Football Frenzy

It is always surprising how Saturday afternoons in the fall can turn into hours of frenzy and fanaticism. I myself am guilty of falling into such a trap. Cursing at my TV, praying that my team will win and the other team will lose, and dare I say it, actually placing bets (I started young -- a gambler at the tender age of seven). Every once in awhile when reason prevails, I am struck by the fact that I way too emotionally invested in games that I have no part in. Imagine the guys on the field, barely out of high school, playing on national TV and knowing that when the cameras stop rolling they will either be their town's sweethearts or completely reviled. College sports are indeed a strange phenomenon.

Anyway, what gets me down every year is that fact that my team, Michigan St, is so darn inconsistent. Over the past 20-odd years, they have given innumerable near heart attacks. (Perhaps that's my own fault for taking these games too seriously.) But why does everyone have to hate on Michigan St. football? Sure we have a tendency to start out strong and fall apart like a perennial house of cards *every* year, but we are the underdogs, show us a little love. This year (although I say it every year) was supposed to be different. We have a quarterback with game (currently rated top 5 in the nation). But alas, it looks like I'll have to wait until next year.