“It’s all fun and games, until someone gets hurt.”
We hear parents telling this to the kids who are playing too rough. We think nothing of it because we realize they are young and don’t know any better. But, to have to tell an adult, this seems hard to believe. At least it should be.
After a devastating loss to the University of Alabama Saturday, I, a Mississippi State alumna, and my two invited guests to the game, both Alabama supporters, walked through the Junction toward our tailgating site. We were approached by a Bulldog fan, clearly intoxicated, who cleverly yelled obscenities at my guests.
Now, playful banter among opposing teams is one thing, but to attack individuals with comments having nothing to do with the game, yet clearly directed at them because of the jerseys they donned, seemed less than mature.
After being confronted about the comments made, the Bulldog fan threw food at my guests and swung a cowbell at one, creating a deep cut on his head and breaking his glasses. No fight ensued, and we returned to our tent to doctor him up.
As a graduate of this university, I must say that I am very disappointed in behavior of my fellow Bulldogs. Intoxicated or not, there is no excuse for treating another individual in the manner I witnessed.
It seems to some that this type of bullying against teams, rivaling or otherwise, shows team spirit. But all I see it accomplishing is giving Mississippi State a bad name. It shows poor sportsmanship that reflects negatively on the university as well as Starkville. As I expressed my sincere apologies to my invited guests, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed to be associated with stigma that will surely be present in their opinions.
I challenge my fellow Bulldogs to be aware of your deportment, be it at sporting events at home or on the road, on your way to class, when you’re proudly wearing your collegiate attire and anywhere else you go, because we all are representatives of Mississippi State University. And I want others to be as proud of my alma mater as I am. Go Dawgs!