Tuesday, November 11, 1997
Saturday’s game against Huskies promises to be a
memory-maker
COLUMN A call for fans rings across UCLA as game time
approaches
During your stay at UCLA there will be, perhaps once a year, a
sporting event that transcends all other sporting events. There
will be a contest of such profound importance that nothing should
get between you, your team and some serious, throat-busting,
aneurysm-causing cheering.
These types of transcendent moments don’t come around very
often, and if you miss them, you’ll be forever regretful. But, oh,
boy, if you’re there, you will never forget it.
Because of the significance that will follow you through your
life, every capable student must – repeat: must – get some buddies
together, grab a Hibachi and some burgers and get to the Rose Bowl
this Saturday.
Why? Because, rest assured, the UCLA football team’s showdown
with the University of Washington will soon find itself among the
hierarchy of Bruin sporting moments.
Now, it is ab-so-lute-ly vital that you understand just how
all-important this titanic struggle really is, so that anyone with
an ounce of blue and gold in their heart will be Pasadena-bound
come Saturday.
You, oh sturdy UCLA supporter, must realize that, if we win, we
stay in the thick of the Rose Bowl chase. If we lose, we book
tickets to the Outback Stainless Steel Super Deluxe Mixing
Bowl.
You, oh hearty heckler of USC, must recognize that UCLA hasn’t
been in the Rose Bowl hunt in some time, and you never know when it
will happen again.
You, oh bowl-starved pigskin maven, must understand that if this
game was being played at Husky Stadium, the stands would be packed
with rabid students hollering like crazy – not just when bare skin
touches the frozen bleachers, but whenever the water boy refills
the Gatorade cups.
Still not convinced that you must put away the science texts and
history readers and saddle up? Well try this on: Washington is a
team that has beaten us three years in a row by a combined score of
101-53. So now you’ve got the revenge factor.
If you’re a senior, here’s one more chance to add to that list
of memorable moments, and if you’re a freshman, here’s your first
opportunity to share in something really special.
Now there are three ways to go about attending this epic
showdown.
The first is what we’ll term the "Tennessee Fan," which is
affectionately shortened to "nut-bag version."
Here, you must spend an exorbitant amount on your ticket (even
though student tickets are only $6) and get to the game in your RV
with the pennants on the antenna the day before. From your perch in
the parking lot, you will drink beer, eat meat and basically
reaffirm through your behavior the fact that the Civil War was a
good thing.
The next stage in football fandom is what we’ll term the
"enthusiastic fan," which can be easily converted to "student who
is finished with midterms and really doesn’t care about school
right now."
This population will leave for the game (which starts at 12:30,
for those of you with your head in a paper bag) at about 10:00,
making stops along the way at Togo’s, Breadstiks, the gas station,
the video store to return a movie that is a week overdue and a
bathroom before finally getting on the road at about 11:15.
Because of these pit stops, this stout cadre will arrive at the
game about 10 minutes before kickoff.
Now, this group will have to eat their burgers and drink their
beer so fast that they can’t cheer during the first quarter anyway.
The rest of the day will be spent cheering and celebrating, which
will continue long after the game is over.
Our final version is known as the "mass-transit user," also
known as "the frat guy."
This group will board the yellow school keg – I mean, bus – and
trundle down to the Rose Bowl at least 45 minutes after the bus was
scheduled to depart. Once stationed in the parking lot, the
carousing will continue until the second quarter, then someone will
walk to the bathroom and realize that the game has started.
Pick whichever style you want, or mix and match and form an
amalgam, but for the love of whatever you worship, get yourself to
Pasadena this Saturday and cheer like crazy, because a trip to the
Rose Bowl hangs in the balance.
Shapiro is a Daily Bruin staff writer and beat writer for men’s
basketball. E-mail responses to [email protected].
Mark Shapiro