Let’s go Bucks! Let’s go Bucks!
Hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really don’t like the USC Trojans. My dad graduated from UCLA’s law school, so I was raised a baby Bruin. But the passion runs much deeper than my dad being an alumnus of the school. He was 13 when UCLA and John Wooden won their first basketball national championship, and they won 9 more (including the last while he was a student) before he was 25. This great love of UCLA sports was passed on to his kids.
You see where I’m going with this, right? On the other hand, my dad grew up despising USC, even though he applied to its law school, and was accepted before he had heard back from UCLA. As family legend goes, he turned down the offer because he could never stand to become a Trojan.
I’ve inherited that great passion for UCLA, and even though I may have graduated from different universities, I too retain a strong dislike for USC. Earlier this decade – although I hate to admit it - I didn’t mind USC’s winning ways. I was living on the east coast and I was tired of hearing people say West Coast football was soft. Plus I had a few personal connections that were easy to root for. My cousins went to school with Matt Leinart and I was at San Diego State when Reggie Bush was in high school, so I saw him play down there and followed his career closely. Let it be known, my dad never felt that way. Even recently, as a proud Mexican-American, I was telling him of an article I had read about USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, about how we shared similar backgrounds. To which my dad replied, “but he’s a Trojan.”
That era of my life is over. I’m tired of USC owning the LA football scene. Thank goodness UCLA has gone to three straight final fours, otherwise we’d never hear the end of it from Trojan fans. They’ve become too confident with their team – they’re now cocky. So here’s to Ohio State serving some humble pie Saturday night. Rick Neuheisel has some work to do with the gutty little Bruins, but I’m hoping like crazy the Buckeyes can start knocking USC off that pedestal by going into their house and becoming the rudest of guests.
