This week I got the awesome chance to film the football game from the sidelines. The Mississippi State Bulldogs took the game by storm and did a great job burying the other team into the ground. I partook in the football experience in a whole new way. I was standing on the sidelines right next to other reporters, coaches, cheerleaders and football players.
I filmed as many punts, hikes, drives and touchdowns as I could before my attention span grew unbelievably short and I needed a new angle. I began looking around the stadium at the thousands of people who were cheering our Dogs to victory and, for a moment, I thought about them. What is the average football fan like? What possesses a person to dress up like a cowbell, or wear stiletto shoes and miniskirts in 40-degree, muddy-ground weather?
We all have passions and interests that require extreme dedication or attention. At the game this past Saturday, I witnessed people cheering at the tops of their lungs when we did something great, cursing at the referees when they made a call not in our favor and acting like fools to get on the Jumbotron. Regardless, it was entertaining.  I think football, or any sport for that matter, wouldn’t be the incredible money-making industry it is today without these fans.
We need those people that go all out for every game. They bring the biggest tent they own to tailgate hours and hours before the game even begins. They deck it out with Christmas lights and televisions all powered by a previously purchased personal generator. Their food is sought after by everyone, and random friends show up out of nowhere when they smell the delights from across the Junction. These fans are all about the experience. They truly love MSU football.
Then there are what I like to call the “money-maker fans.” Everyone knows these fans; they are the ones who are wearing their hottest outfits, regardless of the bitter cold weather, and lack of comfort they will experience walking around in that suit or dress all day long. These fans might love the game and they want you to be there to watch, but they also want you watching them, as well. I mean, let’s be honest, most of the time we dress up to impress others not to “make ourselves feel better.”  Most of this type would be found at schools we do not speak of, but, trust me, from the field looking up, MSU has them, too.
Last but not least is the “apathetic fan.” I’m not implying those of us who fall in this group don’t genuinely care about MSU, or football or winning, but we don’t fit into the other groups so there has to be a third. This is filled with those people who wear t-shirts to the tailgates, eat the “go-getters'” food and watch the “money-makers” walk by. This would include the girlfriend or wife whose significant other drags her along to the game. This is the person who really wants his or her team to win, but if it doesn’t, it won’t affect his or her life an hour after the game is over. These fans are probably the majority.
Watching the people who come to a football game can change your perspective on what it really is all about. Some are there for the love of the sport, some are there to show off and others are there because it’s a Saturday and they need something to do. Regardless of who you are in this group, you have a place in the world of sports. Next time you attend an event, look around. You could be interested in what you see.
Sarah Ulmer is a sophomore majoring in communication. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.