Panthers fans behave with class after upset, unlike WVU fans

Forget about West Virginia this weekend. Pitt fans have already beat them. The fans showed… Forget about West Virginia this weekend. Pitt fans have already beat them. The fans showed them exactly why Pitt is better than West Virginia.

You see, after an upset victory over No. 5 Virginia Tech, Pitt fans did not storm the field and get sprayed with mace in an attempt to tear down a goalpost or two. They did not go back to Oakland and set things on fire. Pitt did not have a large amount of students arrested for disorderly activity.

When sitting in the press box, watching the crowd of 66,000 plus Panther fans going crazy, waving those free towels, I envisioned them storming the field and tearing down the goalposts and mayhem ensuing, but I have to say, I’m quite proud of what I saw.

Yeah, there were a few idiots who jumped – I counted five – and they were all arrested right away. Including the lone fan who felt the need to jump on the field near the open end of Heinz Field and trek about 80 yards just to pat a Panther player on the back. Congrats to you, my friend. I hope it was worth it – 20 dollars for season tickets, couple hundred for that pat on the back, and worst of all, your 15 seconds of fame are coming from me, and I’m making fun of you.

Still, barring the few incidents, I was happy to see Panther fans scream and yell and, most of all, behave. I was happy to go home and turn on the television and see highlights of quarterback Rod Rutherford throwing crisp passes to receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and fullback Lousaka Polite powering his way into the end zone for the winning touchdown. They were just football highlights. There was no footage of student foolery, which seems to occur during every upset, or even near upset, that takes place just an hour south of us.

In West Virginia’s upset victory over Virginia Tech on Oct. 22, fans stormed the field and tried to tear down goalposts, but they were met by police and mace.

Several students took to the street and set numerous fires. The fire department reportedly put out over 100 fires after the game, and at least 40 students are being disciplined for their actions that evening.

“Somewhere on TV, I heard that in the last seven years, WVU has had 900 fires and this year has brought about 150 so far,” Vice President of Student Affairs at West Virginia Ken Gray said in an article in The Daily Athenaeum.

This kind of conduct is just insane. I must be honest and say that I used to be one of the ones who dreamed of jumping on the field after an upset win and pulling down a goalpost. But my views changed last year when I was watching ESPN’s SportsCenter. They aired a segment talking about students who had been seriously injured during these upset victory celebrations.

Students like Andrew Bourne, of Ball State, who was standing in the end zone celebrating a Homecoming upset win over Toledo on Oct. 20, 2001. His celebration came to a quick end when the goalpost came crashing down and hit him on the back. As result, he was paralyzed from the waist down.

There have been plenty of other devastating injuries caused by these celebrations, which is why I do not condone storming the field anymore.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m still a huge football fan, but you won’t find me hanging on a goalpost, burning my couch or being chased by Pittsburgh’s finest.

You will find me cheering on Saturdays for the Panthers’ victories and gloating when Penn State loses. And you will find me saluting all you Panther fans who chose to celebrate in a way that makes Pitt better than West Virginia.

Jimmy Johnson is a staff writer for The Pitt News, and he’s on his way to West Virginia to burn a couch or two.