So are we arrogant?

"Your attitude precedes you". "Leagues won't admit you because of your attitude".

These are two comments that some of us have encountered on a statewide sports forum from a few fans of other schools in the past few weeks. Their intent is to make us, and others, believe that somehow Fremont Ross fans as a whole have a bad attitude. We supposedly think we are better than everyone else, or in laymans terms, we think our "stuff" doesn't stink.

Is it true?

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this topic, about what has been said, and about the people who have been saying it. In my humble opinion the answer is a resounding NO, it is not true.

What attitude are they talking about? Sure, we have fans who are more vocal than others. what program doesn't? There are folks out there who live, eat and breathe Fremont Ross athletics who cannot see anything but purple and white and believe our athletic program is better than everyone elses. Show me a program that does not have fans like that. I can direct you to posts on statewide internet forums by fans of other programs that are just as bad. Some of those posts are from people from other GBC schools. Some are from NOL and NLL schools. Yes, the same NOL and NLL that some people say don't want us because of our attitude. I continually read posts by a particular Findlay fan that makes things Fremonters say look meek in comparison.

I've been following Ross athletics for four decades now and in all honesty can tell you that I rarely, if ever, run into a Little Giant fan who doesn't understand that showing class and sportsmanship is key. Respect your opponent and expect the same in return. That is what I learned early on from my fellow Ross fans. Are we perfect? Of course not. Do we sometimes get riled up? You bet. Are there times when we get carried away with our success and tradition? Yes. Those things are not specific to Fremont. Fans of all programs get that way. Saying that just Fremont Ross fans do these things is flat out wrong.

Then there is the whole issue of other leagues allegedly not wanting us because of the attitude of our fans. Our fans? Really? A potential new league is going to avoid us because we allegedly have fans who are too boisterous? Too proud? The example I was given involved supposed comments to an individual from two NLL programs that we have had very few athletic events against. A potential new league is going to ignore the great tradition, the great facilities, the big gate receipts they would get when Ross comes to town because of our fans attitude? What are we supposed to do? Sit on our hands? Stop being proud? That's ridiculous. After all aren't they supposed to be concerned about the attitude of our AD? The administration? The coaches? In other words, the people they'll be dealing with regularly?

Now not everyone out there thinks we Ross fans have bad attitudes. Many folks have come to our defense. Fans from Whitmer, Findlay, Lima, Marion and yes, even Sandusky have stepped up to say that this whole bad attitude stuff in unfounded and not true. And these are people who we have a long and proud tradition of competing against. People who would know better than anyone.

So yes, we have fans with attitude, and probably some fans who could be defined as arrogant. But none more than any other program. And the bottom line is that it is unfair and just plain wrong for others to be accusing us of anything more.