There was little doubt what the sound at Lambeau Field toward the end of the first half during the Packers’ 22-21 victory over the Falcons was.
It was a chorus of boos, echoing throughout the stadium, aimed squarely at the Packers following their less than inspiring performance during the first 30 minutes of play.
This sound was not coming from an isolated section in the bowl-it was everywhere, rising from the lower rows and moving up as time went on.
There was some question about who the boos were directed at.
Some believe that they were aimed at Mike McCarthy, and his play calling toward the end of the first half.
Others suspect it might have just been the culmination of frustration for the fans following 5 1/2 games of uninspired play. They were down 21-10 to the Falcons, generally considered one of the worst teams in the league, with no real hope in sight for a turnaround.
Whatever the case, it must have been quite awkward for Dave Robinson, there to receive his Hall of Fame induction and name in the Ring of Honor, to take the field in frigid temperatures, immediately following this display from the fans.
As a result of this display, the question of whether you should boo the team you are a fan of has become the topic de jour for this week.
From one paragraph opinion pieces in post game articles
If you’re going to go to a game to boo your team, don’t go to the game. It sort of defeats the home-field advantage, doesn’t it? You know, when the home team’s “fans” boo the team they supposedly support on their home field. Booing is something you shake your head at when other fan bases do it. It’s just not a good look.
To full on analysis of what is considered proper fan etiquette:
Booing is fine. To each his own. If you paid for a ticket and wish to make good on the investment by booing, that’s your decision.
But in my opinion, when you’re at a game in support of a team, there are just a few things that need to be considered and a few rules to follow.
Opinions were everywhere as to what is considered proper fan reaction.
For what it is worth, I am of the opinion that fans should do whatever they have to do when dealing with poor performance on the field. Boo, cheer, stomp their feet, whatever it is that works best for them, go right ahead.
Hopefully, the conversation of whether booing is acceptable will now come to an end.
Speaking on his weekly radio show on ESPN Milwaukee with Jason Wilde, Aaron Rodgers, the Packers starting quarterback (when he’s not recovering from a broken collarbone) , addressed the topic of booing from the fans:
“I think it’s perfectly OK for fans to do that. … But I hope those fans were cheering really loud when it was 22-21.”
So there it is-the face of the Packers has come out and said that it is OK for fans to boo, when appropriate. Hopefully this will put a nice bow on BooGate.
To boo, or not to boo? That is the question. The answer is do whatever you want to do. Aaron Rodgers has said it is OK.
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John Rehor is a writer at PackersTalk.com.
He can also be heard as one of the Co-Hosts of Cheesehead Radio. ---------------------
4 responses to “To Boo, or Not to Boo? That is the Question”
The “booing” controversy is part of a larger issue where some people who are accused of being negative take that to mean others are telling them they’re “wrong” and not a true fan or they’re not allowed to express their opinions. Ironically, when the “Negative Neds and Nancys” call these people out, then they end up doing the very same thing they took exception to in the first place: telling someone else that they’re being a fan “the wrong way” and they should not express opinions, either.
I’ve been guilty of not practicing this, but I do believe firmly in the notion of “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” and it’s not that we can’t say things, we should be a little more mindful of the words we choose to use when we say it because in the end, how a person chooses to express themselves in general does give others an impression of how they are as a person, both good and bad.
There’s also this mistaken idea going around that people who don’t say anything negative are “pollyannas” in denial that there are problems. That’s not true. There are people who deny the bad or the negative, but it’s not everyone. Speaking for myself, I don’t feel that I’m obligated to share every negative thought I have with the general public. But just because I don’t doesn’t mean I don’t have them. I acknowledge that they are there and that’s it. Dwelling on the negative is bad for me because it can quickly get out of control and away from me and before I know it, I’m having a panic attack. That is why I choose to be positive. It’s not because bad things are “icky” and I’m avoiding them; it’s because I’ve seen too much of those bad things in my life and since I learned that I have a choice in this, I’m going to choose the path that brings contentment to me.
It’s hard enough for me to watch those last minute, knuckle-biter games without feeling like I’m going to have a panic attack.
Yes, the Packers need to work on their tackling. There are other areas that need improvement. I think TT needs to open his mind a little bit to signing free agents with experience, too. Complaining about it constantly isn’t going to change things, so why spend the time and energy on complaining constantly about something in which I can’t control?
What I am tired of is not the negativity. It’s the drama; the “it’s week 2 of the preseason and the defense can’t tackle so our season is screwed” or “Aaron Rodgers needs to man up and play/be put on IR because he’s a pussy/he’s a delicate piece of China” or “Our season is over because Aaron Rodgers is injured, even though we’re mathematically still in the playoff hunt” kind of foolishness. I can say that my grandmother tackles better than the Packers’ defense and most people aren’t going to tell me I’m not a true fan even though it’s a criticism. But if I’m doom and gloom, throwing tantrums on social media and over-reacting to things, then people are going to react differently and probably not in a positive way.
