Confessions of the UP fan...

As I've started to get to know other Pilot Nation posters, I thought that it might be amusing to have a posting area that gave us all the opportunity to confess our guilty or not-so-guilty pleasures or secrets. So, feel free to offer a confession here such as:

1) I don't hate Gonzaga as much as some people here on this site.
2) I never attended UP.
3) I secretly root for UW.
4) I'm a Sounders FC fan.
5) I root for UNC or Notre Dame on the side of UP women's soccer.
6) I'm married to a person who attended ______________(fill in the blank).
ETC.

Your penance will be to drink your favorite beer or some other harmless diversion while you feel a brief moment of remorse...then you go back to posting with the burden off of your chest.

Alright. Since I have been guilty of some jabs at Seattle sports, I'll start. I actually think Seattle is a really cool city. I have fun when I go up there to visit. The Mariners are my favorite team. The Sounders, Seahawks, T-Birds, and Huskies are a different story. And I never really detested the Sonics--that's always been reserved for the Lakers.

There. I feel better after hugging it out with you guys. Geezer, if you would be so kind as to pass the Pliny...

I don't hate Gonzaga as much as many people here do. I grew up in Spokane and I was a fan before I came to UP for college. I favor UP over GU in ALL aspects, but it doesn't pain me to see Gonzaga succeed.

ShipstadPilot11 wrote:I don't hate Gonzaga as much as many people here do. I grew up in Spokane and I was a fan before I came to UP for college. I favor UP over GU in ALL aspects, but it doesn't pain me to see Gonzaga succeed.

Perfectly acceptable. Growing up a such and such fan is fine, as long as your allegiances lie with your alma mater when the teams meet up... But as for me...

1) I loathe GU and UO with all my heart, body, mind and soul... That said, I haven't let it ruin any friendships... (UO since 1982 (yes you can loathe on the day you are born) and GU since 1999 when it was shoved down my throat in HS and the infamous Zag hyperbole began)
2) I graduated from UP in '05... Well technically '06 but that's a different story
3) I openly root for UW (But loathe Venoy Overton)... What can I say, I like the regal color of purple
4) I'm a Sounders FC and am a Man U fan, been a Sounders supporter since their re-inception in the early 90s and Man U ever since I discovered the EPL in 1992, and NEVER changed allegiances
5) I have always been more of an A's/Giants fan than a Mariners fan (they used to have minor league franchises in Tacoma, and I have family in the Bay Area), but watching games on TV is a cure for insomnia
6) I really don't care for American football... But I find it disappointing when people don't know how to throw a spiral
7) I grew up a Sonics fan, and Roy/Nate are the only reason why I can live with myself changing to the Blazers (and yes I quit rooting for the Sonics the minute Howard Schultz pulled the biggest (Insert profanity here) move ever)
I enjoy traveling and will try any foodstuff once and any beer 4-5 times (Insert Geezer wisecrack here)

So, my confession is that I went to UP for undergraduate, but, attended Gonzaga for grad school. That never swayed me from rooting for UP sports first always. Like most people, I always felt a stronger connection with my undergrad university.

I also hate the Ducks if I need to confess that. I was raised a UW Huskies fan, and my second favorite Pac-10 team was the Beavers...but, the Pilots always come first now. I also root for Sounders FC...

There, that was a good excuse for a few beers.

My confessions:

1. I don't hate Gonzaga either, but I do when we play them. But I don't root against them in the NCAA tournament - I actually root for all the WCC teams in post season play for that matter. My sister and Dad went to Gonzaga, and I almost went to undergrad there. I also don't think UP-Gonzaga is a "rivalry". Sorry, I just don't. There has to be something at stake in a rivalry , by defintion. There just hasn't been on a consistent basis (I'm speaking of men's basketball).

2. I love purple. That's why I root for UP. I also went to UP for grad school, but not undergrad. I graduated from PSU for undergrad, but I root for UP in everything against PSU and everyone else.

