What Ever Happened to Sportsmanship?

As I sit here looking back on my marching band career, I am taken back to the first game that I ever went to as a part of the Auburn University Marching Band in the Fall of 2005. We had many responsibilities: learning new music, learning new marching techniques, and memorizing lots and lots of drill. Our band director at the time sat all of down and told us that the SEC was trying to make an effort to promote "sportsmanship" among the league. Our task as a marching band members was to memorize the "Ramblin' Wreck" of Georgia Tech and perform that fight song for all of the Georgia Tech fans in attendance at Jordan-Hare Stadium. I thought it was strange at the time, but I still memorized the song and prepared for Saturday. That night, it was met with an awkward reception from fans from both teams. Nobody really knew exactly why the AUMB was playing Ramblin' Wreck, but it made sense to stop and honor and acknowledge Tech. They are a great school and have been for many years. Like I said, our fans did not know how to take the gesture. The next week, we had to learn "Hail State" (State, State, State, State, STAAAATE!) and play it for the Mississippi State fans that went to that game. Again, I can remember standing near the North End Zone watching Miss. St. fans with an awkward look on their faces. By this time, Auburn fans had figured out what was going on. There were grumblings that we'd eventually have to play "Yea Alabama" to the Alabama fans at the Iron Bowl. And that was just going to be blasphamy. The next week, we learned Ball State's fight song, but by Saturday the friendly gesture had been canned.

Ever since then, it seems like the whole "sportsmanship" part of the SEC has completely faded away. I've seen some crazy things in my four years in the band, but I wonder what happened to the sportsmanship that the SEC was trying to promote? I'll tell you what is sportsmanship (or something close to it).

1)West Virginia brought us hand warmers, a granola bar, and water during the game. (The ONLY nice thing done to us the entire time we were there).
2)The MDB "escorted" us out of their stadium at the Iron Bowl this year (even though there were no rabid fans to kill us outside).
3)Many SEC bands have given us food and drinks during the games.

Those are just a few of the sportsman-like things that have gone on at football games. Those are also the things that are never mentioned and get left out. I think that the bands have more respect for each other than the football teams and the fans!