October 26, 2007One little, two little, 56 little drunk Hokies...The Virginia Tech Police Department came out with its report of arrests on Thursday night and, perhaps not surprisingly, there were a few folks arrested for "appearing intoxicated" in public. All told, Tech police made 56 alcohol-related arrests Thursday night, most in the vicinity of Lane Stadium. It looks like Oct. 25 was every bit the "alcoholiday" it was advertised as. Not sure how many of those arrested were drinking in celebration or drowning sorrows after Thursday's loss to Boston College, but given the late turn of events in the game and the fact that early arrests outnumbered later ones, I'm assuming there were quite a few happy drunks who had their night of celebration ruined long before Matt Ryan connected with Andre Callender in the end zone with 11 seconds left. Now, drinking and unruly fan behavior aren't necessarily one and the same, but I wonder how closely the late night crowd held to the tenets of Hokie Respect given the unfortunate ending of last night's game. For what it's worth, Tech spokesman Larry Hincker mentioned early this month that he had received several positive letters and comments about fan behavior at Lane Stadium this year. A column in an Ohio newspaper after the Ohio University game would seem to back that up. Though even Hincker admitted then that the crowd's reaction after a home loss had yet to be tested. For those of you at Thursday's heartbreaker, I'm curious, how did the crowd behave before, during and after the game? |
About this blog
Rhode Island native and Virginia Tech reporter Greg Esposito posts on everyday college life, trends and issues affecting the 35,000-plus students in the New River Valley and beyond.
Tim Thornton, who is old enough to have children attending college, is still taking classes and is still fascinated by colleges, the students who populate them and the bureaucrats who operate them. His reporting beat is Radford University.
West Virginia native Anna Mallory blogs on student life topics at Virginia Tech, Radford University, New River Valley Community College -- and beyond.
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Comments
[October 30, 2007 8:31 AM]
JeffI was dismayed. I was there with my wife and two children. My wife and daughter left at halftime to escape a drunk, middle-aged woman who became sick and collapsed on one of our seats (later escorted out by police). I was glad they were spared the vulgar obscenities and gestures hurled at BOTH the Eagles and the Hokies at the end. Hardly an appropriate family outing. So much for Hokie respect. I wonder how much this has to do with the objectification and monetization of this whole thing. Like many others, I sure miss the days when the roads weren't roped with ugly twine and we could cheer for the Hokies on a saturday for less than $600 for 4 tickets (check ebay in September). The culture has shifted. These aren't wholehearted Hokie fans anymore. They are major event goers. I'm going to focus on academic contributions and eliminate athletics ... thanks for the opportunity to comment.
[October 30, 2007 1:04 PM]
Clara B. CoxAnd these are the people who want to go to class with pistols in their pockets?
[October 31, 2007 11:12 AM]
Ray RobertsI was at the Boston College game the first one I have attended since 1986. I worked for the Athletic Association from 77-86. I was totally impressed with the growth of the athletic program and facilities. I saw many fans on the Hokie side showing class at the end of the game. Many talking about the herioc offensive drive by Boston College. I also saw over a
thousand Hokies take a terrible verbal lashing by a truck load of drunk Boston College fans. Alchohol is destructive and should not be a part of collegic sports.
Virginia Tech has a lot to be proud of now and in the future. I commend the
Virginia Tech Athletic Staff
and University Staff for moving in the right direction with Hokie Pride.