Bring Your Hockey East Rival's Fans To Alumni Stadium This Fall

[Ed. note -- Front Page'd]

Maybe with the moniker I use on this blog, some of you are already on to me; but for others I reveal my identity today. I am a 2006 graduate of Boston University; and in circa late 2004 I became a diehard Boston College football fan. I was welcomed by Montreal Alouettes linebacker Diamond Ferri running roughshod over Boston College and denying "us" our first BCS bowl appearance. As you probably already figured out, I am a diehard Terriers hockey fan. Sparing you another long history lesson, the spring of 2006 was not the harbinger of a Summer of Love for Terrier Nation towards its green line hockey counterparts. However, I will always have much respect for Jerry York.

For me from my first trip to Alumni Stadium, I couldn't possibly see how anyone in the Greater Boston area could not get behind this football team. Amazing graduation rates, a perennial stifling defense, and foremost, a football program that holds its players to a very high standard and produces great and successful human beings.  I know that Brian, Jeff and others have already posted great reviews on Boston College football marketing strategies.  However, I felt compelled to remind everyone of what a powerful force this program could be.

Now with the numerous Massholes I have encountered over my ten years, I proudly declare that I am not from Massachusetts. I am from the one of the Edens of football, the Eastern Ohio/Western PA region. However, I still know that there are a lot of honest, decent family oriented people in this area who want their children to have positive role models. If I have children that end up being the half the person that Luke Kuechly, Mark Herzlich, (basically plug in any name besides Ryan Ollinger), I will be very happy.

I love Hockey East, and I love the provincialism that it gives New England college hockey. However, I don't like that it carries over to Boston College football. I also honestly don't like that too many Boston College football fans accept that that provincialism cannot be overcome and that your fanbase will largely just be increased by 8,000 people every year.

I am living proof that that mindset is faulty. And I am not alone. My good friend also a BU '06 alumnus and this will be our sixth year of spending six or seven Saturdays in the fall at Alumni Stadium. I have exposed others to the game day experience, who even with the tailgate restrictions, still had an awesome time. What I would ask all of you who will be at Alumni Stadium is to bring your BU, Northeastern, Umass-Lowell, Merrimack, Bentley, etc. friends to games. Ask your neighbor with four kids to come to a game with you. Hell, ask a stooge with a "Brighton Neighbors United" sign on Lake Street to come with you to a tailgate (if you actually accomplish this feat, I will gladly donate to you a case of beer from my tailgate). 

As I think about a lot of potentially empty seats at home games this fall, I think about when my buddy Andrew first suggested that we get season tickets in 2005. I remember watching now Hamilton Tigers backup QB Quenton Porter give way to Matt Ryan and watching him outduel Wake Forest in a heavy down pour. And I don't know that I ever would have been to a game if I didn't have someone bring me along. And hey if you want to just limit your gameday experience to your old Mod roommates, I respect your decision. But keep in mind that Boston College football is the only Saturday game in town as far as the FBS goes. And just because the Globe, Herald, WEEI and the Sports Hub don't do much to grow the fan base of Boston College football, it doesn't mean you can't on a grass roots level.