Respect Is A Four Letter Word
Respect is a dirty four letter word.
By JohnRehor
Respect.
Everyone at some point in their life has witnessed a lack of respect. Whether it is done to the individual, or it is done to someone else, respect is often hard to come by, and sadly, not given nearly enough.
I witnessed a lack of respect on Sunday, and as a Packer fan, I was outraged.
With their season hanging by a thread with just under five minutes left in 4th quarter, the Packers had driven down the field and scored a touchdown and extra point, making the score 30-20 Giants. Everyone knew what was coming next-onside kick. The entire season came down to this play. The dream season so many fans enjoyed perilously close to being over.
As the kick left the foot of Mason Crosby, and the Giants recovered the kick, the chances of a Packers comeback diminished greatly. So much so, that with that kick, a large contingent of the Packer faithful decided the season was over, and promptly made a bee line to the gates to beat traffic.
That is a severe lack of respect. And I have a major problem with that.
This Packers team went 15-1 this season. FIFTEEN AND ONE. They lost one game all season. They had the best record in the history of the franchise. And when this team needed its fans the most, a large number of them bailed on the team they supposedly love.
What caused this? Was it the frustration of having to watch the Packers struggle on Sunday? Absolutely. You never like to see anything you love have to fight for anything. Was it cold in the stands? Absolutely. The wind was howling in my face the entire game, and I didn't care one bit. Whatever the case, when the exodus to the gates started with almost five minutes left on the clock, it just seemed like far too many people had given up hope. I have a difficult time accepting that.
Maybe I expect too much from my fellow fans. I guess the expectation of a Packer fan to actually remain in the stands during a playoff game seems to be a little too much for some to handle. Apparently sticking with your team to the bitter end is only appropriate to some when the wind chill isnt bitter cold.
I guess being a Packer fan to some means being a fan only when its convenient for them.
The Packers had a great season. A season which ended far too prematurely, but none the less, a great season. Did they come up short in the end? Absolutely. I am not suggesting in the least that they did not. What I am suggesting is that they at least deserved the respect of their fans to stay to the end of the game. If you didn't want to see the Giants fans celebrate, that is fine. However, staying to the end of the game and leaving when the clock struck zero would have been much more respectful than leaving with five minutes left in a playoff game.
Respect is earned. It is never given without just cause. The 2011 Packers deserved more respect than they received Sunday. What they received was a gigantic four letter word from a large number of fans in the stands. It is ok to be upset with the team's performance, but ditching the team you supposedly love with time left on the clock, during (arguably) the best regular season the team has ever known, in a playoff game is not acceptable. No way, no how.
Comments (13)
January 18, 2012 at 01:53 am
Absolutely John, I couldn't agree more with that. Why pay for a ticket in the first place if that's how they feel about losing. I watched it at home in England, every second even though it was 1am. I would have dearly loved to be in that stadium on Sunday night, it would have been a privilege to watch my Packers, win or lose. I hope to get to at least one game next season, and I will be there until the clock goes to 0:00.
January 18, 2012 at 07:24 am
Martin
Couldn't agree more! At 1am, listening to Wayne and Larry (GamePass blacked out again in the UK!) I was stunned, but I stayed til the end, and I appreciated a great season.
If any of those fans who left early want to give us their tickets in future, I reckon we could manage the flight?
Sure it was disappointing; sure it was hard. But fans should remember the 80s, and be thankful we are an elite team again.
January 18, 2012 at 06:37 am
John,
Thanks for that. It pissed me off seeing it on tv that the best fans in the world would do that to the best team in the world. We are considered great fans by many becasue we stick by our team no matter what and the fact that we are always soldout. Yes we were mad by the performance but to do that to the team especially when they needed our support the most was a huge slap in the face. Especially on guys who worked hard that night like Rodgers, Driver, Clay, Woodson & the rest of the team! They deserved much more support. I wish I could find these fans and give them a piece of my mind! Thanks John,
V/r Benjamin Navy Packer Rep :)
January 18, 2012 at 07:27 am
With success comes the bandwagon-jumpers and wannabees. They have nothing emotional invested in the team, just want to be wherever the "it" place of the moment is.
January 18, 2012 at 07:28 am
Come on! It was the last few minutes of a game they sucked in for the entire 60 minutes. The crowd had way more energy than the players the entire game. They gave it there all - exactly what the Packers were asking for all week. And they weren't being paid millions to be there!
January 18, 2012 at 08:13 am
I went and paced in the atrium and watched the TVs for the last two minutes. I left my seat. I was cold, pissed, in tears, and probably still a little tipsy. But I didn't leave the stadium. I'm not sure if that denotes lack of respect. I prefer to think I had respect for the fans around me that were still in their seats that I didn't pace around and block their view.
January 18, 2012 at 10:28 am
Thanks John. I could not agree with you more. my daughter and I were making the same comments as we watched the Exodus. We were cold too, but stayed until the clock ran out!
January 18, 2012 at 07:56 pm
Like Colleen, I left my seat and watched the last few minutes from the atrium. If that makes me a bandwagon fan, the so be it. If that pisses you off, then more power to you.
You know who you should be pissed at? The players, for their piss poor effort Sunday. Why are they getting a free pass? Those guys are getting paid millions of $ and they aren't even trying to tackle anyone. That's a lack of effort. And thats flat out unacceptable. I pay a lot of money to go to games and I will NOT tolerate a lack of hustle or effort.
You can say the fans disrespected the players. Well, the players disrespected the game with their pathetic performance Sunday.
JohnRehor
January 18, 2012 at 08:03 pm
David-I can't write all of my emotions of Sundays game in one shot. Have to leave a little bit for future.
No way are you a ditcher. i know that. But you at least watched the rest of the game. I have serious doubts the literally thousands of people I watched get out of their seats and leave with time on the clock watched the rest of the game from the Atrium.
This is how I felt about the fans. Tomorrow comes how I felt about what i saw on the field. Rest assured, its pretty close to your comments above
January 18, 2012 at 08:16 pm
Dude, I wish we'd run into each other. I needed a serious hug.
January 18, 2012 at 08:14 pm
Seriously? The Packers play like a high school team for the entire game and you're upset with some fans that left with a few minutes left on the clock? Seriously?
JohnRehor
January 18, 2012 at 08:16 pm
Yeah, seriously.
Am I excusing the players and how they played? Not one bit. That gets addressed tomorrow. (see comment right above yours)
January 19, 2012 at 06:52 am
Living outside Wisconsin and seeing the Packers always as a road team, I was proud to tell those who remained during their team being beaten. "True Packer fans never leave a game, no matter what the score is." I will keep saying it, as the majority that left are more concerned about being stuck in traffic. Next time stay at home.