2008 Woodie Awards
Lack of support for nationally ranked Eagles
Brian Heinemann
Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: Opinion
There is an unexplainable phenomenon currently going on around the state of Iowa that is hitting close to home with the Kirkwood Community College basketball teams.
Despite the men holding the number three ranking and the women being second in the nation, the Eagles basketball teams are regularly playing to a half-empty Johnson Hall.
It is not unusual to see completely packed gymnasiums at area high schools on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday night and it doesn't matter if the team is ranked in the state polls or is winless. No matter the record, the gyms are filled to the brim every night. This is how it should be at Kirkwood.
Some students may say that they just don't have the time to get out to a Kirkwood game. To me, this is far from a valid excuse. High school students can take time out of their busy schedules to show school spirit, so why can't we do the same here?
Kirkwood has a much larger enrollment than any area high school, meaning more people are available to come out and support the teams.
Yet, we do not. Even the Iowa Hawkeyes, who are far from being a good basketball team, draw enough fans to pack Carver-Hawkeye Arena nightly. We have no excuse preventing us from doing the same.
One notable time when the Eagles did receive a suitable crowd was when they upended the nation's then number one team, Iowa Central, on Jan. 31. That evening should be an example of how Johnson Hall should always be - nearly filled to the brim with a raucous crowd that is there to watch two of the best NJCAA teams in the country.
This should not happen just because the Eagles were playing a top team in the country - we have two of our own here at every home game.
Maybe Kirkwood students just don't realize how special it is to have two unbelievable teams at one school. We don't just have the defending national champions here with the Kirkwood women; we have two teams that have a very realistic shot at a championship this season as well.
Get out there, take advantage of this rare opportunity and support your Eagles. Now is the time, as the postseason beings Tuesday March 4 with the Kirkwood women hosting a regional game.
Despite the men holding the number three ranking and the women being second in the nation, the Eagles basketball teams are regularly playing to a half-empty Johnson Hall.
It is not unusual to see completely packed gymnasiums at area high schools on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday night and it doesn't matter if the team is ranked in the state polls or is winless. No matter the record, the gyms are filled to the brim every night. This is how it should be at Kirkwood.
Some students may say that they just don't have the time to get out to a Kirkwood game. To me, this is far from a valid excuse. High school students can take time out of their busy schedules to show school spirit, so why can't we do the same here?
Kirkwood has a much larger enrollment than any area high school, meaning more people are available to come out and support the teams.
Yet, we do not. Even the Iowa Hawkeyes, who are far from being a good basketball team, draw enough fans to pack Carver-Hawkeye Arena nightly. We have no excuse preventing us from doing the same.
One notable time when the Eagles did receive a suitable crowd was when they upended the nation's then number one team, Iowa Central, on Jan. 31. That evening should be an example of how Johnson Hall should always be - nearly filled to the brim with a raucous crowd that is there to watch two of the best NJCAA teams in the country.
This should not happen just because the Eagles were playing a top team in the country - we have two of our own here at every home game.
Maybe Kirkwood students just don't realize how special it is to have two unbelievable teams at one school. We don't just have the defending national champions here with the Kirkwood women; we have two teams that have a very realistic shot at a championship this season as well.
Get out there, take advantage of this rare opportunity and support your Eagles. Now is the time, as the postseason beings Tuesday March 4 with the Kirkwood women hosting a regional game.
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