The Motivator

       It was an early afternoon NMSU soccer game and today was fan appreciation.  The stands filled the stands like usual, with most of the fans were adults above the age of 35, there was a couple of pockets of college students sitting together, but predominantly the stands were filled with older adults.  Unlike most days, a college  male student dressed as Pistol Pete showed up for the game most likely it was because it was fan appreciation day.  Pistol Pete wore a thick stick on mustache with jeans and a leather vest ( the usual garments Pistol Pete wears).

       Through out the game Pistol Pete would try to motivated the crowd into cheering and clapping for the players playing on the field.  About 10 minutes within the game Pistol Pete would go around the stands handing out gifts, which include gift cards, book bags, foam balls, and T-shirts, for whoever cheered loudly and wore NMSU attire.  Pistol Pete throughout the game would pander to the crowd.  Almost making a competition between fans for whoever can cheer the loudness and whoever was the loudness would receive a prize.  Most of the Adults would cheer for whatever prize was offered. On the other hand, the college student would only cheer if a gift cards were offered; the college student would remain silent for all other prize.

       I contribute the quietness due to peer pressure.  Most of the college students sat in the same proximity of the stands.  I think none of them wanted to create a seen and have the rest of the students give them a hard time.  I think there was some linear proportion of the prizes worth to the amount of effort the students are willing to expend for it.  The older adults on the other hand would cause quite a rucks for the items offered.  One lady in particular whenever a T-shirt or gift card, she would instantly jump to her feet and start hollering at Pistol Pete for the Prizes.  This lady wore an NMSU T-shirt with some leggings.  She was not only loud during the times when the prizes was offered, but also during the rest of the game.  This lady seem to constantly cheer and she was rewarded through her efforts.  In the end she walked away with a gift card and a T-shirt.

       The small kids that did go go the game, also cheered really loudly when gifts were offered.  Usually when a T-shirt or a foam ball was offered, the kids would get up from there seats and rush to Pistol Pete side and beg for the gift rather than cheer.   Usually Pistol Pete, would give into the little kids begging and reward them.  When I walk out of the complex, I noticed all the little kids except one either had a ball in hand or was carrying a T-shirt that was given to them.

The little kids and the adults seem to enjoy Pistol Pete presents, while most of the college students just seem to tolerate or blow off Pistol Pete.  When Pistol Pete came to a sector of the stands and asked them to cheer loudly, all of the parents and little kids would stand up and clap there hands and stomp there feet on the bleachers, while the college students would always remain sitting just quietly clapping there hands. Towards the end of the game Pistol Pete actually confronted the college students about their in-activeness.  I couldn't quiet hear the whole conversation, because i was sitting to far away.  After the talk the college students actually started cheering and some of them even stood up and clapped, so something Pistol Pete had some impact on there motivation.