In my fifth year attending UNA, I am really starting to catch the Lion fever bug. 

I used to, like many UNA students, go to football games for one or two quarters, hardly pay attention and leave at halftime to go finish getting drunk.

Now, as a journalist who can’t really cheer on the sidelines for want of remaining professional, I regret the times I blew off my Lions for a chance to party.

At our last home football game, @UNAFootball tweeted that the stadium sounded like a library and urged fans to cheer. Sadly, that’s often how it is. 

Football isn’t the only sport that gets the short end of the stick, of course. Though each sport seems to have a small group of dedicated fans, there are many students who don’t respect their Lions enough to act like they care about a game. I’ve got to hand it to our dedicated group of alumni fans. 

At this year’s homecoming soccer game, participants of the pep rally that followed after started showing up. Though most of them stayed outside the gates, a handful of people went in for the last few minutes of the game. 

No problem with that, except most of the students paid zero attention to the game and made a lot of noise practicing their spirit routines. 

I get it. Not everyone cares about sports. And they don’t have to. But if you’re going to a game or just waiting for a game to end, the least you can do is be respectful. 

If you’re going to go watch the game, then watch the game. If you think the games are boring, imagine how much more fun they would be if everyone actually cheered? 

Maybe I’m a little biased – I’ve been a sports fan my whole life, after all — but I’m not asking you to do it for me. Do it for the players who are out there working their asses off to accomplish something and to bring UNA recognition. 

How would you like it if half the crowd at your pep rally or choir concert or art exhibit or whatever just got up and left halfway through? 

So, students, I urge you this: if you decide to attend a UNA game, be in attendance.

Just remember how hard our Lions work for us the next time you’re “bored” at a game.