After losing three consecutive games, Houston Texans fans found something to celebrate last weekend.
It wasn’t because of a touchdown, interception or game-winning catch. Nope, the fans were cheering because their seventh year quarterback, Matt Schaub, was injured.
I thought a fan burning his jersey in the parking lot after the game two weeks ago was bad, but its nothing compared to this.
When I heard about this, I not only felt terrible for Schaub, who has dedicated his career to making these fans happy, but also felt embarrassed to be a fan. I felt as if just being an NFL fan placed me under a stereotype that all fans behave this way.
I’m as passionate about sports as the next guy, but there has to be limitations on our behavior. Under no circumstances should anyone applaud a player getting injured.
Players put in countless hours, time and effort for the sheer entertainment of fans. They undergo broken bones, concussions and even surgeries to continue to impress audiences. Yet, for whatever reason, fans tend to forget these celebrity athletes are people too. I can’t even imagine what Sunday’s scene did to Schaub’s self esteem. You have to wonder if Schaub would even want to play for such a hostile fan base any longer.
Since joining the team in 2007, Schaub broke every team passing record and turned a pathetic franchise into legitimate playoff contenders. In 2009, Schaub lead the entire league in passing yards, topping names like Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
Schaub has more than proved he can compete as well as anyone in the game at the quarterback position. Texans fans are forgetting he has been an elite quarterback in the league for some time now.
Every player goes through minor slumps in their career, it’s just part of the game.
A similar situation happened in Green Bay last year. Packer’s kicker Mason Crosby experienced a drought and kicked only 63.6% on the year. Despite his performance in 2012, Mason has returned this season stronger than ever. Crosby has only missed one field goal so far. This just goes to show that players frequently have off games, sometimes off seasons, but players who have already proven themselves tend to bounce back. Players would be a whole lot better off if fans stood by them during these slumps, instead of the exact opposite.
Texan fans should be embarrassed by their actions and should give nothing but praise to Schaub for the remainder of his career in Houston.
Though there’s no easy way to fix a problem like this, something should be done. I don’t care how dedicated a fan you are, all fans alike need to hold themselves to a higher standard. Hopefully the reactions by the media and other players around the league this time will prevent similar events in the future.
The Texans play the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs next week. As of now, Schaub’s status for the game is questionable. I would love nothing more than to see Schaub return and silence his “fans.”
What do you think of Texans fans? What’s wrong with Matt Schaub? Let Blake know by emailing sports@dailycardinal.com.
