Last night at the game I was embarrassed. I was infuriated. I was sickened to see what has happened at the University of Tennessee but not because of how our team played or even the outcome of the game last night. Don't get me wrong I hated seeing what happened on the field and how we played but I am talking about what happened in Section II, Row 8, Seat 23. This was my seat that I paid for. This is where a friend and I stood up, cheered, and screamed for our Volunteers.
This is also were we, along with two other fans sitting next to us, were standing up and cheering for our Vols on Defense at the end of the first quarter on where Bama was driving and they scored a touchdown right at the beginning of the 2nd quarter. At this point we were told by a middle aged couple sitting a few rows behind us to sit down because they, I quote "had paid for their seats and they could not see." It was not the fans directly behind us. We responded to the couple and apologized but said that we were not doing anything wrong, we had also paid for our seats, and that we wanted to stand up and cheer for our team.
A few minutes later, two Ushers, who are representatives of the university, came down to us and told us, I quote "Sit down and shut up or we will throw you out." When we questioned the ushers about why we were asked to sit we were then cursed and told, I quote "If you do not sit your ass in the seat we will get the police and throw you A**holes out!"
We were not drunk, belligerent, or cursing. We were cheering for our Defense. After talking to the ushers for several minutes and at the urges of others around us, my friend and I reluctantly sat down but the two other fans sitting next to us were escorted out into the breezeway by the ushers where they were spoken to by police officers. About 15 minutes later they were allowed to return to their seats; however, we were instructed that we could not stand up unless something, as the ushers and police officer described, "good happened." Later we asked for the usher's names and they would not give them to us. Their name tags had been turned around to where we could not see their names.
I am writing this thread because this is ridiculous. This is a blatant violation of our right to enjoy the game. No where on the ticket does it say that we must sit down in our seat during the game or that we may not stand up for the entire game if we wanted to. I am infuriated that ushers, as university representatives, would treat us with such disrespect by cursing us and threatening us for only supporting and cheering for the Vols. We all pay for the ticket to get into Neyland and for the ushers to tell me that I am going to be thrown out of the game because I am standing is offensive to me as a passionate fan.
If anyone who reads this thread works for the University of Tennessee Athletic Dept. you will be receiving a formal complaint from me about this situation. To all others who read this thread, I know this is long but it needs to be said. Whether you want to stand or sit, do not impede upon the right of other fans to stand or sit if they want to.
k:
