Tell Me Why
There are some things in life, that I love unabashedly, with a passion, unconditionally. I won't apologize for not quitting on them. It's who I am.
I've recently realized that this is an integral part of my life. And you can think I'm stupid, or that I have my priorities mixed up, but nothing is more demonstrative of this than my love of college football. (This is not to say that there are not other examples of this, I just feel like it's an extremely time-appropriate one to use as comparison). I have been a Buckeye fan since the day I was born. I have a picture of me, less than 6 months old, in my grandmother's arms wearing an Ohio State outfit. Naturally, I wasn't an active participant in this, so I'll forgive you if this example doesn't do much for you. Several years later, I'm around 5 years old at a bowl game somewhere in Florida. I was on TV singing the Ohio State fight song. OK, you might argue, clearly at five years old I was only following my parents' beliefs. But what else is passion, and tradition, than something you accepted as a child, and come to believe in as you garner cognitive reasoning? Bowl games, rivalries, and tradition. I've been there. And here I am, 21 years old, a true Buckeye.
Maybe I didn't go to Ohio State. And do you know why I didn't choose to go to Ohio State? Because, although my actions may not always display this, there are more important things than college football. As a child, I never cheered for the Ohio State business school. So you can cross off hypocrisy from your list of insults. I choose South Carolina over Ohio State because USC has the number one international business school in the nation. I also choose South Carolina over some other extremely academically reputable schools because of its football tradition. Sure, their mascots aren't the Buckeyes, I didn't grow up hearing the names of George Rogers, or Phil Petty as I did with Eddie George, for example, but I felt that USC was a wonderful combination of a time-honored tradition that reminded me of something that was important to me, and the academics that I had been seeking.
I am a Gamecock, through and through. Despite their looming mediocrity, and their heartbreaking close-losses, I will never give up on them. So do not call me a fair-weather fan. I may not know the history of the team, but I love the tradition I have experienced for an incredible four years. Today, I watched as the Gamecocks took the field from the student section. And I cried. I cried because I will never be part of that tradition in the same way. I cried because I will miss calling myself a student. But I also cried because I am thrilled to be part of a tradition and a culture such as this one. And I was swelling with pride to consider myself a soon-to-be alumnae. So please don't tell me that my heart's not in it. Week after week, I'm at the game almost an hour ahead of time. Week after week, I cheer my team on regardless of our opponent. I voice my frustration at fans who don't cheer, or don't watch the game. I'm at the game to support my team. Please don't tell me I'm not doing the best a fan can do. Week in and week out, I've watched my team lose in the closing seconds, and I've shed a few tears. So you cannot tell me that I am not emotionally involved.
What would you have me do? Turn my back on Ohio State, a team that I had cheered through winning seasons and losing ones, for (give or take a few if you don't want to count infancy) 18 years? Is that not the mark of a fair-weather fan? To give up a loyalty to a team who has been near and dear to me for years? I will not apologize for refusing to do so. I will not apologize for selecting the university I'm attending for academics. I will not argue which is a better university. I will argue that I love college football, I love my teams, and I am as loyal and devoted a fan as they come. And I don't give up on love.
I've recently realized that this is an integral part of my life. And you can think I'm stupid, or that I have my priorities mixed up, but nothing is more demonstrative of this than my love of college football. (This is not to say that there are not other examples of this, I just feel like it's an extremely time-appropriate one to use as comparison). I have been a Buckeye fan since the day I was born. I have a picture of me, less than 6 months old, in my grandmother's arms wearing an Ohio State outfit. Naturally, I wasn't an active participant in this, so I'll forgive you if this example doesn't do much for you. Several years later, I'm around 5 years old at a bowl game somewhere in Florida. I was on TV singing the Ohio State fight song. OK, you might argue, clearly at five years old I was only following my parents' beliefs. But what else is passion, and tradition, than something you accepted as a child, and come to believe in as you garner cognitive reasoning? Bowl games, rivalries, and tradition. I've been there. And here I am, 21 years old, a true Buckeye.
Maybe I didn't go to Ohio State. And do you know why I didn't choose to go to Ohio State? Because, although my actions may not always display this, there are more important things than college football. As a child, I never cheered for the Ohio State business school. So you can cross off hypocrisy from your list of insults. I choose South Carolina over Ohio State because USC has the number one international business school in the nation. I also choose South Carolina over some other extremely academically reputable schools because of its football tradition. Sure, their mascots aren't the Buckeyes, I didn't grow up hearing the names of George Rogers, or Phil Petty as I did with Eddie George, for example, but I felt that USC was a wonderful combination of a time-honored tradition that reminded me of something that was important to me, and the academics that I had been seeking.
I am a Gamecock, through and through. Despite their looming mediocrity, and their heartbreaking close-losses, I will never give up on them. So do not call me a fair-weather fan. I may not know the history of the team, but I love the tradition I have experienced for an incredible four years. Today, I watched as the Gamecocks took the field from the student section. And I cried. I cried because I will never be part of that tradition in the same way. I cried because I will miss calling myself a student. But I also cried because I am thrilled to be part of a tradition and a culture such as this one. And I was swelling with pride to consider myself a soon-to-be alumnae. So please don't tell me that my heart's not in it. Week after week, I'm at the game almost an hour ahead of time. Week after week, I cheer my team on regardless of our opponent. I voice my frustration at fans who don't cheer, or don't watch the game. I'm at the game to support my team. Please don't tell me I'm not doing the best a fan can do. Week in and week out, I've watched my team lose in the closing seconds, and I've shed a few tears. So you cannot tell me that I am not emotionally involved.
What would you have me do? Turn my back on Ohio State, a team that I had cheered through winning seasons and losing ones, for (give or take a few if you don't want to count infancy) 18 years? Is that not the mark of a fair-weather fan? To give up a loyalty to a team who has been near and dear to me for years? I will not apologize for refusing to do so. I will not apologize for selecting the university I'm attending for academics. I will not argue which is a better university. I will argue that I love college football, I love my teams, and I am as loyal and devoted a fan as they come. And I don't give up on love.