Purdue In the Mailbag/Fandom
Purdue got a mention in Stewart Mandel's College Football mailbag this week.
Q: With a victory over Minnesota, is Purdue now the worst 4-0 team in the country?
--Keith Nicholson, Middleton, Wisc.
A: You tell me. They're a 15-point underdog this weekend against a team that's already been clobbered by one Big Ten foe and barely beat another.
I love my Boilers, but I would have to think that they are. I will restate that if they beat Notre Dame, I might have some sort of out of body experience. Also in the mailbag he discusses how Michigan State will always hover around 6-6.
This brings me to my next thought- Of course my heart is with Purdue, but I'm also a Michigan State fan, because I spent several years of my childhood in Lansing, and everyone (and I mean everyone) in my family went to school there, including my older brother Howard. I broke the mold by going to Purdue, paving the way for Carly to cause fewer ripples by choosing Northwestern (and dropped cash like it was hot in the process). Hey, at least we're all in the Big 10. Therefore my college allegiance rankings look a little like this:
1. Purdue
2. Michigan State
3. Northwestern
With the unofficial #4 being whoever plays Notre Dame. Now, Kate brought my attention to this letter to the Purdue Exponent:
I grew up 10 minutes away from Notre Dame and I am a die hard Irish fan and always will be. If I ever get tickets to a Notre Dame game I will happily leave this campus and go to South Bend. Now don't give me wrong, I love watching football. I attend the Purdue games, I wear Purdue apparel, and I cheer when they score. However I will never let that get in the way of my love for Notre Dame...Judging by the Facebook group, "Yeah, I go to Purdue; but I still love Notre Dame - Go Irish," which I am a member of, there are at least 297 other people that are in the same boat I am. So please don't bash us because we love the Irish. You can't expect us all to suddenly become Purdue fans. I'm sure we all like Purdue football, but we love the Irish.
Anthony Nobles
Freshman, Undergraduate Studies Programs
For some reason, that makes me want to barf. To me there's one main reason to be a fan of a school- because you went there. You can also be a fan of an institution that a loved one attended, but jeez, be true to your school, man! If you love the domers so much, why didn't you go there? If you tried, but they turned you away (for academic or financial reasons) why are you still a fan? I don't get it. I was born and raised to be a Spartan fan, but it turned out that Purdue was a better fit for me. I still root for MSU, but I can't even imagine turning on the Boilers for them.
In a related thought, while Kate's dad lived in Indiana he rooted for Purdue and the Indy Colts. Upon moving to North Carolina, he became a Wake Forest, Duke, and Carolina Panthers fan. Swtiching Pro franchises- maybe. But when we went to see Purdue at Wake Forest, he wore WF stuff, and had the audacity to refer to Wake as "us" and Purdue as "them!" Come on! Your daughter graduated from Purdue, and your only connection to Wake is a recent geographic proximity!
To spare Kate the trouble of leaving the comment I'll say "Marc, you're such a tool for caring about that - let it go" or something of the sort. That was her usual reply when I would (frequently) go off on this tirade, and she's probably right.
posted by Marc @ 9/29/2006 07:34:00 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
"Marc, you're such a tool for caring about that-let it go"
Oh wait, I'm the one that sent you the email with Anthony Nobles entitled "Anthony Nobles must die." Don't let it go. Stick to your guns!
Droping money like it was hot on my Northwestern education made me a fan, however, the continued money dropping on my overpriced medical school education has not changed my sports loyalties in the least.
1) Northwestern
2) Purdue (and really, it's a very close second)
3) MSU
4) Anyone playing ND.
Indiana doesn't even make the list. And it isn't because the suck in football, because, hell, I'm a Northwestern fan. The question is, does this make me loyal or disloyal???
Oh wow, this is great. Upon Googling my name, I stumble across something that says I must die. I'm sure I'll get more crap just for posting on here, but I couldn't help it. If it makes you feel better I did receive death threats via anonymous phone calls from alumni whom I've never met. So you're not the only one who thinks I must die. All I was saying is that my entire life I tailgated at ND for every home game, dressed up in my little Rick Meier jersey when I was a child to sit in front of the TV with my Dad to watch the Irish play on the road, I went to summer sports camps there, and it was my dream to one day attend the institution. In the end they did not have the major I wanted which happened to be Aviation (a major that is very well known to Purdue) and my family could not have possibly been able to help me pay the huge tuition fees that are associated with Notre Dame. I'm sorry that you feel the way you do, but I can't change my loyalty at any cost. That is a sign of a true fan. This in no way means I don't appreciate Purdue for all it is giving to me and all the great times I will continue to have here. It just means I will never leave my Fighting Irish, even when we only win 3 games.
You aren't getting dinged. I apologize Anthony Nobles...you are a product of your childhood and you are thereby pardoned. Of course, this isn't my website, but I'll pardon you and I take back your fake death threat.
I feel the same way about the Colts. I moved to the Balitmore area and I'm getting all kinds of crap for being an Indy fan (they won't call them the Colts).
I don't think marc will apologize to you. but it is funny that you found this a year a half later. And btw: Notre Dame Sucks!
Post a Comment
<< Home