Sports commentary: Fair-weather Bigfork fans seen but not heard

It was great to see the number of Bigfork fans who made the trip to Pablo each day of the Western B Divisional Tournament, but what was less commendable was the fair-weather fan attitude that was exuded by the non-student section during these games.

At halftime of the boys' game against Loyola, parents and fans were rushing around filled with excitement and energy since the Vikings were beating Loyola. During the third quarter, that momentum continued as they jumped onto their feet with every point the Bigfork boys scored. Then, midway through the fourth quarter when the Vikings were letting their lead slip, the packed Bigfork side of the gym was nearly silent, with the exception of a handful of people still yelling for the boys.

It is my understanding that fans are there to cheer their team on.

That means they are there to encourage them to victory. Therefore, isn't it the fans' job to yell even louder when the team they are supporting is down? I think so.

But that wasn't the case Friday night. Instead, fans acted like the boys had already lost the game even though there were still three minutes left and Bigfork still led.

The players noticed too. One of them told me that they loved the energy that they got from the crowd during that game and that the whole team was feeding off of it. I asked him if they felt a change in the crowd as Loyola started to catch-up to them.

He told me it was very evident that the crowd no longer believed that the Vikes could hang on to the lead. He also said that he looked over in the stands and saw his mom with her head in her hands.

What is also disheartening is that the Bigfork crowd was so impressively loud in Libby at the district tournament, but that all went away when the winning streak started to come to a halt.

The same fans who poured onto the court following the Vikes' district championship win and lingered to give praise, hugs and take pictures of the players were for the most part nowhere to be seen following the Loyola game Saturday.

Everyone in town wants the boys at the Bigfork High School to finally have some success in athletics.

Coaches have put a lot of effort into teaching them to believe in themselves and know that winning is an achievable goal for them. However, from the sights and sounds of Friday night as well as the loser-out game the Vikes played Saturday, the parents and fans may be the ones who need the rehabilitation now.

The scene was different at the girls' game, but equally concerning. Many Bigfork fans attended the game that didn't have girls on the team, which is a rarity, though the bleachers still weren't as full as they were for the boys.

Although there was a sea of blue shirts and plenty of familiar faces in attendance to support the girls, the fans' presence was hardly known (again with the exception of a few passionate parents). This was even the case at the Saturday night championship game.

If you can't get riled up for a championship game when your team is beating a team that has gone to state seven years in a row, then I don't know when you can.

The only explanation I can come up with for this is that fans of the Valkyries just expect them to win. Perhaps a ticket to a girls basketball game is viewed as an opportunity to sit back, relax and watch Bigfork collect a victory.

It is also often said that people don't enjoy watching girls basketball as much as they do boys basketball. I can understand this, after all boys basketball is faster paced and typically has more thrilling moments.

But if you're going to drive all the way to Pablo and you're going to wear the Bigfork shirt (and play the part), you might as well cheer like a fan.

Being in a crowd at a sporting event is sometimes called being a spectator.

However, over the years, the role of a spectator has begun to carry more responsibility as crowds have more impact on the outcome of a game than ever.

Gone are the days when it is acceptable to attend a sporting event in your Sunday-best and clap softly when your team scores. Whether ahead or behind, a team needs its fans to be cheering its players on along the way because every edge counts.

I was impressed last weekend by the student section, which kept its enthusiasm up.

Perhaps the parents and adult community members in Bigfork could learn a lesson from them and their ability to stay optimistic and believe in their team. The student section was very minimal at the boys challenge game Saturday afternoon, and their absence was noticed.

It's too bad the adult section didn't step up and fill in for them; the Vikings could have used that energy.