3. I live, eat, and breath Notre Dame football and college football in general(not really a confession), but I root for UP against ND in anything else (and it's not a problem in football with no team at UP). I must confess, it's the one thing I would root for someone else against UP - if UP had a football team.

4. I'm not a big soccer or baseball guy - at all. In fact, I DREAD baseball season. It's a very long wait for college and HS football and college basketball. Golf is the one spring/summer sport I truely love.

5. I occasionally enjoy smoking cigars. Not many things better than sitting down and watching a game with a stogie and a cold one.

6. My cousin played college football for UW in the 1960's (Ron Medved) and went to the Rose Bowl (he even played pro ball for 5 years with the Eagles), but I don't really like UW very much. I do really like Lorenzo Romar - great person and great coach.

7. I find Duck fans and SOME OSU fans really obnoxious. They feel the same about me.

I only went to soccer games when it was nice outside and no one had any homework or other obligations (ie, the first couple weeks of fall semester).

My biggest confession is that sometimes I have a hard time getting behind the men's soccer team because some of the players were such jerks when I was an undergrad.

I root for them and want them to do well and still follow them closely, but even today... I don't miss any of the girls games but I generally only go to guys' games when the weather is nice.

Side note: one of my all-time favorite stories from college was when a bunch of freshmen soccer players came to a theme party (I think a Nerd Party?) without costumes on. The person at the door was giving them a bit of a hard time for not dressing up, when one of them says, "Do you know who we are? We're soccer players. Get out of our way." Or something like that. OH BOY... it was on. The house had a balcony over the front door and before you know it every guy at the party got up onto the balcony and started pouring beer and throwing stuff at them. Eventually they left in shame, never even stepping in the door and with loud cheers trailing them as they all were on their phones calling for a ride home. (It was a good mile or so away from campus.) Priceless. Was anyone else there at that party? MattyWizz maybe?

There were a couple of years where he men's team sort of lost their focus and did behave um... with unorthodoxy. I think I may have gotten on their case in older posts. There's a reason you don't see kids in the pros from those years.

But it really looks like this group is turning it around. I don't think this group should be saddled with that. from what I have seen, it's a pretty good group of kids, and they not only know how to play, but are willing to do what it takes to make UP proud.

I have another confession: I now have a pair of purple shoes to wear with my Pilots gear.

I found a pair of purple and white Nike Shox basketball shoes at Nordstrom Rack today. Naturally, I had to have them (it really was a good deal, too).

I'm going to have to start breaking them in for next soccer and basketball season.

I have missed only 1 WCC Men's basketball tournament since 1995. (Obsessive?!)

I haven't watched a NBA basketball game in at least 5 years. But I am starting to warm up to the Blazers...

PilotNut wrote:I have missed only 1 WCC Men's basketball tournament since 1995. (Obsessive?!)

I haven't watched a NBA basketball game in at least 5 years. But I am starting to warm up to the Blazers...

I'll watch an NBA game (without the Blazers) if it's on and I'm looking for sports. When the Blazers are on I will probably stay with it for most of the game. I'm just a Blazers fan, not really an NBA fan.

I figured this would be a great way to make my first post.

I've been lurking for roughly a year, but never felt like commenting because I couldn't think of something or thought my opinion wouldn't be good enough to be written.

I'm not a native Oregonian and hadn't really heard of UP until making the college search. So I don't know too much about the history, but I hope to learn at least enough of the recent past that I could acknowledge the presence of recent greats at games.

Coming from a Big Sky city (Sacramento), I did not know too much about the WCC, so I actually rooted for the Zags and nearly went there even though the campus environment seemed off a little.

Since arriving on campus, I have tried to attend as many events as possible and hope to compose reports from the student section so alumni and other fans can get some perspective from another current Bluff inhabitant.

I know a few PN members, having interacted with them off-line.

