We went to the game this weekend and had a great time. Having never been to Pittsburgh, we really fell in love with the food, the vibe, just about everything in the city. It's a great place.
And the fans were - with the usual one or two exceptions that you'll find anywhere - really good, friendly folks.
But this was weird:
I got our tickets on Stubhub and we were in the middle of the Pitt section, 30 yard line, about 25 rows behind the Clemson bench. The seats were great and the sideline seats behind the Clemson bench were full of Clemson fans - easily 20% of the fans in those sections were Clemson fans.
But the fans did not stand up during the game. I mean, they were militant about it. The sight lines are kind of weird in that stadium, as it's not nearly as steep as Death Valley, so people standing up 8 rows in front of you can block part of the field, so I get that.
There was a group of Clemson fans about 6 or 7 rows in front of us and they were standing at the beginning of the game. They got some "sit downs" yelled at them, and then an usher came up and told them to sit down. So they did.
The lady behind us (she was so annoying even my mild-mannered 17 year-old daughter complained about her) kept saying "You need to sit down" any time anyone in front of us stood. When Pitt drove inside the 10 (before their first TD), a group of late-arriving fans in front of us came in and were making their way to their seats. We all stood up since they were blocking our view of the field and these were big plays. When the lady behind us kept saying "You need to sit down" I finally turned around and told her that other people in front of us are standing and so I will stand. She said something about talking to them - but it was just a weird vibe.
As the fourth quarter dragged on and Pitt got back into the game, even on big 3rd downs, no one on our side of the stadium stood up. (Now I could see some people standing on the home side, and the students stood up the entire game.) Only in the last 2 minutes of the game, when Pitt score and then we scored and Pitt drove back down the field, did some people around us stand - maybe half of the folks.
Anyway, it was a great trip and a great place to see a game - but in all of the many places I've ever seen a football game - I've never seen people so militantly and vocally against standing up at a football game.
And the fans were - with the usual one or two exceptions that you'll find anywhere - really good, friendly folks.
But this was weird:
I got our tickets on Stubhub and we were in the middle of the Pitt section, 30 yard line, about 25 rows behind the Clemson bench. The seats were great and the sideline seats behind the Clemson bench were full of Clemson fans - easily 20% of the fans in those sections were Clemson fans.
But the fans did not stand up during the game. I mean, they were militant about it. The sight lines are kind of weird in that stadium, as it's not nearly as steep as Death Valley, so people standing up 8 rows in front of you can block part of the field, so I get that.
There was a group of Clemson fans about 6 or 7 rows in front of us and they were standing at the beginning of the game. They got some "sit downs" yelled at them, and then an usher came up and told them to sit down. So they did.
The lady behind us (she was so annoying even my mild-mannered 17 year-old daughter complained about her) kept saying "You need to sit down" any time anyone in front of us stood. When Pitt drove inside the 10 (before their first TD), a group of late-arriving fans in front of us came in and were making their way to their seats. We all stood up since they were blocking our view of the field and these were big plays. When the lady behind us kept saying "You need to sit down" I finally turned around and told her that other people in front of us are standing and so I will stand. She said something about talking to them - but it was just a weird vibe.
As the fourth quarter dragged on and Pitt got back into the game, even on big 3rd downs, no one on our side of the stadium stood up. (Now I could see some people standing on the home side, and the students stood up the entire game.) Only in the last 2 minutes of the game, when Pitt score and then we scored and Pitt drove back down the field, did some people around us stand - maybe half of the folks.
Anyway, it was a great trip and a great place to see a game - but in all of the many places I've ever seen a football game - I've never seen people so militantly and vocally against standing up at a football game.
