my college football obsession, a timeline
pre 2002: coming from guam, we don't get many football games, and most people seem to be more into the nfl than cfb...needless to say, i didn't watch any games
2002: my first year in college. everyone was talking about the "big" game against stanfurd and how i should totally go. so i totally did. and it was awesome. my first football experience ever and it was a win! first win for cal in 7 years and i was there! we participated in the chanting, merrymaking, and cardstunts..and with 4 (or was it 8? 13?) seconds to go on the clock, we rushed the field. i was holding on to dear life to my floormates' hands as we bum rushed it down the student section stairs. i stood in awe as i saw another one of my floormates shimmey up the goalpost as it went down. i joined in the jubilation as we triumphantly paraded it down the street. it was a very satisfying introduction to college football.
2003: i didn't participate in that many cfb activities this year, the only game i watched was the usc game...and what a game it was.
2004: purchased tickets again for the big game (using some random girl's id) and watched all the others on tv - from the heartbreak at usc to the disappointing bowl game against texas...i vowed to watch the games in person the next time around
2005: true to my word, i purchased season tickets for the first time my senior year at cal. it had started out to be a promising year.. then longshore got injured and boo-boo stepped up. ah well, it was still really fun cheering from the student section
2006: watched every single televised game on tv... in fact, the first day we got our tv in atlanta was the day of the tennessee game.. funny to think that we wanted to make sure we had a tv just so we could watch that game...a game better left forgotten in my opinion.
2007: i now probably spend about 10 hours (probably more)during the week reading up on college football. inspired in part by kristina, i've fully immersed myself in the southern culture of celebrating college football....though it's tough being a lonely golden bear in the heart of the SEC...with only liam to watch games with...
so to end this entry i will give you the story of kristina, my "southern sister".
i met kristina through a coworker of mine (who no longer works there). we had met once or twice but didn't really talk. one day, before my coworker left for med school in the caribbean, the three of us decided to have dinner together at panera bread (GOOD FOOD, though they don't make my favorite salad anymore). by chance, i happened to be wearing a cal shirt and our conversation went like this:
kristina: are you a football fan, denise?
me: yeah, actually, i am.
kristina: there's a big game coming up in a couple weeks isn't there?
me: yes! on september first we're hosting tennessee! how did you know? [comprehension dawns] wait, did you go to tennessee?
kristina: haha, yeah, i'm a HUGE vol fan!
and we hit it off from there. we discovered that she lives a few blocks up from me, and she graciously offered me a ride back that day. we have been carpooling (most days) since.
two crazy-cool coincidences about her? 1) she's been to guam before (for vacation). yeah! a tennessee girl, born and raised, has been to guam before! crazy! most people i meet here can't even find guam on a map! and 2)she drives a maroon '98 camry. that's the same color, year, AND model of the car i used to drive on guam.
so she has been educating me about the SEC and it's traditions ever since - which in turn, fuels my cfb obsession.
thus, in honor of her and her team, i will say this: "go vols! swamp the gators!" and of course, i'll end with a resounding "go bears!" [i'll be heading out to a sports bar with liam this weekend to watch the louisiana tech and usc game]
2002: my first year in college. everyone was talking about the "big" game against stanfurd and how i should totally go. so i totally did. and it was awesome. my first football experience ever and it was a win! first win for cal in 7 years and i was there! we participated in the chanting, merrymaking, and cardstunts..and with 4 (or was it 8? 13?) seconds to go on the clock, we rushed the field. i was holding on to dear life to my floormates' hands as we bum rushed it down the student section stairs. i stood in awe as i saw another one of my floormates shimmey up the goalpost as it went down. i joined in the jubilation as we triumphantly paraded it down the street. it was a very satisfying introduction to college football.
2003: i didn't participate in that many cfb activities this year, the only game i watched was the usc game...and what a game it was.
2004: purchased tickets again for the big game (using some random girl's id) and watched all the others on tv - from the heartbreak at usc to the disappointing bowl game against texas...i vowed to watch the games in person the next time around
2005: true to my word, i purchased season tickets for the first time my senior year at cal. it had started out to be a promising year.. then longshore got injured and boo-boo stepped up. ah well, it was still really fun cheering from the student section
2006: watched every single televised game on tv... in fact, the first day we got our tv in atlanta was the day of the tennessee game.. funny to think that we wanted to make sure we had a tv just so we could watch that game...a game better left forgotten in my opinion.
2007: i now probably spend about 10 hours (probably more)during the week reading up on college football. inspired in part by kristina, i've fully immersed myself in the southern culture of celebrating college football....though it's tough being a lonely golden bear in the heart of the SEC...with only liam to watch games with...
so to end this entry i will give you the story of kristina, my "southern sister".
i met kristina through a coworker of mine (who no longer works there). we had met once or twice but didn't really talk. one day, before my coworker left for med school in the caribbean, the three of us decided to have dinner together at panera bread (GOOD FOOD, though they don't make my favorite salad anymore). by chance, i happened to be wearing a cal shirt and our conversation went like this:
kristina: are you a football fan, denise?
me: yeah, actually, i am.
kristina: there's a big game coming up in a couple weeks isn't there?
me: yes! on september first we're hosting tennessee! how did you know? [comprehension dawns] wait, did you go to tennessee?
kristina: haha, yeah, i'm a HUGE vol fan!
and we hit it off from there. we discovered that she lives a few blocks up from me, and she graciously offered me a ride back that day. we have been carpooling (most days) since.
two crazy-cool coincidences about her? 1) she's been to guam before (for vacation). yeah! a tennessee girl, born and raised, has been to guam before! crazy! most people i meet here can't even find guam on a map! and 2)she drives a maroon '98 camry. that's the same color, year, AND model of the car i used to drive on guam.
so she has been educating me about the SEC and it's traditions ever since - which in turn, fuels my cfb obsession.
thus, in honor of her and her team, i will say this: "go vols! swamp the gators!" and of course, i'll end with a resounding "go bears!" [i'll be heading out to a sports bar with liam this weekend to watch the louisiana tech and usc game]