Men's soccer deprived of fans
Eric Scott

Assistant Sports Editor

One of the best parts about going to sporting events is the atmosphere of it all: the fast action on the field, the close plays and the roar of the crowd.

When I go to a Southern men s soccer game, I definitely see some fast action and exciting plays. The one thing that is missing is the roar of the crowd.

Maybe the team is 4-5-1, but they sure do play with a lot of heart and intensity. I also know it probably doesn t help not to have any fan support, especially when you re playing at home. Home field advantage ya  say? Ha ha ha ha. The last home game I went to, the attendance was a little over 40, and that was mostly parents.

How is it that everybody can go to the football games, but they don t go to soccer? I don t know about you, but it s a nice break in the middle of the week to go to a 7 p.m. soccer game. It beats an overpriced movie anyway.

If we can support other sports like football and volleyball, then why can t we support the men s soccer team? All the time I hear that the men s soccer team  sucks.  I sure didn t hear anything about their three-game winning streak from anybody. I didn t hear anything about their three consecutive shut outs. If people would actually go to their games, they would find out that the team is definitely better than their record.

Right now I m going to make my first bold statement of the year: the men s soccer team will make the NCAA Division II playoffs next year. That s right, you heard it here first. They have so much young talent right now that is leading the team. Just think of the experience they are getting right now. Next year, it will be a piece of cake for them. The Lions have a strong defense, and if they can capitalize on their scoring opportunities, watch out. In addition to that, goalkeeper Cesar Vazquez will be returning for his senior year. It s a good thing to have an experienced senior in the net.

Hey, 4-5-1 may not be much to look at right now, but it s only one game under .500. I mean, bloody hell, look at the Chicago Cubs fans (yes, I know I m comparing this to baseball, but bear with me here). The Cubs teams have stunk like a stink bomb in a sulfur plant with rotten eggs nearby. Watching their teams has been as agonizing as hearing Roseanne sing  The Star Spangled Banner.  I don t know about you, but it doesn t get much worse than that.

Now this brings me to the Montreal Expos fans, all five of them. Every year the team has been horrible, and the fans have been just as bad. This year it looked like the Expos actually had a chance. Of course this changed nothing with the fans.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but here it seems like an afterthought. In other countries it might be considered a religion. So as I leave you, I ask you to come out and support your Lions soccer team, and for that matter, your Lady Lions soccer team as well. I know I ll be out there (probably because I have to since that s what I report). So come out and keep me company, because it gets really lonely.