The List:: who to cheer for
Folks, it's that magical time of the year when college basketball is actually exciting. Basketball is a weird sport. It's fairly fast paced, and yet regular season pro and college games put me to sleep. On the other hand, I think it's one of the most exciting games to watch when everything is on the line for the teams.
Of course, half the fun is getting invested in the games. But when the field starts with 64, how do you choose who to cheer for? I think we all have a list. I think we have a set of guidelines that we mentally review as we settle down on the couch and get ready to watch. Here are my cheering guidelines for the NCAA tournament this year:
1. Cheer for the underdog. I have to admit, this rule will often trump all other rules and loyalties. This may be why I'm often such a disappointed fan--I set myself up for failure by cheering for the guys that will probably lose. On the other hand, when the you've been rooting for wins, there's nothing better. I don't understand people that only cheer for powerhouses. With so little risk, how good can the rewards be?
2. Cheer for the University of Oregon. I'm not bound to my school--in football, I got so sick of the Ducks and their weak efforts that I actively cheered against them. But I like this basketball team. You see, we have this Tajaun Porter.
He's 5'6", he's a scrappy point guard. I'm little and scrappy myself. It's impossible for me to NOT cheer for little guys.
3. Cheer for Syracuse. Does this mean I'm breaking my first rule? I have a very good friend who's a rabid Orange fan, so I mostly cheer out of loyalty for her.
4. Cheer for the PAC-10. West coast pride, baby.
5. Cheer for whoever is playing UNC. I hate the TarHeels in every sport, no exception.
6. Cheer for Michigan and Wisconsin teams. If there are no underdogs available to me, I often cheer for teams from regions like that I like. See rule number 4.
7. Cheer for Maryland. Why? They're turtles. That's awesome. 'Nuff said.
8. Cheer for whoever is behind. Come on boys! In the end, I'm not real concerned with who wins and who loses. I just want to see them make a game of it!
2 comments:
How about a Cheer Against category? For starters I submit:
-Any team coached by Bobby Knight.
-Duke,for so many reasons. OK, their lacrosse team got off on a technicality (innocence), but they're still jerks.
-Any of those Majors coached by an arrogant peacock who seems to have stepped off the pages of GQ.
-Any team from Texas (just ask the Dixie Chicks).
Teams to Cheer for:
-Coaches who score high on the Rumpled & Grumpy Index. Their coat's in the locker room,tie's on the floor, tearing their hair, down on their knees, etc. The opposite of Caoch K.
-Any Ivy League team. The risk/reward factor is so high.
-Oregon. Best old-school, tinder box arena in the country. History of choking makes the risk/reward quotient attractive. Those little guys are hard to dislike.
-State Universities with location appended by hyphen to name: Univ of Calif @ Santa Barbara, U of Wisconsin Stevens Point, etc. They're getting second billing (or worse) on their own turf, so high underdog factor.
-Any team with Devils as part of their name - Sun Devils, etc. In your face, James Dobson.
-Coaches who score high on the Rumpled & Grumpy Index. Their coat's in the locker room,tie's on the floor, tearing their hair, down on their knees, etc. The opposite of Caoch K.
Good call. They especially get my support if they forgot to pick up a tie that matches the uniforms, and if they haven't cut their hair in a couple weeks. The more it looks like the coach should be teaching English, the more I like them.
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