Currie: "Be nice to OU and aTm fans, even though they're smelly & toothless."

[slimz]

Goal number five of the "K-State Pledge" -- click here for a refresher course -- is "The Best Fan Experience in the Big 12." Since my arrival I've been so impressed with the positive passion of our fans and the way you've joined the staff in offering a warm "Welcome to K-State" to visiting fans.

After the OU game, for the first time since my arrival in the spring of 2009, I received a number of emails about negative experiences and impressions, PRIMARILY FROM K-STATE FANS. Now, to be clear, I believe our atmosphere and hospitality of our fans to be among the very best in the country. This is not intended to be a lecture. But here is an email I received Monday that I hope you'll take time to read.

?"First of all I would like to say that I have been a K-State fan my whole life.  I am 34 years old and watch K-State athletics events every time I can.  My family attended K-State and all graduated with a degree from the greatest college in the nation.  Because of my work and home schedule, I cannot attend football games like I would really like, but I watch the games on TV every Saturday.  Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to attend the K-State vs. Oklahoma game and let me tell you, I was so excited I barely could sleep the night before.  I went to the game with my father-in-law who is, unfortunately, an OU fan.  He graduated from there and grew up in Norman.  I don't fault him for this, especially since I love his daughter, but it does make for a fun experience when we watch these two schools do battle... I would like to change the mood now.  Our experience at the game was horrible.  My father-in-law wore an OU shirt and a K-State hat (his son, my brother-in-law, attends K-State now) and we sat in the section right next to the OU band.  There were many K-State fans sitting around us and from the moment we sat in our seats, he was chastised for wearing Red.  The abuse he and I received was to the point where we wanted to start fighting.  Instead we left at halftime and did not get to see the rest of the game.  He was cussed at, yelled at, and at one point, a young man threw his drink at him...In my opinion, these kinds of actions should never happen to anyone, home fans or away fans, at a game.  I have always been proud to call myself a Wildcat, but if this is how the experience is going to be, than I don't know if I CAN be proud anymore.... I hope this letter reaches sympathetic ears and future games I attend will be better.  Thank you for your time, and GO WILDCATS!!!!!!"

Again, I don't think that this is reflective of how the vast majority of K-Staters want to be represented. Certainly, we've probably all experienced occasional negative treatment at other schools (the low point for me being on a team bus while its windows were broken by fans at a certain school in my previous conference). But, on my morning jog around Stillwater Saturday I received treatment that I believe is more like the K-State I know and love- warm smiles and kind waves. In my opinion, K-State can and should continue to set the standard for sportsmanship. And you as fans can help us provide a great fan experience by contacting game day workers or utilizing our in-game text service (text “catfan” followed by your message and seat location to 57375) for assistance if you feel that there are unruly fans in your area of the stadium.

Obviously this weekend we have another tough Big 12 game...against a school that is making its final trip to MHK. I trust and expect that K-Staters will show their class and treat our visitors from College Station with respect. Although you'll notice from the number of vacant seats in the upper deck visitor sections that there aren't many Aggies traveling to MHK, remember that many of those who are will be parents and family of TAMU players- none of whom had anything to do with the politics of the decision. Let's let them leave the Big 12 having experienced a first class and respectful (and extremely loud) environment that they will always remember.

And as a reminder that isolated incidents don't define us, click here to read a great column from Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman regarding his experience in Manhattan for the K-State/OU football game. We all know that Manhattan is the epitome of a classic college town and are very proud of all the people and characteristics that make K-State and the Little Apple a special combination. Thanks for doing your part!

And Now Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming...

 

My takeaway from this is that we're supposed to report fans of the opposing school via the text line so they can be removed, rather than PI'ing them ourselves?   

[ednksu]

Love these kinds of letters.  Obviously a fake where they have to get one more incident to make us look worse than reality.  I mean tossing a drink?  There is no way I would toss my 4.5 souvenir cup at some OU d bag.

[Winters]

lol

[pike]

I trust and expect that K-Staters will show their class and treat our visitors from College Station with respect

wtf is he talking about 

[OK_Cat]

My wife wore her sooner stuff and nothing mean was said to her.  i should probably email currie.

[pissclams]

dnr, looked interesting though

[Winters]

My wife wore his sooner stuff and nothing mean was said to her.  i should probably email currie.

[OK_Cat]

My wife wore his sooner stuff and nothing mean was said to her.  i should probably email currie.

crap, outed.

[420seriouscat69]

Sorry for my behavior and actions at the game. My bro bought a 12 year jameson and I was definitely paking. I am not sorry for patting the guy on the back really hard after he was clapping in my face when they went up 14-0. I might have mentioned something about his hair line too.

[mocat]

 

[Trim]

I don't like Currie.

[WildcatNkilt]

FYJC

[420seriouscat69]

BTW that OU fan did text line someone at that game and I had to talk to security. They told me to keep my hands to the side the rest of the game and that they had eyes on me! 

[MadCat]

An OU fan draped an OU blanket over the railing in the front row of the NEZ and a member of the LHC Bill Snyder Family Stadium staff arrived to PI the crap out of him.  Currie's just being a little hypocritical.

[OK_Cat]

BTW that OU fan did text line someone at that game and I had to talk to security. They told me to keep my hands to the side the rest of the game and that they had eyes on me! 

back in box

[deputy dawg]

What's to proper protocol if the Aggie male cheerleaders are discovered having sex with each other in the bathroom again? 

[Dr Rick Daris]

who wears the shirt of one team and the hat of another to a fball game? good grief.

[OK_Cat]

who wears the shirt of one team and the hat of another to a fball game? good grief.

or a basketball game.  with a weird looking kid.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

My wife wore his sooner stuff and nothing mean was said to her.  i should probably email currie.

crap, outed.

Knew it.

[ednksu]

BTW that OU fan did text line someone at that game and I had to talk to security. They told me to keep my hands to the side the rest of the game and that they had eyes on me! 

so wait, did you toss a drink?

[WillieWatanabe]

who wears the shirt of one team and the hat of another to a fball game? good grief.

or a basketball game.  with a weird looking kid.

lol

[Cartierfor3]

Was in the upper deck with a mix of OU and KSU fans, everyone got along just fine.  Maybe this guy's Father in Law was the one starting crap.

[SkinnyBenny]

I made lots of snide comments about suicide bombers, maybe that's what he's talking about?  Was this essentially a "plz no bonfire jokes SB" email?

[420seriouscat69]

BTW that OU fan did text line someone at that game and I had to talk to security. They told me to keep my hands to the side the rest of the game and that they had eyes on me!  

so wait, did you toss a drink?

No. I patted the guy on the back really hard after he clapped in my face and I returned the clap in the face when we went up 17-14. Boy did I feel dumb later! He text lined me in after the return clap in the face!

[EllToPay]

What does Mrs. OK_Cat think of your Box comments?