aaronstampler
03-26-2006, 01:28 AM
That's the San Diego State Newspaper...
SDSU Basketball Doesn't Get Me Jumping
A couple of weeks ago, on the way to McGreggors, a local sports bar that's real popular hangout for the few, yet fiercely loyal fanatics of SDSU basketball, my friend Roh was on the phone with one of his other buds, and replied to a question that I couldn't hear, "Yeah, I'm on my way to watch the game with a bunch of Aztecs fans." Pause. "And, my friend Mike." Ouch.
Actually, I wasn't hurt at all. I laughed hard for a good three minutes, and for two reasons. First off, even though he's a nice guy, Roh isn't exactly on par with Stephen Colbert when it comes to comedy, but that line was a rare gem that completely caught me off guard. And second, what really made it funny was that he had me nailed dead to rights.
You see, I'm from the Bay Area, and over there, we simply don't care about college sports that much. Our two biggest universities, Cal and Stanford, are actually famous for their academics, not for their athletes. Where I'm from, people care about the pro teams, like the 49ers, who've won five Super Bowls, and the Giants, who contend for the World Series every year and who have the best player in baseball in Barry Bonds, and the Warriors, who, um,.did I mention that the Niners have won five Super Bowls?
We San Franciscans are used to being in the minority. We support gay marriage. We voted for Kerry. We really think Margeret Cho is talented. So it felt quite natural for me to be the turd in the punchbowl and ruin everybody's fun. "Our point guard stinks," I told people matter-of-factly, after watching him play maybe fifteen minutes. "He's a turnover machine. We'll never get anywhere with him." At the time, I didn't even know his name, but in my mind, that made my comment all the more valid, my reasoning being that since I didn't have an emotional connection with the team, I could be objective. Really, it's a credit to Roh and his other friends that nobody poured a pitcher of beer on my head. Also, it was probably a good thing for me that the Aztecs won that night.
I couldn't help it, I've just never been too hip on watching amateurs perform when I could be watching professionals instead. American Idol, the most popular TV show in the country, is basically televised karaoke with judges. I don't watch it. I don't go to clubs to try to discover hot new local bands. I go to concerts of groups who've been around for decades. And I groan and mope through their opening acts.
Maybe I'm spoiled. My favorite NBA team has always been the San Antonio Spurs; perennial contenders, so I'm accustomed to watching basketball played at the very highest level. It's kind of hard to appreciate the
robotic post moves of Marcus Slaughter when I'm used to the Baryshnikov-like footwork of Tim Duncan in the post. Brandon Heath looks pretty quick against no-name defenders in the dreadful - yes, dreadful- Mountain West Conference, but his 5th gear is like Spurs' guard Tony Parker's 2nd gear. Watching Mohamed Abukar play reminds me of NBA Finals hero Manu Ginobili in as much that both their names start with the letter M.
I'm not trying to bash anyone here, player, or fan. I'm indicting myself. Maybe I'd have more school spirit if I wasn't a transfer student and I'd been here the whole four years. Maybe I'd be more passionate if I were younger (I'm a jaded, 28 year-old fogey). All I know is that I couldn't quite figure out why everyone stormed the floor of Cox Arena when the Aztecs beat Wyoming on March 1. Yes, I realize that win clinched the conference title, but aren't teams supposed to rush the floor only when they beat somebody they're not supposed to?
I admit, I did get a little into it when the brackets for the NCAA tournament were announced. Indiana seemed like a very beatable opponent for a sixth seed. Still, while my friends were hootin' and hollerin' that the Aztecs would dominate the Hoosiers and then third seed Gonzaga to make the Sweet Sixteen, I just couldn't make myself agree with them. They were all bopping along to the siren song of the Big Dance, and sadly, as much I tried, I just couldn't hear the music.
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Anybody like it? Sadly, they made me take out all the Spurs stuff. My editor said most people would have no idea who Manu Ginobili is. I can't even fathom that people like that exist. If you don't know Manu, you're dead to me!
