Nelson Graves is missing the facts

After reading Nelson Graves’ “Hokie Fans Take Things to a Whole New Level” (Dec. 4), I am appalled by the author’s lack of facts. If Graves had done any research he would not have made many of his comments. As a communications major at Virginia Tech, I would fail if I turned in a paper without facts.

The author states that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine was booed because he supported President-elect Barack Obama. If Graves had done any research, he would have found that the student body at Virginia Tech overwhelmingly voted for Obama by a 2-1 margin. He won Montgomery County, where Virginia Tech is located, by 2,001 votes and carried the county with 52 percent of the vote to John McCain’s 47 percent. To say Kaine was booed for his support of Obama is absurd. 

The next incorrect fact is that he states that the University of Virginia only boos the Florida State and Clemson kids and not the Virginia Tech kid. This is ludicrous. I am friends with several U.Va. students and they all have said this is false. They, in fact, boo the Virginia Tech kid. Oh, and as for receiving stares from Tech fans as he walked through the parking lot, I would love to only receive stares when I go to a game in Charlottesville. Every game I have attended in Charlottesville, I have been verbally abused for no reason except that I am a Virginia Tech fan. I actually have been hit under the chin while walking into the stadium. 

I will personally never attend a Tech game at U.Va. again. I have traveled to many road games and the fans at U.Va. are the absolute worst toward us. All colleges have fans that should practice better sportsmanship, but I have never seen anything like what I experienced in Charlottesville. His article is a misrepresentation of Virginia Tech and The News Virginian should check facts before publishing articles like this in the future.

Brian Whitesell
Waynesboro