USC Trojan Fans Need to Play Their Part to Win

C&G Shades On is a special weekly column from Sara Kakuris, bringing a die-hard USC football fan’s voice and perspective to Reign of Troy.

Guys, we need to do better.

No, I’m not talking to the football team, though lord knows I could give an earful about that one.

We, the fans, need to do better.

I was shocked to see so many empty Coliseum seats for Saturday’s game. I expected a full house. I get why people may not have been able to make it to a 7:30 p.m. Arkansas State blowout or a Thursday night game, but this was our first conference game, a big rival and the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band wouldn’t be within a 100-mile radius of the field.

Yeah, it was about 200 degrees out, but that’s what sunscreen and water are for.

But, with the still decent turnout we did have, that stadium should have been rocking. Instead it was one of the quietest games I have ever attended. I could literally hear the Stanford fans from across the field louder than the SC fans in my own section.

My guest and I actually got dirty looks from our seat neighbors for our (admittedly loud and awesome) third down screams and maybe if we’d had some help, there wouldn’t have been so many conversions.

I will, however, admit that the glares at my obnoxious (and, I think, quite clever) rants at the refs were probably warranted. But, seriously, someone needs to let them know this isn’t flag football.

Sep 12, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of a flyover during the playing of the national anthem before the NCAA football game between the Idaho Vandals against the Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The fact that time and time again the big screen had to show the video of players pleading with us to make some noise demonstrates just how much we were letting them down.

The disgusting part of all of this are the reports I received of fans booing our players.

Let me be very, very clear about this – You never, I repeat, NEVER, boo your own team.

We were all pissed as hell at this game, and rightfully so. But how on earth do any fans think booing our players is motivation to do better?

Forget the fact that these are kids, forget the fact that they’re the ones on the field in the Southern California heat. Our job as fans is to outwardly support them no matter what.

Have some heated conversations with your friends. Criticize the coaching decisions to the person next to you. I certainly did. But if Su’a walked up to me and asked for my thoughts, I would have nothing to say but “FIGHT ON!”

Which leads me to our last failing as fans, leaving before the clock ran out. Look, I am certainly guilty of having left in the fourth quarter of a late, blowout game.

But the time when it’s clear we’re losing is the time everyone’s butts should be in those seats. The Men of Troy should not have to see the seconds ticking down and the fans walking out.

It sure is tempting to sneak out before the masses and certainly before the Stanford fans got a chance to get their talons into us. But our boys needed us more than we needed solitude and a quick commute home.

Win or lose, we are Trojans to the end. The players are not the only ones with a responsibility during the game. We cannot condemn the players for missing tackles and the coaches for missing…everything…when we are not doing our part.

There’s a reason the Oregon Ducks and the Seattle Seahawks are powerhouse teams and it’s in no small part due to their fan base.

Let’s be better. Let’s be the Trojan 12^th Man.

I welcome hearing your thoughts and any future ideas you’d like to see in a column. Feel free to follow me on Twitter at @SCTrojanSara and tweet me any time.

See you next week and Fight On!

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