A Fan That Doesn't Care

I'd like to be the first to welcome myself to this illustrious writing staff at Stadium Drives.  Sorry it has taken so long but I went Michael Crabtree on the GM of Stadium Drives.  I wanted to hold out for even more money but when I realized the team was having some success without me I thought I better jump on the bandwagon before it was too late.  As Mr. Crabtree has done I hope to make an immediate impact and be an active participant in the decline back down to slightly below medoicre.  Side note:  That was more of a knock on the 49ers season than the website.

It is no secret that I am a University of Tennessee football fan.  Events in recent weeks have given me a new perspective on my admiration and love for Vol Football.  I am speaking directly to the arrests of three freshmen football players, Janzen Jackson, NuKeese Richardson and Mike Edwards, for armed robbery with a pellet gun.  This was the first major backlash in the already intriguing Kiffin era at Tennessee.  I have read the message boards, newspaper articles, and ESPN reports pertaining to the event.  As a loyal Tennessee fan I offer these few words to the masses...

I Don't Care.

Yes, I was shocked when I read what had occured.  I emailed, called and texted all my friends to inform them of the 'tragedy.' But deep down, I couldn't care less.  I only care about one thing...winning football games.  That sounds cruel, disrespectful and cold hearted, but if most fans really thought about it I'm sure they would agree with me.  Here's why...

None of the three men involved in the incident serve as my measuring stick for the rights and wrongs of life.  I do not know, have never met and will probably never meet any of these three playing for the University of Tennessee football team.  In my eyes, they are athletes and football players that I watch religiously every Saturday in the fall and nothing more than that.  Yes, that sounds selfish and cruel, but it is true.

Ask yourself this:  Your team will win the National Championship in return for three of your players being arrested for armed robbery (a crime they were guilty of).  Would you make that deal?

If you answer no you are lying to yourself, unless you work in the athletic office at that university.  I'm sure there are even those in athletic departments, coaches included, that would take that deal. 

Honestly, most every fan would make that deal.  The majority of fans that would make that deal are disregarding the athletes as people and focusing solely on their athletic endeavors.  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  At the end of the day, fans buy the merchandise and the tickets.  Their support is demonstrated through revenue dollars and cheers.  They show up and cheer but are not a direct influence on the success and failure of a student-athlete off the field.  That outcome is up to the student-athlete himself.

Us fans are just spectators, watching and hoping for victories and success.  We cannot expect student athletes to adhere to our own moral code or to behave in a manner we feel representatives of the university should.  We can only support.  It is up to the coaches and the administration to determine what is acceptable behavior and, of course, to win. 

As fans we can cheer and demand success but we can't demand that student athletes behave a certain way nor should we get upset when they don't.