I'm finding it weird how personable many of the athletes are and actually feel rather shy around most of them, but have managed to have chats with Michelle O, Kassi, Keelin, Ellie, Nik Ravio, BJ Porter, Eric Waterford, Nem, Robin and some others. It feels weird having class with some of them.

Being a Sacramentan, I root for the 49ers, Kings, A's (mainly because of the AAA afilliate, even though I read about their time in Vancouver every once in a while) and Giants depending on the availability of time and resources. I attended a Blazers Game before I got on campus, and listen to 99.5 The Game as much as possible, so I can get behind the Blazers.

I've never really liked the fair-weather students who show up around playoff time or throughout the year and aren't willing to learn cheers or even who the players are. The games are not means for socializing, my and their classmates are exhibiting their talents, we should respect them while we are watching. Their love of the freebies and focus on the fringe benefits instead of the product on the playing surface reminds me of the bread and circuses of Ancient Rome. The willingness to also leave stuff behind appalls me, case in point, I managed to form at least one entire pizza out of the leftover boxes left by students at a Women's soccer game last year and twice collected at least five grape soda cans from the Homecoming game this year. We are guests at Merlo, Chiles, and Joe Etzel Field at Pilot Stadium and Holy Cross Courts, we should be capable of leaving the places as clean if not cleaner than it was when we arrived.

I'm not really a fan of the Dance Team or even the new corporate sponsorships the team has earned, but I am a fan of the radio ads, having heard one this afternoon about their game vs U of O.

Sorry for the length, I tend to ramble but I also thought I should make up for my lack of posting. I'll try to keep them brief or at least shorter than this unless I'm so inspired.

edit: I'll also try to tweak the avatar photo so it's a more reasonable size

Welcome aboard, DJ... great first post! Glad to have you contributing, and I think you will find many fellow Pilots here who agree with your sentiments, including this one!

Nice to have you here finally! I think this is a PilotNation member I actually know. Speak up whenever you have something to say here. You're probably not the only one who is thinking the same thing.

Or you could do what I do and fire off snarky one-liners.

DJ Sherman, you are the man. Have I told you that recently? I am excited to hit up the games with you this spring!

I've been a pilot fan since the late 50s. Yes, I'm REALLY OLD!! I have wavered, but never been broken of this obsession. I did grad work up at WSU and became a fan of the Cougs when Jim Sweeney (who played on the last football team at Up)was coach. In grade school our football team wore some of the old UP uniforms (what a sight that was!) Oh well more at another time.

It's cool that this thread has allowed someone to have their first post! I like that.

mikemac65 wrote:I've been a pilot fan since the late 50s. Yes, I'm REALLY OLD!! I have wavered, but never been broken of this obsession. I did grad work up at WSU and became a fan of the Cougs when Jim Sweeney (who played on the last football team at Up)was coach. In grade school our football team wore some of the old UP uniforms (what a sight that was!) Oh well more at another time.

If you have any photos to share of those old UP uniforms, that would be a sight to see!

Unfortunately, I don't.

mikemac my Mother's got 10yrs on you. She always brings up that line your only as old as you make up your mind to be. (Then I tell her I feel like I am of retirement age and she doesnt like that answer,

By the way, thanks for all the E-mails over the last 3 yrs, it's guys like you that keep "sensitive" bigmouthed troublemakers going. There are a few un-named folks on here that take great pleasure in bashing the UP basketball Koolaid. A W.LLR.exXok..... But in the end I luv most people on this site and the few major poo, poos have either an "undiagnosed" mental illness or some obbssession with being a Debbie Downer...


Great to see your post,

100 is within your reach if you do like Geez and pace yourself and get many afternoon naps.


MesaPilot1

Mes, afternoon naps, I'm a working man with no time for naps. This of course was the effect of being a profligate youth.

My confession of the day: After the result of the PSU game, I didn't want to pay attention to the Idaho basketball game. I was sensing the possibility of underachieving and unfortunately it happened...