Saturday, October 24, 2009.
This act of kindness was not actually performed by me, but it is an act that was done by a group of 50,000 football fans at this weekend’s WVU vs UCONN game. And since it was by the faithful mountaineer fans, and I am a lifelong West Virginian, this will be Act 125.
Yes, you read that right, the rowdy, belligerent, couch burning, Mountaineer fans are owners of Kind Act 125.They truly shined. ON an emotional day, a day where Connecticut played its first game after the death of Huskies cornerback jasper Howard, the Mountaineer fans kindness shined. When UCONN wide receiver came out onto the field, he carried Howard’s no.6 jersey on a hanger, and then tailback Andre Dixon had the former player’s helmet.
WVU and UCONN fans together cheered. They cheered the pair and they cheered the UCONN team. Outside of the stadium pins, cut in the shape of hearts, were given out with no. 6, Howard’s number. The two teams lined up on the field for a moment of silence throughout the whole stadium. Heads were bowed, prayers went up, then the teams came together again in the middle of the field to cheers. Hundreds of WVU students wrote words of sympathy and encouragement on a huge banner that hung in the tunnel where the UConn players could read it as they passed to and from the field.
Many WVU fans wore armbands bearing Howard’s number “6”. After the game, WVU fans offered another standing ovation as the Huskies left the field with several UConn players acknowledging the crowd.
It was a moment for the ages. A moment that UCONN coach Edsall won’t forget. “I thought the WV fans were just very gracious,” he said with tears in his eyes. “The sportsmanship and the love and concern they showed for our team….I don’t know if we’ve ever seen that in sports. So my hat is off to them. They’re a bunch of class fans and it’s a class coaching staff and athletic administration. I’d just like to say thank you to them.”
It was a proud moment in WVU’s athletic history. Forget the WVU win, it was a Hall of Fame moment for the fans. Kindness truly knows no bounds!
Be Kind 365 