You're right, it's not really a thing. It's an idea. A beautiful idea. It's an identity, a meaningful identity. It's a community, something that a school that hasn't had a ton of athletic success to congregate together and feel good. Feel like a part of something that no one else can have.
Through this season and the past few seasons when we've had success, we've lost something. We've lost humility and an understanding of what it is to be an ISU fan. When the team plays, I watch, when the team plays well, I cheer. When the team plays poorly, I cheer. When someone misses a layup I don't question their entire person and their level of effort and caring. When we miss a free throw I don't think about how terrible that player must be to miss a free 15 ft shot with no one guarding them.
Everyone that is a Cyclone for life, especially the alumni and the current students need to get their heads out their azzes, stop doing their best hok fan impersonation, and cut the emo sorry for themselves woe is me BS. I know big Chiefs fans, I know Royals fans, I know pre-Super Bowl wins Broncos fans, I knew Minnesota North Stars fans and I've never, ever seen a transition from proud, self-respecting, defiant fanbase to whiny, cringe-worthy, self loathing fanbase like I've seen with the ISU basketball fanbase since Fred Hoiberg became ISU basketball coach.