Women’s team deserves respect

If you ask any athlete why they choose to participate in athletics, he or she will surely say it’s because they love the game, love winning and enjoy competing.

You know, the typical “thrill of victory,” and “agony of defeat.”

Back in the day, I actually competed athletically at the collegiate level and once held the opinion of it being about the thrill of victory and only the thrill of victory. I held that opinion until I played in front of a large crowd.

Flashback.

Nov. 27, 2000, Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, TCU women’s basketball vs. No. 2 Tennessee. The women’s team played in front of 7,262 people, a Daniel-Meyer record. Obviously, I didn’t actually play in the game, but being on the court and being a part of an excitement that Daniel-Meyer rarely sees, at that point, made me realize something. I realized something when the very next game for the women’s team at Daniel-Meyer against unranked North Texas was played in front of 1,370 people.

I had a revelation of sorts.

I thought back to the fact that this team, after years and years of playing as the doormat in the Southwest Conference and Western Athletic Conference, was slowly becoming successful.

I had a revelation of sorts.

I’ve decided the people of TCU don’t appear to appreciate the thrill of victory. They don’t respect the agony of defeat.

I pose this question: Why does it appear that TCU athletics doesn’t have a following among the student body?

Math is not my specialty by any means, but there are about 8,000 people on this campus. If we were to get anywhere near half of that number to attend any one sporting event, we wouldn’t have to look at the vast numbers of empty seats at women’s basketball games, football games or even men’s basketball for that matter.

If half of our student body attended a basketball game whether it men’s or women’s, the sheer presence would create noise. You could just talk on your cell phone and create noise and atmosphere.

You can’t tell me it’s not possible. Granted, Tennessee and Connecticut are two of the most prolific women’s basketball programs in America, but they play in front of huge crowds every night. Evidence of that comes when you see that a decent percentage of the crowd at Daniel-Meyer against Tennessee was wearing orange.

Orange?

I’m not implying that the emblem at center court at Daniel-Meyer should say “Lady Frogs.” But I am saying the women’s basketball team deserves respect, and it’s possible to get it.

Continuing to schedule competition like Tennessee and Texas and showing the ability to compete is a big step toward respectability. It may not happen overnight, and it may not happen over the course of a full season.

Somebody will have to listen. Somebody will have to take notice. It took a lot to get the football program noticed.

Maybe a conference championship and a trip to the women’s NCAA Tournament will silence the doubters, at least maybe for now.

Danny Horne