I’m not in favor of booing your own team. But during this “issue”, nobody ever bothered to ask me why I felt that way. It was assumed that I was one of those people who thinks we should serve tea & crumpets and sit around in a circle and sing Kum-ba-ya during football and that we should get rid of the Super Bowl in favor of giving every player on every team participation ribbons.
No. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I’m not in favor of booing your own team because I believe there are much better ways to express your displeasure. Because this was the fourth or fifth game since the last win, it also seemed to me like piling more on people who already are aware that they need to shape up and play better. That might motivate some, but for others it just makes things worse. (I happen to fall in the latter). I can’t read the minds of the entire Packers organization to be able to know how people will take it. And because of this, I choose to express my displeasure in a different and hopefully more constructive way.
And to be honest, if I were lucky enough to go to a game and everyone started booing the Packers, even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could bring myself to boo them.
Now the refs or the opposing team…that’s an entirely different matter. I would have no problem booing either of them.
But this is my opinion.
Well said Kathy. Well said indeed.
http://stubbornlynaive.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Slow-Clap.gif
The “booing” controversy is part of a larger issue where some people who are accused of being negative take that to mean others are telling them they’re “wrong” and not a true fan or they’re not allowed to express their opinions. Ironically, when the “Negative Neds and Nancys” call these people out, then they end up doing the very same thing they took exception to in the first place: telling someone else that they’re being a fan “the wrong way” and they should not express opinions, either.
I’ve been guilty of not practicing this, but I do believe firmly in the notion of “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” and it’s not that we can’t say things, we should be a little more mindful of the words we choose to use when we say it because in the end, how a person chooses to express themselves in general does give others an impression of how they are as a person, both good and bad.
There’s also this mistaken idea going around that people who don’t say anything negative are “pollyannas” in denial that there are problems. That’s not true. There are people who deny the bad or the negative, but it’s not everyone. Speaking for myself, I don’t feel that I’m obligated to share every negative thought I have with the general public. But just because I don’t doesn’t mean I don’t have them. I acknowledge that they are there and that’s it. Dwelling on the negative is bad for me because it can quickly get out of control and away from me and before I know it, I’m having a panic attack. That is why I choose to be positive. It’s not because bad things are “icky” and I’m avoiding them; it’s because I’ve seen too much of those bad things in my life and since I learned that I have a choice in this, I’m going to choose the path that brings contentment to me.
It’s hard enough for me to watch those last minute, knuckle-biter games without feeling like I’m going to have a panic attack.
Yes, the Packers need to work on their tackling. There are other areas that need improvement. I think TT needs to open his mind a little bit to signing free agents with experience, too. Complaining about it constantly isn’t going to change things, so why spend the time and energy on complaining constantly about something in which I can’t control?
What I am tired of is not the negativity. It’s the drama; the “it’s week 2 of the preseason and the defense can’t tackle so our season is screwed” or “Aaron Rodgers needs to man up and play/be put on IR because he’s a pussy/he’s a delicate piece of China” or “Our season is over because Aaron Rodgers is injured, even though we’re mathematically still in the playoff hunt” kind of foolishness. I can say that my grandmother tackles better than the Packers’ defense and most people aren’t going to tell me I’m not a true fan even though it’s a criticism. But if I’m doom and gloom, throwing tantrums on social media and over-reacting to things, then people are going to react differently and probably not in a positive way.
I’m not in favor of booing your own team. But during this “issue”, nobody ever bothered to ask me why I felt that way. It was assumed that I was one of those people who thinks we should serve tea & crumpets and sit around in a circle and sing Kum-ba-ya during football and that we should get rid of the Super Bowl in favor of giving every player on every team participation ribbons.
No. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I’m not in favor of booing your own team because I believe there are much better ways to express your displeasure. Because this was the fourth or fifth game since the last win, it also seemed to me like piling more on people who already are aware that they need to shape up and play better. That might motivate some, but for others it just makes things worse. (I happen to fall in the latter). I can’t read the minds of the entire Packers organization to be able to know how people will take it. And because of this, I choose to express my displeasure in a different and hopefully more constructive way.
And to be honest, if I were lucky enough to go to a game and everyone started booing the Packers, even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could bring myself to boo them.
Now the refs or the opposing team…that’s an entirely different matter. I would have no problem booing either of them.
But this is my opinion.
Well said Kathy. Well said indeed.
http://stubbornlynaive.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Slow-Clap.gif