Only in college can the comedic styling of Will Ferrell and the chronic *cough* chicanery of Snoop Dogg represent the whole of American culture, but that's what makes that period of your life fun: it's wildly irrational and wholly uninformed.
So maybe I shouldn't blame U.S.C. linebacker Brian Cushing for his comments to the New York Post a few days ago. They were wildly irrational and wholly uninformed, but I'm here to help him with that.
We're America's Team. The best players want to come here. The tradition is amazing. Everyone wants to play us. People love to be around the program. I mean, there are celebrities at every practice.
Like, totally. I understand how the sight of Nick Lachey can make you a little starstruck, but America's team? Could the high ratio of celebrities to grad assistants at Trojan practices perhaps be a product of their location? L.A. loves a winner and forgets everyone else. It's a town that runs on yesterday's news, eternally searching for the next big thing.
U.S.C. is that thing now--in L.A.--but there are a couple million college football fans everywhere else in the country who absolutely salivate at the thought of seeing U.S.C. lose. College football is the best sport in America because this notion of universal popularity doesn't exist. It's a regional sport played on a national stage. Fans are tied to their
schools in a way that can't be achieved with a pro franchise. Every
Saturday there's much more at stake than a simple win or loss, the
pride of a specific people and place, a local ethos, is on the line.
And, I'm sorry, but L.A. will never do that as well as places like Athens and Norman and Morgantown, cities and towns we know because of college football.
U.S.C. can claim right now to be the best team in America and get only a small argument. One day away from the first games of the season, that's the consensus. But claiming the mythical title of Amerca's Team?
The rest of the country will have something to say about that. Adam Duritz and Larry the Cable Guy are celebrities too. I think.
Hey Hi Plains..I didn't hear about the Cushing article, thanks for that, but you have to admit he's right...There is a certain allure to the celebs, and the atmosphere that is USC football and you are right about one thing, USC is the "next big thing" in LA right now. What you don't see is the same local "ethos" that you might have in Lincoln or Athens or Norman. Thats because in those cities there is nothing else. That's not a knock against those places but I think you'd have to agree. That same pride and connection does exist here, it just gets diluted, and not by any pro team...hello this is LA here, unless you count USC as our pro team. As far as your comment on fans everywhere dying to see USC lose, well that only proves my point-USC is relevant everywhere..I remember the Cowboys were purported to be America"s Team, and I remember always rooting against them. There was always a passion about the Cowboys-either for or against them. My point is when people thought of the NFL, they thought of the Cowboys...whether they liked them or not. When people today think of College Football, they think of the USC Trojans. You gotta admit, that same passion exists whenever you mention the Trojans.
ma7514, I would have to take exception to your post. Contrary to what you smog-breathin', 3-hour commuting, overtaxed narcissists think, the college football world does not hang on the every word of Petey C. I would think that if there ever was an "America's Team" it would have been Notre Dame.
Drifter is right when he says that the game is regional. Too much access to all teams nowadays. Gone are the Saturdays when you were lucky to see more than one game on TV. Not everyone is forced to watch Nebraska and Oklahoma, or Notre Dame and Michigan. USC is one of a few hot teams right now. That is all.
Maybe the people in LA are football starved. USC has strong support now because there is no other football. I have only heard that 5 or 6 years ago they couldn't give away USC tickets unless they were playing UCLA or ND. It is a little premature to say that USC is America's team.
I would have to agree with Slu, Norte Dame may be the only team in the nation that is followed nation wide. Now that Norte Dame does not have a team, next best thing for Norte Dame Fans is USC or Boston College. You know, there are Texan for Nebraska, California for Nebraska, Arizona for Nebraska, and so on. I'm sure it's the same for Oklahoma, Texas as well as other schools.
Have you ever been to a sporting event in los angeles? It doesnt matter what sport it is , half of he stadium is full of fans rooting for the other team! After the angels won the world series, I went to a game against the red sox. Man, I thought I was in boston! My point is, la is a melting pot, with people from all over the country.And, as for bandwagon fans, they are everywhere, not just in la! Good lord, florida gator fans came out of the woodwork! Like cockroaches!
lol...i love it...and cushing is a stud...he might win the butkus trophy. snoop dog , however, is an ####. psst.... espn is doing a 24 countdown...it's awesome!
ma7514: Enjoyed your comment, but I DON'T admit that he's right because he's not. I'm even skeptical that Notre Dame remains America's team. Back when Rockne was barnstorming with the Irish and it was a fans only chance to see a team outside his immediate region? Maybe, but as oldskewler pointed out television has made that irrelevant.
Is there some kid out in New Jersey who's a USC fan because he liked Reggie Bush and it's easier to follow a winner? Absolutely, but every team that has sustained success has that to some degree.
I'll just say this, USC played Cal at home last year in front of 91,000 people. In 1999 they played Cal at home in front of 54,000. Where did those extra 37K fans come from? LA loves a winner.
Any city loves a winner. I remember when the saints were called the aints,and fans wore bags over there head. Lets not forget the atl. braves. I watched the dodgers play them when therewas only a few thousand people. That is just off the top of my head, but with alittle more thought , could think of others.
First of all, I have and will always hate the singular notion of America's team. America has one Declaration of Indpendence, one Statue of Liberty, one Mount Rushmore, etc, but has no singular team. Granted some teams might be popular then others, but those teams are also more hated then others as well. Every state doesn't have one team, so how could one team be America's team? Its a stupid marketing tool, nothing more.
Only in college can the comedic styling of Will Ferrell and the chronic *cough* chicanery of Snoop Dogg represent the whole of American culture, but that's what makes that period of your life fun: it's wildly irrational and wholly uninformed.
