t get me wrong, I hate BYU and don’t really want to take a class on how to raise a barn by a guy named Ezekiel, but there comes a time in every person’s life when they need to just go wild and relax – yell at a referee for making a bad call, shout profanity at the opposing team for sacking our quarterback, even yell at our quarterback for being a moron and making a bad throw.

Serving beer at our games would not only make the university a boatload more money, but it would greatly increase fan morale and excitement at games. Instead of being in a student section surrounded by toddlers and golf claps, maybe I would be surrounded by other students who are actually passionate about their school, willing to loosen up and forget about the pleasantries of living in Utah.

For your own sakes USU, drink a beer responsibly and lighten up at a ball game. After all, the bishop doesn’t have to know till Sunday.

 

– Taylor Underwood is a sophomore double majoring in cultural anthropology and western history. He is currently publishing a study on the board game subculture at USU. Send any comments to tunderwoodUW21@gmail.com.