So when I hear that New Albany's Student Section (better known at NAHS as "The FRA") is no longer allowed to come to any sporting events by their administration - they were disallowed to come to their slow-pitch softball playoff game this past weekend - because they ran on to the field after defeating 2-time defending 4A State Champion Lafayette 10-7 in overtime last Friday night in football, it boils any diehard fan to be BANNED from coming into any sporting event for that one reason and support their team. This is like if Mississippi State fans was banned from having their Cowbells (they should be banned anyways - it's an artificial noisemaker) in their stadium because one person rang it into a police officer's ear hole. I do not think that will happen but I tried to find an example.
New Albany's win against Lafayette was the Commodores first regular season 4A loss since losing to Itawamba and their first loss in division play since 2008. Their student section had every reason to celebrate and decided to storm the field after hitting the Game-Winning Field Goal. This was very harmless, no punches were thrown, just students celebrating with their schoolmates after getting a huge win - their first big victory in a long time - and take down an opponent that has not been taken down very often in the last 4-5 years. Not to mention for a head coach who lost his wife in a home-invasion shooting this past spring.
There was no warning, there was nothing that could have foreseen this consequence to occur in their minds that they would be banned from sporting events by storming the field. This is not classless (let alone disrespectful - which is their reason for being banned) to the opponent - who played very hard and very tough all night to come up just short; it was not a blowout at all - this is their students running onto the field after the game was over to congratulate their football team and celebrate with them, many of which they probably see in school day in and day out. There was nothing that prompted the New Albany students to think twice about what they did, they were never given the chance to do so.
This is what they did prior to the game:
The New Albany administration should be ashamed about what they did. They DID show respect to Lafayette, they are one of the best teams in the State of Mississippi over the past 3-5 years. The New Albany Football team did what only Oxford has done in the past 2+ seasons: win against Lafayette. They showed it by the way the student section prepared for that game, like in the video above. They showed it by the way they celebrated, they respected how good Lafayette is as a football team. Lafayette is a big time opponent in 4A, they are hard to beat.
If the teams played a full season against each other, Lafayette would likely win more times than not - but this was the time they did not beat New Albany.
If the New Albany administration seriously believes that running onto the field after making a game-winning play is "disrespectful," then this administration has absolutely no clue about fans and sports - especially fans that are students of that school. I'm awful sure the entire actual football team ran onto the field after the New Albany Kicker made the kick of his life and surrounded him in celebration. If that is the case, the football team should forfeit the rest of their games because that is being "disrespectful" according to the New Albany administration - and that means they would lose money, and they don't want that.
Here's my words to the administration that think they know it all: GET A CLUE! I just gave a bunch right here.