Since Oz took the topic I had in mind for this week's Love column with his Final Fantasy VII post (which I firmly believe is the best video game, or at least, RPG, ever made), I've decide to go in a different direction and explore something this blog rarely does-the world of collegiate sports.
When I first arrived on the campus of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in September of 2003, I couldn't care less about football, or any other professional sport for that matter. In fact, when my mother had asked me if I wanted to purchase student season tickets for football season, I dismissed the idea immediately.
I'm not sure when it happened exactly, I don't know if I could really find the moment I fell in love with Michigan Football, in fact, I think it was probably a gradual process. In high school I felt so removed from school spirit, I'd almost come to think of it as a negative. But being at a place like Michigan, where it was almost impossible not to have school spirit (yes, even in the Theatre Department), it was like being a fan of the football team just came with the territory. More than that, it was impossible to avoid. Nearly every student on campus was glued to their TV or making the march to Michigan Stadium every Fall Saturday, and to be honest, when I realized what I was missing out on, I suddenly understood why everyone had told me it was so important to get season tickets. I watched every game freshman year, even if I didn't even always know why. I just knew I was somehow connected to this team, that unlike rooting for pro sports, these kids were not playing for a state they weren't really from, or playing for cars and money (usually), they were playing for us. Because they were us. Students.
Michigan Football has fallen on some tough times lately. In the span of two years, we lost to Appalachian State, went 3-9, had our first losing season since the sixties, and missed out on a bowl bid for the first time in 33 years. It's a damn tough time to become a fan. But, the way I see it, I don't really have a choice. I couldn't stop loving Michigan Football if I wanted to. Plus, it's gonna be so sweet when we go 12-0 next year and everybody can just shut the hell up.
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7 comments:
Certain qualifies as one of the best games ever. I'd vote for best RPG.
12-0? We'll see Michigan. We'll see.
Maybe I should do a post on why i just don't get sports...
I'd like to hear Jason's thoughts on that. In fact, I challenge him to a competition!
And if Michigan makes a bowl game that would be a step in the right direction. The second a team takes their foot off the pedal, it's tough to get things back. See also Maryland Basketball.
I want to be on the competition between Jason and Max for why Jason doesn't care about sports. It'll be good sporting.
In my opinion, the following piece is undeniably the best article I've ever read on this subject of the love and appreciation of sport. It focuses on tennis, but transcends the topic entirely.
It's from 2 years ago... when the rivalry between Nadal and Federer first became a real rivalry. Now, it's an epic rivalry... among the best ever, and that can be said without any reservations in the slightest.
check it out, at least the first page...
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/sports/playmagazine/20federer.html?_r=2&ref=playmagazine
12-0? Until then, we Spartan fans will continue to trash talk UofM fans they way they usually do to us.
Except we will use words with multiple syllables.
J/K (a little). I know several UofM graduates who can hold up their end of an intelligent conversation. My brother even married one.
All in good fun. Love the blog.
That IS a great article, Adam. It really articulates well what is so difficult to say about loving sports (especially for women, who are so often on the outside of fandom). It's definitely the beauty and precision of the violence that gets me every time, which is probably why I enjoy football, and even soccer, tennis, and hockey, so much over baseball.
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