Is it better to care more or less about college football?
I live in SEC country. There are two related sports talk shows here on two different stations, both now affiliated with ESPN. One of the shows features Paul Finebaum, whose show is a bizarre combination of legitimate interviews with actual coaches and media figures and redneck freaks who call regularly and hang way too much of their identities on the success or failure of the teams they follow. If you've ever listened to the show you know what I mean.
So Paul Finebaum is now writing a book about the rabid college football fans in the southeast and how they have affected the overall culture of the sport etc. I think Paul is proud of this. Lots of his callers actually seem to link the success of the SEC to the failures of the south during the Civil War and reconstruction. It's their revenge against the Yankee carpet baggers who took their dignity.
So all that is to lead into this: after reading the posts by angry Michigan fans calling for Brady Hoke's firing, lamenting how the Big 10 is irrelevant and plays horrible football, abusing and dog cursing 18-21 year old kids who work unbelievably hard each week to succeed, I think the problem is not Michigan football, but college football itself. I was upset today that Michgan lost. I felt like I had been kicked in the nuts. I feel like Michigan State is especially personal because I have family who went there, who hate Michigan because UM grads are "arrogant" and elitist etc. But in the grand scheme of things, who cares? Isn't it healthier to root for your team and move on?
Paul Finebaum and the entire SEC are an embarrassment to what college education is/should be all about. More importantly, they have made a mockery of what it means to be a student athlete. Will it ever be possible to back off of this madness and get some perspective?
I guess what I'm saying is that I think it's time to start caring less about college athletics -- or at least for fans of college teams to stop attaching so much of their own identities to what happens on the field between kids who are barely able to drink and vote. It doesn't matter that much. Find something else to care about that actually matters.
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:21 PM ^
Just hoping the wheels come off at San Francisco for Harbaugh. They are real good right now, but thing change quickly in the coaching game, especially at the NFL level. Hopefully his tenure runs its course in 3-4 years so he can come back and rebuild Michigan. We need an elite coach if we want to compete with OSU and the SEC.
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:30 PM ^
First time I've gone to the blog postgame. I won't read any threads right now. I can't bear to read anything castigating the coaching staff today. If we're in the same place in a year, that's a different story.
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:38 PM ^
As a freshman in 1973 I lived through an undefeated year that ended with us missing a field goal leading to a 10-10 tie with the Buckeyes and no bowl game.
My last visit to Michigan Stadium was against Appalachian State.
Sometimes I think my watching causes the team to lose, then I remember I have witnessed some great victories as well ...the Anthony Carter TD catch with time expired, Elvis to Desmond against ND, Braylon Edwards' MSU OT game, the National Championship, Tate Forcier's ND and Illinois games, Denard UTL and many many others.
If you can't stand the agonies you won't appreciate the "thrills of victory".
November 2nd, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
I took this loss very well, better than I ever expected. I moved on very quickly. Michigan football and Red Wings playoff hockey will always be personal to me but after a loss I have to forget about it. In the past I felt like puking after a loss, it would destroy my day and ruin my week. Have to have other things to look forward to.
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:36 AM ^
I took this loss horribly at first. Popped a propranalol to ease the adrenaline and headed out to the mall to watch Ender's Game at half time, catching score updates in the theater. Knew the outcome of this game before it happened. Sat in the theater distracted and wondered about that. How I enjoyed sports so much more when I was younger and didn't understand the tendencies, proclivities or X's and O's nearly as much as I do now. Back then I'd just see "this team is 6-1 and that one is 6-1 so they must be even!" Now my expectations before each game are far more thorough, and unfortunately, very frequently accurate. The only two surprises for me this year were how well we played vs ND, and then how poorly we played vs Akron. After the Akron game I, like others, sensed trouble. Specifically that Borges was a failure. Then week after week the games went from an enjoyable experience to more of a science experiment where I was collecting data to test my theory that Al Borges has let the game of football pass him by, and is incapable of adjusting his pro style schemes to the fact that young college kids, especially on the O line, will mess up far more frequently than in the pros, and that thus a more open offense that only relies on 3-5 players executing in space instead of 8-9 might be superior. Oh, and the part about him being incapable of consistently coaching his QBs or players up, say the way Narduzzi coaches up all of his 2 stars, or NIU or Indiana coach up all of their 1 stars on offense.
