I Have a RANT

Written By: Josh Wilson 11/8/2018

I was at Indiana’s season opener against Chicago State last night in Assembly Hall.  I felt like I was in an opera house on Broadway in New York City watching a show. The general crowd was that pathetic.  The student’s showed up -- a little bit. In a game like this, where the Hoosiers were favored by almost 30 points, it’s hard for anyone to get excited.  They did exactly what they were expected to do -- win and win big . But, this rant isn’t about the players, their performance, or the outcome. At Indiana, the fans brag about the atmosphere that Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall poses to opposing teams and fans.  The fans brag about the tradition of excellence at Indiana, and they aren’t shy about their own expectations for the program. But those very same fans, sat on their butts (I prefer to use another word, but nonetheless) and were lame ducks all game.

I’ve been to plenty of IU basketball games, home and away.  I have never been more disappointed in the fans than I was last night. My family has just become season ticket holders for the first time EVER in our family tree. Indiana basketball runs deep in the blood of the Wilson family tree. So I have a lot of expectations.

Section F -- Row 45 is where I was seated last night.  I could see everything on my side of the hall. Those of you that have ever sat under the balcony in Assembly Hall understand what I mean! But I digress. I had a birds eye view of everyone. When Indiana was on defense, you could hear a pin drop. It was uncomfortably quiet during game action. I don’t understand why, as fans, we complain about so much, and then when we have an opportunity to help make an impact for our basketball team, and we sit with our hands under our rear.  It’s kind of disheartening. I stand corrected, it’s really disheartening.

Look, last night wasn’t about the basketball team. They were going to win by 30-plus points since the schedule came out. That was never in doubt. What is in doubt for me right now, is our fan base. My goodness, it was terrible. I really don’t know what else to say. Indiana fans can longer complain about anything on the basketball floor until they insert themselves as an energy source for the team to feed off of.  Trust me, as a former college player, the home crowd has way more of an effect then you’d think, and I didn’t play in front of 17,000 crazy fans either. Or what used to be crazy. Indiana fans need to get back to being crazy. Crazy supportive of their team, and just not showing it on social media posts. If you’re in the Hall at some point this season, be loud, be energetic, be a HOOSIER!

RANT OVER