Fan support is crucial
COMMENTARY
By Melissa Christensen

TCU fans crushed more than just Tostitos chips at Saturday’s victory over Cincinnati; they crushed the perception of apathy and low attendance the sporting world has long associated with Horned Frog football.

At least temporarily.

In front of a crowd of 42,161 fans armed with just as many bags of tortilla chips, TCU continued its quest for a spot in one of the nation’s top four bowl games. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl representatives were on hand to witness the power of purple emitted from the 13th largest home crowd in the school’s history.

It’s been an exciting season for the Frogs as the possibility to play in the coveted Bowl Championship Series edged closer with every tally in the win column. TCU, in a non-BCS conference, needs to finish in the top six of the BCS standings to be guaranteed a spot in one of those games. As the Frogs keep winning, each game becomes more important, which makes increased fan support crucial to the Frogs’ success.

The last home game of the season proved to be a party with free T-shirts, free bandanas, free beach balls and free chips. Purple shirts and painted bodies pooled into a purple haze that made at least one TCU fan proud enough to post this message on the KillerFrogs.com fan forum:

“All my life I have wanted to attend a Notre Dame vs. Michigan or an Alabama vs. Auburn game just to soak up the atmosphere. If I hang around (Amon Carter Stadium) much longer, I won’t have to make those trips.”

This season’s average attendance of 36,155 is the second highest in the school’s history, a perfectly respectable accomplishment for a 10-0 team. But underneath all this fantastic fan support I can’t help but hear a nagging little voice say “Fair-weather fans.”

It’s easy to get riled up when your team is living out its own Cinderella story. It’s fun to wave silly signs and scream like a fool as national television cameras scan the crowd. But what happens next year or the year after that? What if this season is a highlight rather than the start of a new trend?

It’s up to us, the current student body and soon-to-be alumni, to make sure the fair-weather fan accusation doesn’t drown out the TCU cheers. That means rain or shine, win or lose, you cram into the stadium for every game until graduation to cheer for the Frogs. As an alum, that means buying season tickets if distance permits, dressing up the family in purple and returning to campus for Horned Frog football.

The TCU marketing and promotions people have done a tremendous job the last few years promoting the Horned Frogs as Fort Worth’s home team. Judging by this season’s attendance, the city’s residents are starting to believe it. A loud and proud student section can make the game all the more fun for everyone there. A revved-up crowd helps the home team crush their opponents like a bag of chips.

Melissa Christensen is a junior news-editorial journalism major from Grand Island, Neb.