O Lord It’s Hard to be Humble (A Story of Being a Razorback Fan)

19 11 2008

Friday night started with me at the very first ever Arkansas Razorback ice hockey home game versus Vanderbilt, and at the very moment I walked through the door I asked my party, “Do we call the Hogs here?”  Legitimate question, right?  While calling the Hogs is associated with the university as a whole, in this area we’re not accustomed to sports that are more prominent in East/West Coast schools like hockey, rowing, wrestling, etc.  What do we know here besides football and basketball?  To be fair, fans here don’t know much about baseball (let me paint a picture: Razorback and Naturals baseball fans don’t know that when it’s the bottom of the ninth and we’re trailing by a run, it’d be a good thing to get on your feet and rally your team on; since they don’t, you can chalk up a loss in the L column).  Furthermore, this team started as a club – meaning there wouldn’t be any cheerleaders or band members.  The fans DEFINITELY wouldn’t know when to start to cheer, let alone know when to call the Hogs.  

But regardless of everything, the game didn’t happen as Vanderbilt decided not to show on time and I was heading back to Fayetteville to go to our first ever start-of-the-2008-season basketball game against Southeastern Louisiana.  I arrived with 9 minutes left in the first half to meet up with two of the guys, Austin and Kinney, with our team down by 10 points.  Here I could find my relief to the question I had asked earlier.  We definitely know how to call the Hogs here.  We can do the H-O-G-S! chant here.  Hell, with the band we can start up “William Tell” (one of my favorites).  As the game progressed and our team still losing, actually never having the lead since I showed up, the fans started the customary trickling out of Bud Walton Arena (which I have a problem with too, but not addressing at this time).  

As I was probably the only person in the stands - I failed to mention that I was in the nosebleed section of the arena, looking down at the lively band/student section below - that knew how to “William Tell” it (and did, twice) I wondered, “if I weren’t a student, would I still be doing this?”  At what point do former students stop the crazed and whacked out chants for their team and merely sit on their butts during a time-out.  At what point of my life will I look back at the student section and think their jumping up and down is crazy?  Right now, I love the passion that student-fans have for their team probably because that’s all students really care about.  When I’m an alumni with a job and family, hopefully the latter being not so soon, will I care less?  Probably yes, eventually.  Calling the Hogs seems to be the only acceptable form of displaying fan-hood at any age.  

But if that’s the case, we need to open up more seats for the student-section so that at least 1/3 of the arena can William Tell their hearts out, while the other 2/3 sit there and reminisce.


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How I Would Change Arkansas Razorback Football

30 10 2008

1) Offense: Throw More Passes Deep.

It doesn’t matter that the man under center has two left arms, and wouldn’t be able to pick out our receivers if they were girls in bikinis running routes. It doesn’t matter that we’re in the Run-Dominant Division of the NCAA. As long as we keep the defense honest and make them think we have a possible deep pass threat, the running game will then begin to open up.
1B) Hold open try outs for a QB that can throw the ball 60+ yards, then only put him in the game when we decide to run a deep pass play. Then after he throws a couple deep passes, call a running play just to keep the defense on their toes. Rinse, repeat, and we have a new starting quarterback.

2) Defense: Maintain a Cover-2 Defense.

This means have TWO safeties COVERING the receiver’s deep routes so that our Cornerbacks aren’t alone when they get beat on a deep pass. Misery Loves Company.

3) Front Office Public Relations:  More Community Outreach.

At the Ole Miss game it didn’t take long for me to notice that I missed the memo by not wearing a black shirt.  At first glance I thought I was just sitting behind the “Cool Group” of guys that wear black, yet fashionable, clothes (i.e., Quiksilver hats with no bend in the bill).  Until I looked across the field at the non-student fans that have no sense of connection to University life and realized that more than half of Donald W. Reynolds was filled with black colored shirts too (I never figured out why it was exactly but deduced that it had to be a re-run of last year’s “Black-out” to run out Houston Nutt – which only about a third of the student section actually did).  I would have liked to have been given a flyer or something so I would have known to put my black shirt on.  Hell, when we had a Red-out for a game last year, we were given red shirts!  Yes, I’m a trend follower.

4) Fan-ship:  Change the Culture.

