I get it. Traffic after football and basketball games is a nightmare. The street layouts around L&N Stadium and the YUM! Center are not conducive to getting home in a reasonable amount of time following games. I hate it too, but I think there’s something to be said for staying until the end.
I’d like to start my admitting that this point might be selfish. As Photo Editor of the Louisville Cardinal, taking photos at sporting events is something I frequently find myself doing. From a photographer’s perspective, fans leaving early sucks, because empty seats make for embarassing photos.
Louisville Running back Keyjuan Brown takes off for run while circled by Pitt defenders. Vinny Porco/The Louisville Cardinal
Take this photo for instance. Keyjuan Brown evades defenders in an intimate tilted frame. Cool photo right? It’s cool except for the many people dressed like seats in the background.
The football game against Pitt last November was especially bad. The Cardinals rallied for a 37-9 blowout win against a formidable ACC opponent, and their reward was a mass of fans filing out even before the fourth quarter began.
It’s not like attendance was low to start the game either. The reported attendance figure was just under 50,000. That was about the same as the reported attendance for ACC home games such as those against Georgia Tech and SMU. And yet, my fourth quarter photos were tainted by a severe lack of fans in the stands.
Outlook
This is not the extent of my appeal. I fully realize that nobody cares about the background of my photos. But consider the optics of fans leaving early, especially towards our athletes.
Stanquan Clark snagged two interceptions in the Pitt game. Isaac Brown rushed for two touchdowns and Tyler Shough threw for another two touchdowns and nearly 300 yards. And who was there to cheer on the Cards as they came off the field? Crickets.
Our athletes deserve better. They deserve to be celebrated by the same 50,000 fans from the beginning of the game.
My entire life I’ve known Louisville fans, win or lose, to leave early in droves unless a game is coming down to the buzzer. But we don’t have to be these kinds of fans. We can be the kind of devoted fans that both current and prospective players look at and want to play for.
So please, clear your plans on game days. Tailgate awhile after the game. Do anything to not leave a sea of empty seats while the clock is still running.