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(Sorry if this thread exists - didn't know how to search for it)
Pretty obvious w/ some of the CUF crew (HFN, Triple etc) but who do the rest of you find yourselves invested in? Or cheering for? Or cheering against?
Outside of BYU, Cal is the only school I find myself emotionally connected to. I know the city of Berkeley well and I love it. It was my pre-mish alma mater. My bro did his Phd there. It's just over an hour from where I grew up. And if I drill into my identity I guess I really feel I'm three things - An American, A Mormon and a Californian and Cal is the institution that best projects the third as it's really the California university. Also, I dig bears.
On the next level down from that I find myself cheering for Penn St just because... dunno, Jo Pa probably. Somewhat oddly I'm also generally sympathetic to USC, mainly because going back to the years of Rodney Peete, my best friend's family were all big UCLA supporters and I used to feel compelled to cheer against them while I was a kid and they were feeding me pizza while we watched football. In that phase I had a Rodney Peete poster on my wall alongside Steve Young and Robbie Bosco. And for some reason I really disliked UCLA in those years.
On the dislike fronts - I've been pretty consistent in hating Miami over the years although that's softened recently since I actually spent some time in Coral Gables and got to know the university a bit.
I generally loathe Oregon because my opposition to hegemons and tyrants forces me to oppose anything affiliated with Phil Knight. Also because of the field-soaking shenanigans of 1990. But Chip Kelly has made it more difficult for me to dislike Oregon.
Florida I hate and hated long before Urban went there - Steve Spurrier was my original cause for despising them. More recently, Tim Tebow's extroverted born-again-ness combines with the general filthiness of the institution to create a perfect hate cocktail.
Over the years I've always rooted for Michigan over Ohio State, mainly because I generally prefer to cheer for the school with higher academic standards. Also because Ohio State scarred me deeply as a 7-year old, by obliterating us in the 1982 Holiday Bowl while Michigan proved far more accommodating in 1984.
I go through cycles on Notre Dame, lately maintaining a high degree of hatred owing to the fact that their two most recent coaches have been hateable bastards and they had consecutive QBs in Quinn and Clawson who really elevated the hate factor.
Oklahoma has had a special place in my hating heart going back years both because (a) Barry Switzer, (b) Barry Switzer, (c) the general perception that Nebraska was the classier outfit in that rivalry.
Texas I've disliked a lot in recent years and even moreso under Mack Brown - Not a fan of how they stole a national title from USC (yes, I recognize I open myself to broadsides by talking about anyone "stealing" anything from USC, but Texas somehow managed) with nothing other than one player and no offensive gameplan other than to let that player run wild.
I think that about covers it. Now all my prejudices are out in the open.
Pretty obvious w/ some of the CUF crew (HFN, Triple etc) but who do the rest of you find yourselves invested in? Or cheering for? Or cheering against?
Outside of BYU, Cal is the only school I find myself emotionally connected to. I know the city of Berkeley well and I love it. It was my pre-mish alma mater. My bro did his Phd there. It's just over an hour from where I grew up. And if I drill into my identity I guess I really feel I'm three things - An American, A Mormon and a Californian and Cal is the institution that best projects the third as it's really the California university. Also, I dig bears.
On the next level down from that I find myself cheering for Penn St just because... dunno, Jo Pa probably. Somewhat oddly I'm also generally sympathetic to USC, mainly because going back to the years of Rodney Peete, my best friend's family were all big UCLA supporters and I used to feel compelled to cheer against them while I was a kid and they were feeding me pizza while we watched football. In that phase I had a Rodney Peete poster on my wall alongside Steve Young and Robbie Bosco. And for some reason I really disliked UCLA in those years.
On the dislike fronts - I've been pretty consistent in hating Miami over the years although that's softened recently since I actually spent some time in Coral Gables and got to know the university a bit.
I generally loathe Oregon because my opposition to hegemons and tyrants forces me to oppose anything affiliated with Phil Knight. Also because of the field-soaking shenanigans of 1990. But Chip Kelly has made it more difficult for me to dislike Oregon.
Florida I hate and hated long before Urban went there - Steve Spurrier was my original cause for despising them. More recently, Tim Tebow's extroverted born-again-ness combines with the general filthiness of the institution to create a perfect hate cocktail.
Over the years I've always rooted for Michigan over Ohio State, mainly because I generally prefer to cheer for the school with higher academic standards. Also because Ohio State scarred me deeply as a 7-year old, by obliterating us in the 1982 Holiday Bowl while Michigan proved far more accommodating in 1984.
I go through cycles on Notre Dame, lately maintaining a high degree of hatred owing to the fact that their two most recent coaches have been hateable bastards and they had consecutive QBs in Quinn and Clawson who really elevated the hate factor.
Oklahoma has had a special place in my hating heart going back years both because (a) Barry Switzer, (b) Barry Switzer, (c) the general perception that Nebraska was the classier outfit in that rivalry.
Texas I've disliked a lot in recent years and even moreso under Mack Brown - Not a fan of how they stole a national title from USC (yes, I recognize I open myself to broadsides by talking about anyone "stealing" anything from USC, but Texas somehow managed) with nothing other than one player and no offensive gameplan other than to let that player run wild.
I think that about covers it. Now all my prejudices are out in the open.
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