Saturday, my day of firsts.  First the surprisingly successful coordination of fans not just from their choice in clothing, but what were coming out of their mouths.  I never thought we’d call anything else but the Hogs, but the “Bob-by” chants were amazing, albeit it was started to counter the “Houston Nutt” chants from Ole Miss fans (which was the first time Houston has heard his name chanted in DWR, in my 4 years at this school), I think we should be more accustomed to starting chants.  I want to start a “Ca-sey” chant everytime Casey Dick throws into quadruple coverage, or gets picked off and then – to add a knot to the rope – juked out of his double-knotted, no pun intended, shoes from a lineman “Soulja Boy-ing” into the endzone.  The people that were around me during Saturday know what I’m talking about, and again at the Alabama game.  I don’t like being the only one chanting.  I don’t think enough people recognize the “Darr-yl” chants and realize that it’s a chant of discouragement.

“Yes we can!” is a good one too.


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Waiting Till Next Year, Again

6 10 2008

I should have wrote this before game 3 of the Red Sox/Angels series, but since I didn’t I’m going to try my best to keep my focus while the game is going on (1-0 Angels, Bottom 2nd).

While I watched last night as the Cubs went down to the Dodgers to continue their centennial World Series drought, I couldn’t help but think about what Seth Mnookin wrote in “Feeding the Monster.” He mentions the way the sport is played out to its fans as poetic in nature but of course in terms of the 2004 Red Sox. The “Original Sin” started when Babe Ruth was sold to the “Enemy” – the Yankees in 1918 (or 1920 by other sources). Year after year since then, the Yankees have dejected the Red Sox organization, players, and fans by not only beating the Sox, but in heartbreaking fashion (e.g., as in the 2003 ALCS when they rallied from a 5-2 deficit in game 7 to win) He continues on to say how fitting it was for the 2004 Red Sox to face the Yankees the very next year in the ALCS and started down 0-3 in the series. As we all probably know what happened afterwards as the Red Sox came back to win the American League and go on to win the World Series, my stance on the Sox, Cubs, and pretty much sports in general, is that every team has to have a defining moment in which everyone involved has to commit themselves to winning. No matter the cost. And put the “Curse” to rest.

The defining moment of the 2004 Red Sox clearly being the rally from an 0-3 deficit to beat the “Evil Empire” as the clear underdog. Once that happened, the door to the World Series trophy was opened to be claimed by the Sox by a sweep of the Cardinals. But would it have been less significant had the Sox not gone through the Yankees? I’m willing to bet that it would have. Hell I’m willing to bet that the Sox wouldn’t have beaten the Cardinals if they hadn’t gone through the Yankees. Every story has to have conflict and at that point, there was no conflict for the Sox that didn’t involve the Yankees.

So take note, Cubs fans. Who is your main antagonist? As far as this drought has gone on, there hasn’t been one team in the way. The Cubs have been eliminated by about 15 different MLB teams so as far as I can tell, the Cubs have been their own worst enemy. The clubhouse has to change its personality dynamic in which the players believe that they are in control of their own destiny as the “Idiots” of the Red Sox had their “Fuck ‘em All” mentality.

This philosophy continues on to the Tampa Bay Rays now, which worries me and should worry every Red Sox fan. The Rays have just continued to fight against all oncomers while being counted down and out. It appears that the Rays are the team this year that doesn’t pay attention to outside pressure from the media and fan-base (since they don’t have much of one). I view that as the most dangerous weapon any team can have.

Oh and if the Red Sox DO beat the Rays and the Dodgers beat the Phillies, Derek Lowe, Nomar Garciaparra, and most of all, Manny Ramirez who all play for the Dodgers have at one point, played for the Red Sox. So the Dodgers then wouldn’t just have the “Fuck ‘em All” mentality, but “Fuck the Red Sox” mentality.

Should be exciting.

EDIT after Game 3: I don’t know why I didn’t mention the Angels before, maybe I was hoping they wouldn’t be in this whole category but after they beat the Sox in extra innings to FINALLY beat the Red Sox in post-season play after losing 10 straight they totally fit the equation of everything I mentioned above. The ALDS is pretty much playing out the way the Sox rallied against the Yankees, the roles are just a little different. Crap.


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Ready for October

30 09 2008

Okay, I might not ever write anything about the Hogs for a while.  I had a post ready to go earlier, welcoming Petrino and the new season, however I let a couple games go by to really get a good grasp of what I would be involved with and after the ‘Bama and Texas games, I’m pretty satisfied with leaving the Razorbacks out for a while.

