I was going to write a column about how much I hate, yes hate, how Purdue fans chant “IU sucks” during kickoffs at football games. I cringe every time I hear it. There are many great Purdue traditions; that is not one of them.
I do not understand why the Purdue faithful shout that stupid chant when IU is not even in the stadium. It makes no sense.
Although we may be outnumbered by the cream and crimson stalwarts in the area, I know there are many Purdue graduates in Columbus. Along with everyone rooting for Markell Jones, we tune in to watch Boilermaker football.
I was also going to write about how much I also hate the “one, two, three, four, first down” chant. That cheer is always followed by the “Breaking Bad” character Jesse Pinkman’s favorite word. It does not create a friendly environment for fans of all ages. Great teams do not celebrate mere first downs. They get many first downs, and they know they will get many more. Great teams celebrate championships.
I do not like the breakfast club tradition. I am embarrassed by the fact that Ross-Ade stadium is filled with drunken students and alumni dressed like overgrown trick-or-treaters. When we are on national television, this is how the country sees Purdue University. It bothers me that Purdue has adopted the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mentality by selling beer at football games. I detest the abusive language hurled at opponents and the officials. I went to a Minnesota Twins game this season, and they posted a code of conduct. They expect their fans to follow it.
It has not always been easy to be a Purdue football fan. We have suffered through some dismal seasons. Sportswriters had to break out a thesaurus to describe the creative ways that Purdue would find a way to lose. They peppered their articles with words like “hapless,” “woeful,” “hard luck,” “overmatched,” and “outplayed.” These traditions do not help.
Do not get me wrong, I am a proud Purdue alumnus. I grew up in the shadows of Ross-Ade stadium. I reveled in loathing the chair-throwing madman in the red sweater. Despite all of that, I was going to extol the virtues of Indiana University. IU does not, in fact, “suck.” Indiana University is a world-renowned institution, excelling in the fields of business and liberal arts. It has too many accomplished and famous graduates to list. The IU libraries are outstanding. Although Purdue has astronauts, IU is home to prestigious law and medical schools. Many Purdue fans, including yours truly, are jealous of the five NCAA national championship banners hanging in Assembly Hall while Mackey Arena has a grand total of zero.
I was going to write that if we demand civility from our elected officials, we need to practice it ourselves. I was going to contrast the dreadful “IU sucks” to the heartwarming Iowa football tradition of waving to sick children in the hospital.
Yes, that was my plan. That is what I was going to write. I already had a draft in my mind. With an air of superiority and self-righteous indignation, I was going to write an impassioned plea to Purdue fans to stay classy.
Then Purdue played Ohio State this season. Purdue rallied around Tyler Trent, a sophomore student and passionate fan. Tyler is valiantly battling bone cancer. To show support, fans dropped the “IU sucks” in favor of “cancer sucks” during the game. Inspired by Tyler, the Boilers walloped Ohio State. Purdue gave Tyler the game ball. It was a great day to be a Boilermaker. It really reminded me of what is important in life.
We all know someone who has or is currently fighting cancer. Cancer does suck. Let us drop the “IU sucks” and keep the “cancer sucks” chant. I would love that tradition.
Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
