PRO: Gina Murray
College is about more than just academics. It’s also about growing up, becoming responsible, making friends, and enjoying sports. Sports are just as much a part of the college experience as staying up all night cramming for tests, drinking coffee non-stop, and attending classes. College students and people around the community should care about their college’s sports teams.
I know students are always complaining about how busy they are and they never have time to do anything, but then these same students are usually out all night dancing at clubs or chugging beer at some party. There are better ways to spend some free time, like at a basketball game, baseball game, badminton game or volleyball game.
I will admit, having gone to many Skyline athletic events, there is one thing that can make even the biggest fan not want to return…the cheerleaders. Skyline cheerleaders are not good. I have seen on several occasions the cheerleaders very unenthusiastically trying to lead cheers, but failing. I have also seen the fans trying to get the cheerleaders into the game. At one basketball game I went to last season, a couple fans started yelling “Come on cheerleaders, come on,” trying to encourage them to be spirited. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? So if the cheerleaders are not into it, why should other people care?
Sports can have a great influence on people, and not just the players. I have a friend who is a college athlete who refuses to drink or do drugs because he does not want to hurt his chances of becoming a pro baseball player. I also have a close friend who stays home and watches ESPN all night, instead of going out and getting drunk like he used to.
So watching or playing sports can prevent becoming an alcoholic or partaking in other dangerous lifestyles.
College athletes, like most college students, have a lot on their plates. Not only do they have to keep their GPA above 2.0 just to stay on the team, they have to really push themselves to excel at their sport.
Rooting for your college’s basketball, soccer, or baseball team is different then rooting for the Warriors, the Red Sox, or the Niners. The tickets are a lot cheaper, it’s local, and it can be fun watching people you know play.
College is supposed to be the best time of your life, so students should experience every aspect of it. Sports are one of those essential experiences students should get involved in, if not for the athletic side of it, then for the social side of it. I personally go to games to watch the game, but I drag some friends with me who would rather do something else then watch sports. They go to meet people and look at cute athletes. I’m not saying people should only go to sporting events to drool over the players, but at least the option is there.
Watching College sports can be fun, entertaining, and could potentially save you from picking up some bad habits.
CON: Syed Ali
College…it’s considered by many to be arguably the greatest experience that you will ever have in your life, if not one of the greatest. We’ll remember college for all of the dates we went on, the friends we shared memories with, and of course, our alma mater itself. But seriously, who remembers their college’s sports program? Exactly, other than the athletes themselves (maybe they won’t even remember), no one does.
Just watch any college sports game today, and what will you see? Nothing but a bunch of screaming, mindless, young adults not knowing why they’re in the arena, or which team is even representing their school. I’ll admit, these college fans attend the sporting events in order to have a good time, but to them, a good time at the game is gulping down a couple of beers and checking out some women. I’m not implying that you can’t multitask and engage in these activities while supporting your team, but where’s the true passion for your school’s sports teams when you’re going to do what you would normally do in a bar, except at a football game?
With athletes in professional sports juiced up on steroids and getting into trouble for using illegal paraphernalia, there’s a small chance that players could be doing this at the college level as well. I’m not implying that all college athletes are involved with such activities, because a lot of the athletes in college play on pure talent and without the use of illegal substances; however, there have been cases where college athletes have indeed gotten in trouble for what I have previously stated. So why should I support these people? I’ve already lost some of my passion in watching professional sports games for this very reason, so why should I watch a college sports game?
Sure, I may sound a bit narrow-minded, but why should I care for college sports when they do not affect me one bit? Regardless of whether my school wins or loses will not affect what happens to me the next day, and neither am I on a sports team, nor do I plan on joining one anytime soon. Certainly, I’ll get some sort of entertainment from attending a school’s sporting event, but it isn’t necessarily something that I would consider as constructive. Instead of supporting my school’s sports team, I can place more of an emphasis on more important tasks at hand, such as helping out at a homeless shelter, helping an old lady cross the street, and yes…even completing homework! Why watch a guy trying to hit a small ball with a wooden stick for three hours when you can go and start on that ten-page term paper you continuously procrastinate upon?
Look, don’t get me wrong, I love sports just as much as the next guy, but I honestly do not have the time, energy, nor interest to cheer for my school’s athletic program. I already have a hard enough time trying to get out this primordial sludge known as community college.