Tomorrow is officially the start of the MLB playoffs and the Red Sox are in the AL Wild Card spot.  I didn’t have the best weekend last week when they only took 1 out of 3 games from the Yankees while Tampa Bay was equally floundering with the Tigers.  I wasn’t a big fan of the fact that the Friday night game continued after a 10+ hour rain delay in which Daisuke got scratched from the start (and in turn, pitcher Pauley, decided to pitch with his eyes closed – or he pitched underhanded – I can’t tell) but then to have Saturday’s game postponed to have a double header on Sunday to finalize the season?  The Sox can fight against a lot of obstacles but let’s face it, Mother Nature can’t collapse like the ’04 ALCS Yankees or the ’07 ALCS Indians – so good bye AL EAST Division and hello Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  I maintain that if Friday’s game didn’t get delayed and Dice-K still started, Friday’s game would have been ours and since Tampa had already lost to Detroit even before the Sox/Yankee game’s scheduled start – Tampa would be looking up at the Sox from the Wild Card (correct, I continue to assume that the Sox would have swept the embarrassing Yankees and Detroit would have swept the nervous Rays — no, I’m not kidding).   Alas, it was not to be.

Yes they owned the Red Sox during the regular season but the Sox – just like every other team that didn’t make the playoffs was injury-filled.  I have to believe that a healthier team (hopefully 87%?) in the playoffs is better than the team that was barely 70% healthy all season long.  So bring on the Angels and here’s hoping they continue their best to be the Cubs of the American League.

Hang on.  Who would I want from the American League to go against the Cubs in the World Series?  Do I want the Red Sox to elminate the Cubs from their bid for a championship after 100 years?

Eh, I’ll live.


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Home Away from Home

11 08 2008

When you’re a fan of a big-market team and the Team With the Most Bandwagon Fans Winner — I think ESPN had a extremely high percentage (greater than 75%) of Sportsnation agreeing that Boston has the most bandwagon fans (…ahem, Cubs fans anyone?) — it’s easy to be target of the worst insults of sports fan-hood…Bandwagon and the worse yet, Fair-weather.  I’ve yet to unleash those two-words of fury towards some people I find myself surrounded by but it has found itself on the tip of my tongue from time-to-time.

How have I avoided being cursed for so long despite my heralding of the recent Boston sports success (how is it that Boston didn’t win TitleTown USA)?  I was lucky enough to be acknowledged for my apparent “non-bandwagoning” but made me realize that Boston’s recent dominance has opened the flood gates for so-called fans that don’t know Big Papi’s real name even though they have a #34 jersey on, or don’t know why we hate Johnny Damon so much (alright, us kids today have used the word so much it’s lost all meaning, taking a line from Dr. Cox, I’ll substitute hate with mega-loathe from now on).

What should I have expected from living here?  About 1,500 miles away from Boston, am I not subject to the same scrutiny and judgement that I am putting others through?  I know that if I were to ever run into a Boston fan at some sports bar I’ll subtly take them through the “True-Fan Test” just to make sure I’m not wasting time by rehashing our favorite Boston moments.  It’s kind of like the time I was at a Naturals game and during pre-game a guy wearing a Boston t-shirt and hat looked my way and gave me the Cool Guy Nod (the kind of nod a guy gives to another guy in which he doesn’t want to seem overly excited) and I acknowledged with a Cool Guy Nod of my own because I was wearing my Papelbon shirt and Boston hat, but as he turned and walked down to his seats I questioned his fan-hood then decided that he wasn’t a bandwagoner because anyone around here can buy a Boston Red Sox hat from Wal-Mart but NO WHERE sells t-shirts — you have to really try and get those (he got an A from the True Fan Test).  A guy I saw weeks before was wearing a leather Red Sox jacket – he got an A plus.

There’s a part of me that finds solace in the Patriots losing the Super Bowl, because now when I see someone wearing a Patriots jersey (no matter how clean it is) I have absolutely no doubt in their loyalty.  That poor soul has gone through thick and thin with the Patriots last season and still displays their loyalty (automatic  A++ from the True Fan Test).  And even during the season up to the Super Bowl, every Pats fan was sitting in front of their TVs watching the Pats try and do what’s only been done once (and despite SpyGate ’07) everyone was collectively pushing for the Pats to come through.  After we didn’t go 19-0, the silver lining is that you knew who was a real fan because anyone that DID root for the undefeated Pats did so with the whole nation betting against, and every week when they got closer and closer, the bets started rising and the fans started becoming more invested in this team.  The other silver lining is that there’s room to top what happened last year, to be Undefeated Champions without SpyGate ’08 looming over our heads (I can dream, right?).

