With a 34-14 win over the NAU Lumberjacks, the ASU football team has started its very promising season and given us something to do before, while and after we drink alcohol on Saturday nights.
However, there is a particular etiquette that should be considered when one attends an ASU football game - or, for that matter, any other sporting event. Going to a game is supposed to be lots of fun, and it's easy for it to be that way if people could just use a little bit of good judgment and be on their best behavior.
Here are some tips to help you enjoy yourself and not ruin anyone else's fun (namely mine).
The biggest thing that will ruin a game for a diehard fan is walking around during play. I understand the need to go to the bathroom or get a drink, but if you're going to be getting up and walking around to check and see if the stairs are still sturdy enough to hold your weight, maybe you shouldn't be at the game in the first place.
It's really simple: If you have to walk around, wait until there is a stop in play. And as soon as that break in play comes, run down the stairs. If you're not going to make it to the bottom of the staircase and out of everyone's way in time, you might just want to nosedive to the bottom. There is a high risk of injury involved in this, but - well, walking itself is a huge risk.
Another thing that makes a football game fun and exciting is being able to hoot and holler until you pass out. If R.J. Oliver makes a great interception and then does an insane run for 100 yards to get a touchdown, what ASU fan wouldn't want to whistle, shriek and carry on?
It's all part of the experience, but we don't need to hear the tough guys who think they can play football but - surprisingly enough - are in their seats and not on the field.
If you're a true ASU fan, don't scream at a running back who only picks up a couple of yards. That kind of negative energy isn't going to pump up the team. And even if it could, the running back can't hear you anyway.
Also, these guys really need to lay off Sparky. Every time ASU scores, the cheer section holds up a wooden plank, and our beloved mascot does pushups. There isn't a single game where I don't hear someone say something snide about Sparky not doing "real" push-ups.
While we could have a philosophical debate over what a "real" pushup is, it's more constructive to just let it go. The poor person has to run around in that costume for the entire game as it is! Sparky runs, does flips, delivers hot dogs, shakes his head around, and then, after all of that, they make him do push-ups on an unsteady surface in front of 60,000 people! Who cares if he's not doing a military-regulation push-up?
Finally, you shouldn't smoke when you're sitting in the stands. There is a reason why it is prohibited. What kind of pompous person would sit down in a large group of people and decide to light up a cigarette in a section that's standing room only?
These tips aren't just for the sake of civility - they are also meant to help avoid any fistfights, shouting matches and other forms of violence or negativity. We live in a crazy world, and the best way to make sure we all have fun and get home safely is to sit down, shut up and stub out your cigarette.
Chris Fanning is a gnarly journalism junior. Reach him at christopher.fanning@asu.edu.