I went into this game still attached to the staff and the team, but 95% sure Borges was hapless. I hoped beyond hope for that 5%, that Borges would reach through the TV and later my iPhone in the theater, and slap me wrong. But nah. -48 is data in line with my theory that Al is the worst coordinator in the history of Michigan football, quickly on the heels of the second worst in GERG.
New line of thinking is simple: So long as Al BorgeRG, his wonderful personality in interviews, and Funk remain on this staff, I'll love the players and school, but am no longer vested in the program.
Reason I visit MGoBlog now is (a) heading into a promising MBB season, and (b) to see how many other fans out there share my line of thinking that the current problem is Borges, and that all of these other delusional excuses are delusional.
Sadly, this game was also about the third or fourth data point in my new theory line which has been expressed here at length, which is that even if he brings in an outstanding offensive coordinator (which he absolutely must come end of year) and his epic recruiting, Brady Hoke just might be in over his head. Not nearly enough data yet for my hopes to throw the towel in on that one though.
November 3rd, 2013 at 12:18 AM ^
One way to see sports fandom is as a way of increasing the emotional variance of your life. If things are too flat otherwise, sports can help. But if the lows are too low and the highs aren't worth it, maybe it's time to step back.
November 3rd, 2013 at 1:43 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 7:23 AM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 7:30 AM ^
this loss was easier than many, because frankly they just looked like the (way) better team.
close losses to bad teams I find more painful.
that said, I've learned over the years not to get too emotionally invested; a little is fun (and makes it all the more enjoyable); a lot (such that the only thing that matters is the win) is not good for one's soul.
it'll be some time before this coaching staff tricks me into getting my hopes too high.
and, as many people have said, it's only a damned football game.
November 3rd, 2013 at 8:18 AM ^
If caring about the performance of 18-22 years causes you to embarrass yourself, harm yourself physically whether directly or indirectly through stress, then maybe it is time to step away.
At least we have college hockey.
November 3rd, 2013 at 9:06 AM ^
"Lots of his callers actually seem to link the success of the SEC to the failures of the south during the Civil War and reconstruction."
SERIOUSLY?
Wow. I mean, I get the whole "we are better than you by proxy" , that proxy being athletics. But ... really?
Soooo glad I came back to Michigan, even if it was to a job I dislike.
November 3rd, 2013 at 7:27 PM ^
November 3rd, 2013 at 9:20 AM ^
Less. A year or so ago I was watching an interview w/someone who derisively referred to football and basketball as "ball chasing sports." In essence, that is what it is. Yesterday you watched college kids chase a ball around. In that light, it's a bit silly.
Of course here I am posting on MGoBlog, but I have definitely cooled on the whole sports thing. I realized I simply have more important things to do.
I still care, and ND, MSU, and Ohio are filled with disgusting vermin that must be humilated in any way possible (joking... slightly), preferably via athletics, but I just can't spend the time and energy on it like I did. Got stuff to do, and other interests to pursue.
Having said all that D'Shawn Hand plz come here OK we need a pass rush... and can he play OL too?
November 3rd, 2013 at 9:21 PM ^
When I was young and going to school of UofM all I cared about was winning, but now that I am a little older I have gained much more perspective. Interestingly, cheering for basketball has helped more than anything with my football fandom. If you look at all the college teams in basketball the fact is out of 64 good teams that enter the tournament only one will have their season end with a win. It is similar with football in the BCS era, only one team wins the "national championship".
If you can't get passed wins and losses as the only measure of success you will be disappointed virtually every year in every sport college, pro, intramural, highschool, etc. I love the highs and lows of a football game, and get pretty crazy during the game, but once it is over i give myself 20-30 min to take it in and then I am on to the next thing in my life...