Kentucky Wildcat Football Homecoming A Thriller

I have just finished watching the Kentucky Wildcats beat the Arkansas Razorbacks 21-20. I am incredibly happy and ashamed at the same time.

Incredibly happy because Kentucky had some firsts tonight. First SEC game we've won this season. First time our coach Rick Brooks has beaten Arkansas' coach Bobby Petrino. First touchdown reception for Randall Cobb. Then make it two in the same game. What a shot in the arm this guy was. And way to shake it off and keep your head in the game, Hartline. And our defense? Outstanding, especially at the last when they held Arkansas who had plenty of time to make another touchdown or at least a field goal. How much time? Over 2 minutes, which everyone who watches football knows, is enough time to make or break a game. Especially with a good team like Arkansas. And especially when Kentucky has a nasty un-lucky streak when it comes to close games. They usually end up in heartbreakers. But not this time.

So now the question remains, why am I ashamed? I'll tell you why. I don't like to be clumped in with a lot of other supposedly faithful Kentucky Wildcat fans. Fans who are fans as long as the team is doing well. When this happens, they proudly hold out their Kentucky shirts to show the name or wave their Wildcat flags in the air and scream at the top of their lungs.

But what happens when the going is tough? When Kentucky is behind 17-7 in the 4th quarter. When it looks like Kentucky has lost their Homecoming game? These supposed "True Blue" fans not only boo their own team but walk out of the stadium, leaving half of the seats empty. You read right. While Kentucky was making their comeback and winning the game, half the crowd wad driving home or was already there. As the announcer said, "Shame on you."

I grew up here in Kentucky. I love this state and am proud to be a Kentuckian. Most of the time, I love the people in this state but when it comes to sports.....not so much. Lots of fans will argue, saying that the Kentucky Wildcats football team has never been as good as the basketball team. That even though, over the past few years they have showed promise, Kentucky's football team will never reign supreme over basketball in the SEC. They say we're a basketball state, not a football state. They act like it's okay to boo the football team because of this reason. After all, they're only the football team right?

Wrong. Number one, the Kentucky Wildcat football team has gotten to the point where they deserve to be treated with respect, especially from their own fans. The football team has always played with a lot of heart and many times could have won games but there always seemed to be a black cloud hanging over their heads. If something could go wrong, it would. Still, that is no reason to be booed by their own supposed fans....and for those who do, I use the term fan loosely.

Number two. These same fans who use this argument completely forget that when the Kentucky Wildcat basketball team is having problems, they boo them as well. It doesn't matter that Kentucky Basketball has won more SEC titles than anyone else or that they have tons of banners, both SEC and NCAA, hanging up in Rupp Arena. Let them have a few bad years and they get booed as well.

To sum it up, I am ashamed of the Kentucky Wildcat fans who only stand behind the teams when they are winning. Who boo the players while forgetting that these are just young men, barely into adulthood, who are trying their best to win and feeling down enough without having their fans turn against them. Players who look up into the stands to see that half the crowd has given up on them and gone home early. Well, Kentucky football players you got the last laugh tonight didn't you?

My husband and I sat in front of the television cheering them on the whole time. We delighted in watching them win while laughing at the fools that booed and went home. They don't know what they missed. It was a heck of a comeback and I want to say, "Congrats, Cats! Way to play tough and not give up!"

To the fans who left I say, "You may give up on the players but they don't give up on themselves." And by the way, get a dictionary and look up the word "fan". Not the one that talks about an object which blows out cold air....hey, wait. Maybe that does describe you because if booing your own team isn't cold, I don't know what is.