As a diehard Northwestern sports fan, I’m fed up with being blamed and criticized each time the Cardiac Cats lose. Ariel Yong’s and Dan Ryan’s recent columns tend to unjustly belittle the Northwestern fan base. It’s time someone defended us.

Fandom is not objective and it isn’t supposed to be. Fandom is emotional. Fans are allowed to be disappointed, frustrated, upset. There is nothing wrong with us venting our pain on Facebook or Twitter. Even by Northwestern standards, the Michigan loss was especially heart-wrenching. After suffering through the torment of Saturday’s loss and proudly wearing my purple in the Michigan student section, I depressingly tweeted that I had just sent in my transfer application to Alabama so as never to feel this repeating heartbreak ever again. (Of course, the No. 1 Tide subsequently went down on Saturday). My tweet had nothing to do with the football players themselves; it had to do with the pain fans everywhere feel after defeat.

I appreciate what the football players do and the sacrifices they have made. In fact, their sleep patterns are probably worse than the average Northwestern student’s. Fickle fans who don’t actually pay attention to their teams or understand the work ethic of student athletes exist everywhere. So to generalize all NU fans as unsupportive I find unfair. Sure, a lot of Northwestern students just don’t care about sports and that probably won’t change. Yes, I wished we could fill Ryan Field every game, but for a student body of only 8,000 undergrads to fill a 47,000-seat stadium, it will always be difficult. Not to mention that attendance at football games has steadily been increasing in past years and the student section has been full every home game since classes started.

Finally, true fans have opinions. If I say that I think the defensive coaching staff needs a serious makeover, I shouldn’t be ashamed to say so. Northwestern’s pass defense is statistically the worst in the Big Ten. I’m not going to insult hardworking players or coaches who are trying their best, but I realize something has to change. Fans are allowed to have expectations, and success brings bigger expectations. We have a strong team, there is no denying. But true fans always want more. It’s purely human nature to feel this way. If not for our heartbreaking collapses, we would (not could) be undefeated. As Northwestern continues its transition from the laughingstock of the Big Ten to pesky annoyance to consistent winning program, fans will continue to want more out of its players and coaches. So just because our frustrations and emotions sometimes get the best of us, does that really make us bad fans? I don’t think so.
No matter what, though, whether in the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat — and surely Northwestern has had its share of both this season — I will continue to bleed purple.

— Connor Smith, Weinberg class of 2016