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JMU:
Griz fans are hard to beat
To the UM Athletics and Football departments:
My name
is Stuart Palmer and I am a senior at James Madison University. Last
Friday (Dec. 17), I left Harrisonburg, Va., as part of a caravan of
three cars filled with rowdy Dukes fans, all decked out in purple
and gold. Our destination: Chattanooga, Tenn. We were on our way to
see the most exciting sporting event of our college careers, maybe
even our lives.
We were armed with hats, sweatshirts, T-shirts and signs ... some
not so flattering for your beloved Griz. It was not until we reached
Tennessee that we saw the first Griz fans. As their car passed ours,
I shook my purple and gold pompom out the window, expecting nothing
less than a middle finger in return. This, however, was not the case.
The man driving responded with a teddy bear and laughs from both he
and his companion. I was shocked. The week before I was in Williamsburg
watching William and Mary fans scream cheers of “Safety school!!!”
to the fans of the less academically reputable James Madison University.
I thought that maybe this car of Griz fans was just a fluke, but I
watched as the integrity continued. My JMU posse and I arrived at
the stadium around 5 p.m., leaving a solid three hours to tailgate
before the game. As it got closer to game time and as beer pong games
progressed, the parking lot full of Dukes fans became increasingly
loud and rowdy. Every now and then, I would watch as brave Griz fans
ran the gauntlet that was the JMU tailgate party. Many Dukes fans
booed, while others were considerably less respectful; some even strategically
spilling their beers. The Montana fans’ response: smiles, handshakes
and wishes of “good luck” to us, their opponents. I didn’t
get to see many Montana fans during the game — I was too busy
screaming myself hoarse and watching both teams play an incredible
game on a horrible field.
After the game, however, I saw many Griz fans. As we walked through
the streets of Chattanooga, every Montana fan we passed greeted us
with a smile and a genuine expression of how great a game we played.
I didn’t get a chance at the time to truly tell them how much
we appreciated their sportsmanship, so I’m hoping that you will
pass this message on to them. I never in my life thought that my school
would win a national championship in anything, especially football.
Most people at JMU have always felt that the only thing missing from
our school is athletics. This year we filled that void and your fans
helped to make it a truly great experience. On behalf of James Madison
University, we thank you.
—
JMU fan Stuart Palmer
Hi, I’m
a JMU student and just attended the national championship football
game in TN. I just wanted to say how much you all impressed me, and
what a pleasure it was
playing your school! The team put up a great fight on the field, and
all of the fans I talked to were friendly, polite and showed great
sportsmanship. Everyone should be proud of the way both the athletes
and fans represented what is clearly a great school. Thanks, and best
of luck next season!
— JMU fan Andrea Greco
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