There Al Groh was, flanked on the left by Dean of Students Penny Rue and on the right by "Voice of the Cavaliers" Mac McDonald, standing on a small stage set up at the base of the student section of Scott Stadium. Groh was about to address a few hundred members of the class of 2009 for the first time, a week-and-a-half before Virginia's Sept. 3 season opener.
As the head football coach took the microphone and began speaking to the wide-eyed first years, the image that immediately came to my mind was that of a kindergarten teacher explaining how to behave in a classroom to his students.
"You see this behind me?" Groh asked the crowd.
"This is the area around the end zone."
The still wide-eyed first years nodded eagerly.
"When we have the ball, here you want to be real quiet," Groh said, his voice lowering to a whisper at the end of the sentence. "When our opponent is down here, that's when YOU GET LOUD."
This was followed by a smattering of cheers among the crowd from the few students who actually understood what Groh was talking about.
Apparently, the class still has a lot to learn.
Unlike the men's basketball program at the University, Groh and his squad have had little trouble drawing large numbers of student supporters to football games. Packing Scott Stadium with 63,000 fans, including close to 10,000 students, is certainly an impressive feat. But when a large chunk of those students lack a basic knowledge of the game of football, a few problems arise.
That's why I didn't mind it when Groh gave the first-year class a quick lesson on how to cheer for the football team. As a fourth year, I was only at the Aug. 21 Block Party for first years as a Resident Advisor attending the event with my residents. After all, somebody needed to show them how to get there. It's not like the stadium is right across the street from Woody ... Okay, so I went for the free T-shirt.
In my defense, it was a pretty cool T-shirt -- the newest issue of the official Orange Fever fan shirts. This year the words "Orange Fever" are written out in block letters with a shot of an orange-clad Scott Stadium filling in the letters. The orange is even bolder than it was on last year's shirts.
While speaking to the first years, Groh held up the orange garment and declared that the shirt was "second only to your books, the most important item you will receive during your time at the University of Virginia."
Okay, that may have been a bit of a stretch. Let's call it hyperbole. Maybe Groh was an English major. But the point was made loud and clear, Groh and his team want to see fans clad in orange on game day.
This is something that goes hand-in-hand with being a knowledgeable fan. Creating an intimidating environment for opposing teams is not just about getting as loud as hell when the Cavaliers have the ball and staying quiet when they are on offense. It also involves a visual statement that the student fan base can make by creating a sea of orange in the crowd.
But what about tradition? We have to dress up for games, that's what Mr. Jefferson did when the school played its first football game in 1822. On his deathbed, Jefferson only had one wish: that students would always and forever wear ties and sundresses on game days. Before long, even the players were wearing shirts and ties as the University's entire student population celebrated their elitism and upper-class status by spending a whole bunch of money on a cute outfit for the football game.
Seriously though, what good is tradition for tradition's sake? Should we behave a certain way solely because "that's the way it's always been done?" That just seems foolish. I was initially resistant to the "Sea of Orange" movement myself. I've come to realize, however, that if you call yourself a true fan, it only makes sense to do everything you can to help support the team. Part of that includes drowning the enemy with a visual tidal wave of orange.
And when Virginia has the ball, please shut your mouths. You can cheer after the play takes place.
Scott Stadium has never been known as a tough place to play, especially by ACC standards. In the last two years, Virginia has lost the two biggest home games it has played, against Florida State in 2003 and Miami last season. Is there a connection? Who knows? The important thing is this year could be different, with the top two schools in the conference paying a visit to Charlottesville (that's Florida State and Virginia Tech, kids) during the 2005 campaign. Now more than ever, the Cavaliers need their fans to step up. It all starts Saturday night at 6 p.m.
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