Raising Hell – From the desk of Nathan Hellman

Getting a fresh start is an infrequent occurrence. The feeling doesn’t stick around for long or surface on a regular basis. When it comes, it’s a blessing, but there’s always the possibility it’ll be gone before the sun rises the next day.

With the hiring of former NFL head coach Jerry Glanville, having new athletic director Torre Chisholm on board and finally seeing an interested fan base, innovative ideas are cycling through sports at Portland State. Athletics is fresh.

There is no debating that point.

Where the debate begins is with the question of how long this fresh sense will linger.

Will it be a few days into the fall sports season? Or could it be if and when the football team racks up a few L’s in the loss column? Maybe the freshness will dwindle if it becomes obvious that the volleyball team isn’t as good as years past. Or if both basketball squads end their seasons without Big Sky championships.

The correct answer is that no one knows exactly when or where this newfound freshness will wear off.
But I do know the best bet for Portland State athletics is for the Viking faithful to enjoy it while we can.
Let’s not ponder Portland State football’s chances of entering the Division I-A ranks. Frankly, the Vikings need to get a couple of impressive championship seasons under their belt before that thought even crosses my mind.

Let’s not jump the shark and demand new playing facilities just yet. I realize PGE Park is a dilapidated stadium that should be housing Pop Warner championships instead of college football games—and I acknowledge the Stott Center is smaller than the University of Oregon’s lavish locker room—but that’s not the point.

Viking fans should be focused on this year alone. Chisholm and his associates are working hard to cultivate a respectable identity and alluring culture at Portland State, and fans should seize every opportunity to don the Viking colors and celebrate a fresh start.

Go to every home football game. Check out the high-flying volleyball team, because those girls are hard-hitting animals on the court. Catch a few soccer games this fall. Watch the basketball teams compete, bringing some flash to Portland’s gloomy winters. Sit behind the plate at a few softball games. And keep tabs on the up-and-coming track and field squad.    

Most of all, give Chisholm and his crew some incentive to spend time, money and effort on improving Portland State athletics.

Chisholm has already instilled a couple bonuses for Viking aficionados. With the implementation of a student tailgate in the South Park Blocks, he’s given students a place to congregate and get pumped up before games. Plastering the Viking logo everywhere has garnered much recognition for sports teams campus-wide. Planning a “blackout” game and reinstating the fanatic Horde fosters synergy and cohesion among fans and players alike.

The door is certainly open and the path has been laid.

Now, it’s up to Viking fans to come in bunches, covered in Viking apparel and maybe with green face paint or accompanied by a couple buddies with the letters “PSU” painted across their stomachs. Take advantage new life. Get crazy. Get creative. Get going to games.