Emotion is key for college sports outdoing the pros
Matt Kiebus
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Sports
By Matt Kiebus
Staff Writer
Welcome back to another year of shenanigans and good-hearted foolishness in the Charm City. This is the time of the year when old friends reunite, summer fades, leaves change color, the Mets hopefully don't choke, and most importantly, football season starts.
The return of college football and the NFL help create the man-weekend-paradise. No longer do I have to watch Aaron Heilman and the rest of the Met bullpen implode. Now I get to watch the Buffalo Bills consistently disappoint me.
Call me old fashioned, but my heart lies on the college gridiron rather than with the corporate NFL. Imagine being at the Big House in Ann Arbor and hearing "Hail to the Victors" while being surrounded by a sea of maize and blue. For one second, think of being a sousaphone player (it looks like a tuba) who grew up in Ohio, and on one glorious Saturday afternoon you are sent out to the middle of the field at the Horseshoe in Columbus in front of 100,000
people with the honor of dotting the 'I'.
You can't help but admire the commitment and creativity of the student sections that drink for hours in advance at intrepid paces and then proceed to scream their lungs out in unison. From the whiteouts at Beaver Stadium at Penn State, to the orange crush at Neyland Stadium in Tennessee, the massive crowds and school spirit leave me awestruck.
Waking up on Saturday mornings to watch the ESPN Game Day crew and the minor riot that occurs behind them is the perfect way to nurse the Friday night hangover. Lee Corso dons mascot heads while growing moderately more senile with each new season. Kirk Herbstreit wows TV audiences across the nation with his charm and winning smile. The ever-steady Chris Fowler, who is excited to get away from announcing Breeder's Cup races and tennis, likes to unnecessarily throw in his opinions. Desmond Howard, well he's just happy to be there.
Don't get me wrong; I enjoy watching the NFL, and it gives men the viable reason to drink on Sundays while ignoring their wives/girlfriends/family/kids. When your favorite NFL team is the Buffalo Bills, the only losers of four straight super bowls, who haven't been to the playoffs since 1998, you'd be little bitter too. My early season hope always turns into late season misery.
Staff Writer
Welcome back to another year of shenanigans and good-hearted foolishness in the Charm City. This is the time of the year when old friends reunite, summer fades, leaves change color, the Mets hopefully don't choke, and most importantly, football season starts.
The return of college football and the NFL help create the man-weekend-paradise. No longer do I have to watch Aaron Heilman and the rest of the Met bullpen implode. Now I get to watch the Buffalo Bills consistently disappoint me.
Call me old fashioned, but my heart lies on the college gridiron rather than with the corporate NFL. Imagine being at the Big House in Ann Arbor and hearing "Hail to the Victors" while being surrounded by a sea of maize and blue. For one second, think of being a sousaphone player (it looks like a tuba) who grew up in Ohio, and on one glorious Saturday afternoon you are sent out to the middle of the field at the Horseshoe in Columbus in front of 100,000
people with the honor of dotting the 'I'.
You can't help but admire the commitment and creativity of the student sections that drink for hours in advance at intrepid paces and then proceed to scream their lungs out in unison. From the whiteouts at Beaver Stadium at Penn State, to the orange crush at Neyland Stadium in Tennessee, the massive crowds and school spirit leave me awestruck.
Waking up on Saturday mornings to watch the ESPN Game Day crew and the minor riot that occurs behind them is the perfect way to nurse the Friday night hangover. Lee Corso dons mascot heads while growing moderately more senile with each new season. Kirk Herbstreit wows TV audiences across the nation with his charm and winning smile. The ever-steady Chris Fowler, who is excited to get away from announcing Breeder's Cup races and tennis, likes to unnecessarily throw in his opinions. Desmond Howard, well he's just happy to be there.
Don't get me wrong; I enjoy watching the NFL, and it gives men the viable reason to drink on Sundays while ignoring their wives/girlfriends/family/kids. When your favorite NFL team is the Buffalo Bills, the only losers of four straight super bowls, who haven't been to the playoffs since 1998, you'd be little bitter too. My early season hope always turns into late season misery.
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