So does that mean that I wish the Red Sox hadn’t won in ’04 and are still looking for their first World Series championship for 88 years and still counting?  Absolutely not!  If the Razorbacks finally won their first NCAA title since 1964 and Hogs t-shirts start selling all over the nation, would I care that there’s a sudden rise in our fan-base?  Hell no!  My sisters asked me if Boston were to start the decline from their apparent peak in sports dominance (knocking on wood), if I were to still want to move to the New England Area, I said yes I would but I never really gave a reason why.  My reason is that even if the Sox, Patriots, and Celtics start tanking year after year (I just dented my coffee table by knocking too hard) I would be surrounded by fans that still continue to loyally support their team through the hard times (while of course vehemently cursing management and players out) and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, because there’s nothing sweeter than a group of people rooting for players and coaches to break out of their respective slumps and emerge victorious.  And that’s something that I would never get to enjoy by living 1,500 miles away from home.

…I was just administering the True Fan Test to myself.

I passed.


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Why I’m on the Edge of Giving Up Sports All Together

4 08 2008

This one is stemming from a recent football game session I had with my friend Austin while wasting time at Best Buy in which I lost to him in our second overtime because (and I’m going to fight this to the very end) my receiver, which has been catching passes all game mind you (I was Boston College), dropped a pass in the endzone and his Safety (of the Razorbacks) came over and caught it for an interception (OK, granted I could have stopped him on defense but again, I was Boston College).

I didn’t stop him; he strolled into the endzone on a running play as his running back shook off a tackle like my linebacker was David trying to tackle Goliath (I’m sure they wrestled each other before David took a rock off the ground and Dennis the Menaced it at Goliath, just makes sense) and I had to endure the silent pity I was receiving from him and our witness Anthony, and I kept telling myself that there was nothing I could do about it as I cursed the sports gods as they laughed at me for the bowel movement I just took a nose dive in.

As I went through the 5 steps of losing: Anger, The Did-That-Just-Happen? Feeling, Denial, Depression, and Acceptance, I told myself it would never happen again or in real life. But wait a minute, it did! Super Bowl! Yeah it wasn’t a deflection but it was a once in a lifetime catch made by a player who has no receiving hands (David Tyree used his helmet). So then it just made me even more depressed that this has happened to me more than once and lead me to question if it’s a sign that I’ve angered the sports gods at sometime in my life. I think it’s because I’m a Razorback fan (the Red Sox can’t be used as an excuse anymore, “bye bye bamino!”).

How much more disappointment can I take as a sports fan? No one likes to lose but I LOVE to win. When a whole outcome is decided by one play that seams so surreal and makes you make the Did-That-Just-Happen Face, it’s really hard to find the silver lining. Red Sox fans knew my pain for 86 years and Cubs fans are silently nodding their heads along. How do you get through the feeling that your stomach has just dropped three feet and you’re currently stepping on it as you walk? How do you not look up at the sky and say, “Really? That bored, huh?”

It didn’t take very long for me to find my answer after I stopped wallowing in self pity.

The answer is that it’s the absolute reason why people LOVE sports! If there were no moments in history that made you jump off your seat and look at everyone in the room and shout, “Holy Shit! Did you just see that?!” sports would be pretty damn boring. Kind of like watching cars go around in circles 200 times or a ball getting kicked back and forth about 400 times. Some of the best moments in history are moments that movie writers can’t possibly script — okay a 12 year old kid will never, EVER pitch for the Cubs because he fell and caused his arm to throw 100 mph pitches. Without randomness we’d never have “The Immaculate Reception” or Jose Canseco’s home run assist. We wouldn’t have Janet’s wardrobe malfunction (yes, its sports related, that’s why Paul McCartney and Prince do the Half-Time Shows at the Super Bowl now).

The best thing about sports is its unpredictability. It’s randomness allows David to stand up against Goliath and win. Looking back, the game played out what actually happened in real-life. Arkansas vs. LSU last year. Multiple Overtimes. Interception in the endzone. Go figure.

Okay, NOW I’ve reached Acceptance.

photo


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Why I Will Be Boycotting the NFL this Season

29 06 2008

Who can forget the ’07 Super Bowl, New England vs. New York (the good New York football team…wait a minute), and who can forget the miraculous helmet catch that had all Giant and Patriot fans shift gears about the way they thought the game was going to end? I sure didn’t.  I STILL turn the channel at the blink of an eye whenever I see video of the Giants celebrating and the Patriots sulking, and I didn’t watch ANY ESPN for a whole two weeks after the Super Bowl (so what’d I watch you ask?  A lot of Scrubs).

Any football fan-addict knows that the Super Bowl Loser for the past 6 years chokes the following season like Phil Mickelson in every tournament with Tiger in it.  He’d probably choke if Tiger challenged him to write a children’s book, left handed.  For instance: Rams lose to Patriots in ’01.  Miss playoffs in ’02.  Raiders lose to the Buccanneers in ’02.  Miss playoffs in ’03.  Panthers lose to Patriots in ’03.  Miss playoffs in ’04.  Eagles lose to Patriots in ’05 (best high school career ever), following season – missed playoffs. Seahawks actually made the playoffs after they lose to the Steelers but we can just forget about that.  Last one — Bears lost to the Colts and then MISSED THE DAMN PLAYOFFS!

