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"Cat's Call"


It’s come to my attention that there is a group of individuals whom have made a valiant effort to show their support for the UT Martin Skyhawk athletic department.

If you open your eyes and ears, then maybe you will see them on the sidelines. Nothing can keep these guys from showing up to the games, not rain, sleet, snow, or even the scorching hot sun.

This group of anonymous Skyhawk fans call themselves the “Super Fans.” Not only are they an encouragement to the athletes , but also to the student body. If it’s not obvious to the average student, we don’t have a very high audience attendance at many of our home games-meets.

The “Super Fans” have proven to be faithful fans. They add a little more color to the sidelines with their painted faces and wacko wigs. Their encouragement to the athletes has also been a proven uplift to the teams themselves.

Last year I traveled with the Super Fans to the Missouri game to see our guys basketball team play. We drove about six ours to sit in the nosebleed section just to support our team. Before the game we ran around frantically trying to make sure we were actually going to get in.

While there, we saw over one hundred of Mizzou’s super fans all decked out in their team’s colors. One hundred of their Super Fans to our nine was quite a show.

Though we weren’t many, we were loud. I am not ashamed, (rather quite proud indeed) to say that I am solely responsible for one of Mizzou’s players missing two of his free throw shots. My point here is that it didn’t matter how stupid we looked up there in the nosebleeds, all that mattered was that we were out their supporting our team. I am not a regular member of the Super fans, and I am ashamed to say that.

I personally don’t put forth my best efforts to make it to all the home games here. My excuses sometimes the weather stinks, or I have too much homework, (that I really don’t ever do so that’s not an excuse) or I just don’t have the time to go.

The Super Fans are out there in the cold cheering on our football team. Even at our very own Homecoming game this year, when the crowds slowly evacuated the stands, the Super Fans stayed till the very last second.

They have proven a point to the athletes, a point that our parents have always tried to teach us; no matter how good or bad you play, as long as you do your very best, we’ll support you anyway.

Here’s my question to you readers: Are you ready to join the Super Fans in supporting your teams? Remember this is your school, we are your athletes. Speaking now as an athlete for UTM myself, I have to say I would be overjoyed to see a few of our students come out and support the Track and Cross- Country teams.

You all really don’t know how much your support means to us. It’s such a disappointment to look out into the empty stands and wonder why we have as many free seats as we do.

Shoot, even the Westview High games have more people in our stand than we do on game night. Are we going to do something to change that? The Super Fans have, now it’s our turn.

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UTM's Superfans