USD v. SDSU Basketball

                San Diego has three major schools in one small area: USD, SDSU, and UCSD. Since UCSD focuses solely on academics a rivalry developed between USD and SDSU. The two schools couldn’t be more different, which only adds fuel to the fire. Earlier this month the USD men’s basketball team took on the SDSU basketball team at SDSU. USD gave out free tickets and paid for busses to take us all to the game. The school gave out 200 tickets, so we were excited for a good show. Saturday evening rolled around and we headed to campus in our USD gear to meet the busses. We knew the night was not looking good when 50 or so people out of 200 had bothered to show up. Had the game been at USD this wouldn’t have been a problem, since that’s probably the average amount of students in attendance at sporting events, but we were going to SDSU, a school whose enrollment is around 33,000 students. I should also mention that the SDSU basketball team is ranked 14^th in the nation, while our toreros are ranked 300 something. We needed all the help we could get. Never the less, we loaded on the busses undeterred, ready to take on the Aztec fans. One short trip later we were walking into the massive Viejas stadium, met by a sea of red. Keeping our confidence and ready to support our team we yelled, cheered, and chanted as loud as we could. Our efforts were impressive and seemed to be working during the first half. We were in the lead for a majority of the first before falling slightly, entering the second half down by 5. At this point, the night took a turn for the worse. The Aztecs game back with a vengeance and we found ourselves watching in bewilderment as the gap widened. What really bothered me; however, was not the fact that we were getting crushed, but the USD fans. Everyone who had so much heart and passion early in the game fell silent. The excitement had left our little section and was replaced with defeat. My friend went up front to start another cheer and was told that we had nothing to cheer about, and that our team sucked. What kind of fans sit down and shut up the moment your team starts losing? I for one don’t abandon my teams when they need their fans the most. Let’s be honest, we all knew we would never win that game, but we came for the fun, the chance to make fun of SDSU kids, and to support our team. What happened to all of that? The SDSU v. USD game was a brilliant display of how horrendous our school spirit and pride is. So I will end this blog with a message to USD fans: The USD basketball team may suck but so do you. Learn how to be real fans and then maybe we’ll start winning, or at least be able to have a little fun at games.

Heartbreak and Football....A Winning Combination

I have always prided myself on being a guy’s girl. I’m usually down for whatever, I’ll watch the game and will be legitimately interested in it, I can hold my own when it comes to alcohol, and above all else I don’t get emotionally attached. Well, at least I thought I didn’t. I had this vision of my senior year being filled with fun and debauchery. Single girl in her last year. Somehow I found myself falling for someone, an exchange student no less. Perfect right? I finally like someone and he comes with an expiration date. I decided it would be better to have fun and go with it, thinking “what could it hurt?” Well, turns out it could hurt me. See, not only did this particular boy have to leave in December; he also chose to bring another girl home in front of me. Ouch! Was it her winning personality? Her great sense of humor? Or maybe it was just her significantly larger cup size and blonde hair. Who knows, but l ended up doing something no girl should ever do, I cried in the bar. Humiliating right? We’ll luckily I had some great friends to take my mind off things and another San Diego event to experience. My friend Jess invited me to the Chargers v. Raiders game that Sunday. Her brother has season tickets that happen to be 8^th row on the 50 yard line; pretty great way to see your first Chargers game. Now, it was difficult for this die hard Patriots fan to cheer on the Chargers, but in the spirit of San Diego adventures I gave it my all. Unfortunately, my cheering didn’t help; they lost…27-35. I should also warn all novice fans that, for this particular game, the stadium takes extra precautions with alcohol. Fans are only allowed one drink at a time and all drinks are served in plastic cups. They also stop serving alcohol at the half. Apparently, Raiders fans are so crazy and the rivalry is so great that security fears drunken fights and bottles being thrown. Never the less, the game was great. Jess and I had made a pact to not discuss our boy troubles during the game so it was a nice change of pace. Despite the Chargers losing effort, everyone was having a great time around us and the mood was contagious. Nothing like a day of hard hitting sports with drunken strangers to get over drama! It’s no Patriots game, but the Chargers game reminded me to be myself and just have fun, stressing over men just isn’t worth it. If you want a day of fun, go to a game. Even if you don’t know all of the rules and all of the players, the fun, exciting atmosphere will definitely improve any mood.