From the Sidelines: Watch out for falling goal posts
Sports reporter
I've never taken part in the destruction of goal posts.
The opportunity arose my final year when the Jayhawks defeated Missouri at home, but instead I chose to watch from the stands as thousands of crazy fans attacked the south post like termites on a 2x4.
One optimist tried to pull down the north post by himself, but was tackled by a security guard as he leaped in the air.
When the students fell to the ground with the posts, and headed toward Potter's Lake for the "I-still-can't-figure-out" ritual of dumping it into the water, my friends and I laughed, knowing we were witnessing something only a fine institution could provide.
But why do fans do it? What did the goal post do to deserve it? It would have made more sense to throw it in the lake after each game where former kicker Johnny Beck cost the Jayhawks a victory with missed kicks. Of course the University probably doesn't have that much money.
According to the SportsSay section of the DallasMorningnews.com, the tradition started back when the posts were made of wood, and were torn down and used to build a bonfire.
There are a few reasons however, it isn't the best way to celebrate a victory.
For one, it means your team probably wasn't expected to win, or like this past Saturday, it was the first victory against the opponent in 37 years.
You don't see USC fans tearing down goal posts.
It also costs roughly $3,500 per post, but hey when athletic directors make $4 million a year, who really cares?
And on a more serious note, fans have been seriously injured and even killed after falling off or being struck by the posts.
But while it may not be the best form of celebration, it is pretty hard to stop as well.
No matter how many security guards you hire, they aren't going to stop thousands of college students who don't care who is in the way.
Some universities have retractable posts, but they are rare.
KU now will have to fork over, unless it is once again donated, the money to buy a new post. For fans it obviously was worth every penny they aren't going to spend.
When Jayhawk announcer Max Falkenstein told the crowd he knew he might not be the most popular person in the stadium right now by encouraging everyone to stay in their seats, he was right.
Fans across the country will continue to tear goal posts down, and the best way to avoid problems is to allow them to proceed with their strange, but funny tradition.
The fewer people trying to stop it, the fewer injuries that will occur.
So I say let them do it, no matter how stupid they look, because after all, they're paying for that college education.
