Syracuse Orange: It’s time to stop fan-shaming passionate ‘Cuse fans

Fans come in all shapes and sizes, and Syracuse Orange fans are as diverse a bunch as any.

Some are rabid, seeing everything in Orange-tinted glasses. These are the fans who always want to project the positive. They always want to put the past in the past and focus on the possibilities of the future. This is not the type of fan I am. I often wish I could be, but for whatever reason, I am not hardwired that way.

Some fans are cynical, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. These are the fans who are not hesitant to express frustration when they believe things could be done differently, and done better. These are the fans who appreciate the good times, but are not afraid to call out things that could…or should…have been done better. These are fans who wear Orange with fervor…but just not the glasses. This, I suppose, would be me.

I don’t know why I am this type of fan. But I am. Perhaps it was the decades of being a Red Sox fan during my impressionable years (yes, I am old enough to remember The Curse). I developed a knack for levying criticism on my own team before I had to hear it from those who were trying to cut me down for supporting them. Perhaps that has been emboldened for similar reasons as a Boston sports fan living in New Jersey, a hotbed for fans of fierce rivals who are not afraid to launch verbal barbs when the situation warrants.

Here’s the thing. At a time when interest in Syracuse Orange football is down, guess who is still interested? I am, along with all of the other members of Club Cynicism. Would anyone complain if the 25,000 fans in the Dome became 45,000 if the additional 20K were passionate fans who were capable of being critical when they felt something was not being done exactly the way they would like?

I don’t think so.

Every Syracuse Orange fan is entitled to his or her opinions.

There are absolutely things that are off-limits. I never criticize a kid who is playing his heart out for not getting it done. But I have no problem calling out poor play-calling or coaching mistakes. These guys are paid well and criticism is absolutely part of the job.

Look, Syracuse fans who express concern about the future are no less fans than the Syracuse fans who are unequivocally optimistic about the future. Why? Because both care about the future. Both are invested in the future. Both will be watching the Orange kicking off against Ohio, will be attending games in the Dome, and will be talking about the games on social media and message boards over this coming season and beyond.

It’s time to embrace our differences, as long as we are united in Orange.

We need to stop judging Syracuse fans who don’t “fan” like us. We need to stop alienating and ostracizing fans who support the Orange in a different way. No one knows what has led a fan to become the fan they are today. Positivity and positive fans are great, and an asset to a fan base. But fans who support their teams in a different way are not the enemy. Respectful argument, and well-reasoned criticism, even that which can be deemed “negative” by others, is not the enemy.

The enemy is apathy.