Fans Win Despite Loss -- Sports Article by Caypay

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Fans Win Despite Loss

The story of the game could be Aaron Garcia’s 700+ Touch Down pass, the New York Dragons taking the Eastern Division lead, or 2005 Cowboy’s Rookie class getting announced at half time, and, while these were all important and interesting things that happened, they were ordinary, common, surely written about in every article about Friday night’s loss at home. But what you won’t hear about, what people find so commonplace that it isn’t even noticed is the fans themselves. How they won the game, even though their home team lost.

I’ll be honest; this was my first Arena League game. Growing up in Texas I have been a football fan as long as I can remember, and so, the idea of a game, off-season, in AIR CONDITIONING, really appealed to my senses. My first impressions were that of the differences – Where’s the rest of the field? What do you mean kick-off isn’t the center of the field? Why is the clock still running? Where’s out of bounds? There’s a NET!?!? – Which lead to utter confusion in the first half. Overall, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Seeing multiple scores in a matter of minutes. Seeing a ball bounce off of a net and still be in play. Seeing players make runs and complete drives that you could only wish to see in the fall season games. Besides confusion, it was utter amazement.

Then, there was the atmosphere, the fans, the announcer, the sponsors, and the air conditioning. (I only mention the A/C because, being seen as a miracle of science in Texas, it helped pump energy into the fans. After all, standing out in 110-degree heat and cheering for your team only goes so far.) I couldn’t believe that the announcer himself was not only mocking the other team’s roster, but also blatantly using the sponsors to

call the referees’ mistakes. Whoever thought of getting an optometrist to sponsor the penalty flag was a genius!!

And the fans, well, they are the story of the game. Their energy filled the arena and their cheers echoed all the way to the rafters and filled the press box. They howled, they booed refs, they hassled the other team, they sang to the music and danced, and they mimicked the announcer . . . “IN-COM-PLETE.” They even won a free pizza and did the YMCA. And while all this can be found at any other sporting event, what wasn’t found was the interaction between the players and the fans.

Just for the record, I’m not talking about home-field advantage. I’m from Texas, remember? And I’m an Aggie. I know home-field advantage when I see it. What I’m not used to seeing, however, is the players slapping hi-fives with the fans during the game, acting as their own cheerleaders, signing autographs, taking pictures with fans, and not giving off the “I’m just paid to be here” vibe, even after a loss. I’m talking about the fact that the players play to play, and the fans go to be fans. And, all in all, everyone has a good time.

And to watch good football. After the initial confusion, I began to recognize familiar things. The line set, the blocking, the sacks, the runs, the passes, and those amazing plays that I mentioned before. Things began to look more like ol’ fashioned iron man football.

As I said before, the crowd reacted to the plays. When, in the third quarter, Dallas’ Rickie Simpkins pushed the referee and got ejected out of the game, yet another thing I’m not used to seeing in football, the crowd went nuts!! The crowd only got louder when Jermaine Jones came to the rescue and received an Unsportsman-Like Conduct penalty.

This interaction between the refs and the players set off a momentum that gave Dallas a 48-yard TD pass. Which, I must say, was classic, and gave Will Pettis, an obvious crowd favorite, his second TD catch of the night. The Dragons again answered with a touch down, taking the lead and making the score 40/48.

Still in the third quarter, Dallas regains possession, and after two bad sacks and one Intentional Grounding call, the crowd still keeps the team in the game. On the third down, Dallas makes a 42-yard punt, with 35 seconds in the third, for a score of 43/48. New York is still in the lead. But in their drive, they injured one of their players. Once off the field, the Dragon’s end their drive with another touch down and an extra point giving them a lead of 43/55.

But not to worry, the fans won’t give up hope. While the momentum is temporally gone, the fans still cheer as Dallas scores with 12 minutes left in the forth. However, Bobby Sippio, spikes the ball in the end zone, causing a Delay of Game penalty. No matter, the spike and the call just awaken the crowd. And, with the extra point, earning the fans a free pizza, the fans are clearly not ready to call it a night. The newly completed drive got the crowd really roaring again.

Despite the Dragons scoring two more times, one TD and one field goal, Dallas was still motivated to make another touch down, bringing the score to 57/65, with the Dragons still in the lead. And, as the final seconds waned away in the forth, the fans pushed for a last minute tie. The team tried as hard as they could to give it to them, but it just wasn’t going to happen. The game ended, but the fans stayed.

As media rushed onto the field, the fans rushed to the sidelines. For the players, there was no time for the “we should haves” or “we didn’t’s.” As a matter of fact, interviews were short and sweet. The cheerleaders, the players, and even the coaches made their way to the fans to sign autographs and take pictures. The fans didn’t berate anyone, but graciously thanked the team and gave reassuring “good jobs” and encouraging “we’ll get them next times.” An interaction that is uncommon to sports, especially professional sports, and yet welcomed and appreciated to both the team and the fans. A reaction that, no matter if your team wins or loses makes everyone a winner, no matter where in the arena you can be found.