SDSU Basketball Doesn't Get Me Jumping
A couple of weeks ago, on the way to McGreggors, a local sports bar that's real popular hangout for the few, yet fiercely loyal fanatics of SDSU basketball, my friend Roh was on the phone with one of his other buds, and replied to a question that I couldn't hear, "Yeah, I'm on my way to watch the game with a bunch of Aztecs fans." Pause. "And, my friend Mike." Ouch.
Actually, I wasn't hurt at all. I laughed hard for a good three minutes, and for two reasons. First off, even though he's a nice guy, Roh isn't exactly on par with Stephen Colbert when it comes to comedy, but that line was a rare gem that completely caught me off guard. And second, what really made it funny was that he had me nailed dead to rights.
You see, I'm from the Bay Area, and over there, we simply don't care about college sports that much. Our two biggest universities, Cal and Stanford, are actually famous for their academics, not for their athletes. Where I'm from, people care about the pro teams, like the 49ers, who've won five Super Bowls, and the Giants, who contend for the World Series every year and who have the best player in baseball in Barry Bonds, and the Warriors, who, um,.did I mention that the Niners have won five Super Bowls?
We San Franciscans are used to being in the minority. We support gay marriage. We voted for Kerry. We really think Margeret Cho is talented. So it felt quite natural for me to be the turd in the punchbowl and ruin everybody's fun. "Our point guard stinks," I told people matter-of-factly, after watching him play maybe fifteen minutes. "He's a turnover machine. We'll never get anywhere with him." At the time, I didn't even know his name, but in my mind, that made my comment all the more valid, my reasoning being that since I didn't have an emotional connection with the team, I could be objective. Really, it's a credit to Roh and his other friends that nobody poured a pitcher of beer on my head. Also, it was probably a good thing for me that the Aztecs won that night.
I couldn't help it, I've just never been too hip on watching amateurs perform when I could be watching professionals instead. American Idol, the most popular TV show in the country, is basically televised karaoke with judges. I don't watch it. I don't go to clubs to try to discover hot new local bands. I go to concerts of groups who've been around for decades. And I groan and mope through their opening acts.
Maybe I'm spoiled. My favorite NBA team has always been the San Antonio Spurs; perennial contenders, so I'm accustomed to watching basketball played at the very highest level. It's kind of hard to appreciate the
robotic post moves of Marcus Slaughter when I'm used to the Baryshnikov-like footwork of Tim Duncan in the post. Brandon Heath looks pretty quick against no-name defenders in the dreadful - yes, dreadful- Mountain West Conference, but his 5th gear is like Spurs' guard Tony Parker's 2nd gear. Watching Mohamed Abukar play reminds me of NBA Finals hero Manu Ginobili in as much that both their names start with the letter M.
I'm not trying to bash anyone here, player, or fan. I'm indicting myself. Maybe I'd have more school spirit if I wasn't a transfer student and I'd been here the whole four years. Maybe I'd be more passionate if I were younger (I'm a jaded, 28 year-old fogey). All I know is that I couldn't quite figure out why everyone stormed the floor of Cox Arena when the Aztecs beat Wyoming on March 1. Yes, I realize that win clinched the conference title, but aren't teams supposed to rush the floor only when they beat somebody they're not supposed to?
I admit, I did get a little into it when the brackets for the NCAA tournament were announced. Indiana seemed like a very beatable opponent for a sixth seed. Still, while my friends were hootin' and hollerin' that the Aztecs would dominate the Hoosiers and then third seed Gonzaga to make the Sweet Sixteen, I just couldn't make myself agree with them. They were all bopping along to the siren song of the Big Dance, and sadly, as much I tried, I just couldn't hear the music.
____________________________________________
Anybody like it? Sadly, they made me take out all the Spurs stuff. My editor said most people would have no idea who Manu Ginobili is. I can't even fathom that people like that exist. If you don't know Manu, you're dead to me!