In Which We Become Far Too Invested in the Athletic Exploits of 18-22 Year Olds (Myself Included)

3 straight Hoya losses have the faithful reeling, and with some justification: in the past two games, the team has been a half-step slow and 6 inches off the mark against West Virginia and Seton Hall.  It's a much different look from the team that shredded UConn on the road, or thumped Syracuse about 10 days ago, and for fans who have invested a lot of time, energy and (yes) money into their support of the team, it's unsettling.

That said, just as it's bizarre in victory to elevate college athletes to demigod status (H/T: The Plank), it's bizarre to pile on a group of college athletes in defeat (even unpleasant and unexpected ones to Seton Hall) as if their goal is to please us, The Excited Fan, and when they fail, we can express our disappointment however we please.  Obviously, no one is stopping fans from yelling out complaints from the stands or online, and we can bellow about bad shots or shoddy defense as loudly as we want.  But it strikes me as just the slightest bit odd that these 18 to 22 year olds are being held to a standard of excellence--and in college basketball and football--that is not expected of 18 to 22 year olds in college more broadly.  Lose 3 games in a row? I know people who have skipped class 3 weeks in a row.  In a shooting slump? I've been in writing slumps/testing slumps.  Groaning after missed free throws? Good thing nobody groaned when people couldn't answer questions in class (although in law school, it sometimes feels that way).  

It's a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg argument, to be sure: when college sports (particularly football and basketball) are marketed like their professional counterparts, when the coaches are paid comparably to their professional counterparts, and are played in arenas and stadiums as large, if not larger, than their professional counterparts, it's understandable that fans have reactions that resemble those at professional sporting events.  With the college sports-media industrial complex occupying such a prominent national status, it seems unlikely that the scale of the competition is going to decrease anytime soon.  Conversely, maybe we should be expecting a bit more of 18 to 22 year olds in college--certainly, when it comes to effort-based measures such as showing up to class and/or being prepared for class, the bar could be raised a bit.

Pointing out that college students loaf, coast, and generally "take plays off" doesn't make it any easier to watch our favorite teams lose heartbreakers or stinkers.  But maybe those who cheer on those college teams--particularly those who graduated from those schools-- could remember what it was like to be an undergraduate and ease up on their underage heroes.  After all, they are student athletes, and as such, not only are they busy with classes and growing up, but they're members of the alumni family.   We seem to cut a lot more slack for alums who help start unjustified wars than for those who hoist up unjustified 3s.  Just saying.