I followed all the rules I established from being a Razorback football fan and a pre-2004 Boston Red Sox fan to never, EVER get ahead of myself.  I kept my mouth shut throughout the Super Bowl, only commented on the commercials (which were disappointing) and watched on as the clock ever so slowly ticked down to zero, which it didn’t fast enough.  Game over and no ring for Brushci to put on his pinkey.

I’ve put it passed me – sort of.  Sh*t happens and it’s sports but with all the turmoil and stress the Patriots put them and myself through last year by flirting with an undefeated season, how can I put myself through even worse conditions as they are destined to probably be swept by the Dolphins AND the Jets (God forbid).

All I can do instead is watch MLS futbol (and not shoot myself) and DVR college football games to watch them on Sundays so I can get my sports fix.  Now I’ll say goodbye to the NFL for the time being and goodbye to all the bandwagon fans that jumped on the Brady/Moss Express only to fall off the tracks due to old supports that were too heavily relied upon, about an average of 33 years too old.

Hey guys, 2009 is looking good though right?  I just hope my Brady jersey can keep its white shining until then.

Oh and let’s not forget that if the Patriots had won the Super Bowl, 2007′s major sports champions would have been:  Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics — all from which city?  *sigh*


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Commitment

16 06 2008

Back in Fayetteville just in time to catch the opening tip off of Game 6 of the NBA Finals (which the Celtics lost..) and I’m exhausted.  I spent my 4 day weekend running around Little Rock and Maumelle helping Kai and Andrea with last minute wedding issues that needed taking care of.  With all the stress, I had a blast with my old friends and celebrating their special day with them.  Even though a whole lot shouldn’t change, I’m still worried that something might and strain on their relationship of more than 6 years.

It’s awesome that they’ve spent that long together, pretty much being husband and wife without the official title, and when we saw Andrea being escorted down the aisle by her father it was almost surprising that her and Kai both started to tear, which in turn makes all the other spectators choke back tears…almost the only tradition that was carried out from their wedding.

My wishes to Kai and Andrea that they have an amazing time in Hawaii and get back to Arkansas safely and still in love.

They’ve been together for so long, constantly balancing themself out with a lot of “give and take” which can be mainly attributed to their long standing relationship.  Kudos guys.  Keep it up.


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Summer 2008

16 05 2008

The first official week of my summer is almost over and it has been surprisingly pleasant.  Moving into a new apartment closer to work was an awesome decision, even though it means I have to give up Dice for the summer.  I know he’s not happy being cooped up all day in his kennel so this time he can spend outdoors with another dog should be good for him (although I’m scared to death that when I pick him back up after the summer is over he’s going to be unruly).

I don’t mind working a full 8 hour shift with a 1 hour lunch.  The time actually flies – when I have stuff to do.

More updates to come.  I do get tired with the aforementioned work schedule.


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iPhone, Marriage, and Rain.

25 04 2008

This morning, Thursday April 24th, 2008, I did not have my first class of the day and since it’s an hour and a half long..I was lazy this morning.  I actually played around with my iPhone and the nifty web apps that are available to us “cool” folk.  Needless to say, I’ve pretty much integrated my whole life with my phone now.  Yes, I check my e-mail, facebook, weather, stocks (just for kicks), and most importantly….sports, at the whim of a button – and an occasional swipe of the screen. It’s cool.

Tuesday I received a call from my sister Karen at 6 a.m.  Since my phone lays a whole desk’s width from my bed I have to get out of bed just to see who is calling.  I also take my contacts out so I have to reach for my glasses and look at the other side of the room to see what time it is on my clock (all precautions to have to get out of bed before I hit the snooze button and fall back asleep).  So I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone at 6 in the morning but since Karen lives in Philadelphia (Chester to be more exact) I realized that it HAS to be something important.  To my pleasant surprise Karen tells me she is engaged instead of any other painful scenario that I would rather not say.

Now I’m a brother-in-law to two guys now.  The first one was alright.  I was young when it happened so maybe I didn’t handle things the best way so I’d count Andrew lucky that I’m in my 20s now that he’s decided to take my other sister away.  So all I can say to him is good luck and the ever-important…don’t hurt her…or, you know.  Boston fans are crazy too!

Rainin’ a lot in Fayetteville.  Softball team made playoffs but every game has been postponed indefinitely….I want a playoff win and a championship t-shirt!


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