Tanya Marsh

The average fan at a Jacks game might bring a cowbell and stand for the school song. Many of them even wear yellow and blue sweatshirts and jackets.

But then there are those other fans who are not just excited about the game — they’re crazy.

Gus R. Loneman, a junior sociology major, is one of these hardcore fans. At Saturday’s football game, he decided to forego a shirt for paint, and was an “s” in “SDSU” to show support.

“[We do it] because we love these guys!” he said exuberantly, gesturing at the rushing players on the field. “We just love these guys.”

Loneman and his friend Colleen Olsen, a sophomore sociology major, said the two of them aren’t discriminating in what sports they support.

“We’re just ‘go Jackrabbits,’ all the time!” Loneman said.

Olsen added, “Basketball, soocer, football, softball — it doesn’t matter.”

Justin B. Larson, a senior mechanical engineering major who serves as the Student Association vice president, also supports all kinds of SDSU sports. This weekend he’ll even take to the road to support the swimmers and footballers in Vermillion as they take on USD.

Larson, who was sporting a cup-sized “lucky hat” at Saturday’s game, has helped organize crazy fans such as those dressed in cow costumes or pumping the air with yellow and blue “rally brooms.”

He said he is just trying to get people involved.

“We’re just trying to get more student support within the student body for different athletic events.”

He said he and other SA members have recruited the fraternity Delta Chi to help rally support for the Jacks.

Tyler Carpenter, a senior music education major who gets crazy at the games when he’s not playing with the Pride Drumline, belongs to a similar organization.

“I’m a member of Triangle X Jacks Backers,” he said, showing off his tools of his invented group’s trade: a foam “number one” finger, an old SDSU sign, a megaphone, a large posterboard sign, and his parking decal.

By yelling and waving things, Carpenter said he enjoys the game.

“We have to go to the games, so we might as well make it fun,” he said.

Senior political science major Chad Berg, who plays cymbals in the drumline, echoed Carpenter’s sentiments.

“If we just came to the games and sat here, it’d be the most boring couple hours of the week. If we’re gonna be here, we might as well go crazy and try to energize the crowd,” he said.

To avoid being annoying, crazy fans often travel in groups.

“I don’t stand alone,” Loneman said.

Larson agreed. “If you do it alone you look like a crazy man, whereas if you do it with friends you look like a crazy fan.”

In the end, though, it’s not about being a fan. It’s about supporting the players.

Larson said, “You like to think the athletes can hear you — sometimes it makes you feel good that they know people are there to back them with energy.”

#1.886650:976969345.jpg:crazyfans1forweb.jpg:If you think the games are cold when you´re dressed for the weather, try being a nutty fan and going shirtless. Hope that paint is nice and thick!: