Fair Weather

I'm a strange and odd person when I'm on campus, anyone who has run into me can tell you. I like to walk by myself, I rarely ever leave a building without my headphones, and I dont talk to anyone more than a nod and wave, usually. So, whenever conflict is present, either A. I avoid it or B. I dont even hear it because my headphones are drowning "California Dread" by nelo in my brain to numb the obviously, ignorant rant of people (These are new terms I use to describe people on campus, when a few months ago, I thought all people who were on a college campus had one thing in common, intelligence.)

This, though, is not true, by any means.

It was a normal Friday, I am walking to class. It's briskfully cold in Lubbock and I decided to wear one of my prized article of clothing under a jacket (Those of us who know me, know I dont normally care, I still wear Wranglers for Christ Sake). The piece of clothing Im referring to is my Boston red Sox Dustin Pedroia shirt. This because Wesley gave it to me on my last birthday and  Dustin Pedroia is absolute idol. He's everything I love about baseball, and I see a lot of myself in him. He is 5'7, yet plays in the majors, and also one of the most competitive people I've ever seen. Basically, me in a nutshell, and millions of dollars richer.

The story continues with the fact no one would have known I wore it, except when I went into the Library to read more "Decision points" by G.W Bush, I got a little toasty, so I took off my jacket. Come to find a guy wearing a rangers ball cap starring at me across the library. At first, I thought nothing of it, then I noticed his partner in crime, and he both had the SAME Rangers "Claw" shirt, and same Rangers hat. And they were both starring at me and shaking their heads.
Considering my introduction to the post, I try not to care, and continue reading. I get up to leave and as I'm putting on my jacket, I hear a faint stab at my shirt from Ranger boy.

"Your just a bandwaggoner."

It seemed as time froze a little bit, ya know like in that music video "Consequences" with Dre and Eminem? Like, Time was saying, "you got two choices, whatcha gone do, brah?"

I decided to decline the invitation to smack the ever-living ignorant snot out of him, and walk away facing the consequence I was a bandwagon fan, yet I am the farthest from it. Besides, I could see the "Size tag" on one of their "Claw" Tshirts. My best guess was he couldnt name  It got me thinking, what is a true fan? and Which one of us is right?

I want to make myself very clear, I have some serious Rangers fanatics as friends, and I, too, loved seeing their run to the World Series, as pure and majestic as it was. It was done how baseball should be won, making runs out of nothing and pitching. This is in no way a jab at the few true fanatics I know. You know who you are.

This is for every back-country hick in love with the flavor of the week. Lemme guess, you saw one guy wearing the shirt and was like "DUDE thats such a cool shirt, I dont have a slither of originality to my personaility, so I'll get one!" And your a DIE hard Rangers fan, huh? Yeah, we'll see after this season.

This is to ever fair weather fan, every feathe- in-the-wind fan, every Longhorns fan who isnt a student or former student of the University of Texas...fan. It's these people who I absolutely hope I never see on the street when they have a family, all wearing burnt orange while telling other burnt orange wear-ers that their "Son gonna be the best damn Quarterback Mack Brown ever did freakin' see", cause he isnt, he is lucky to be able to walk without reminding himself to breathe or blink, let alone throw a football straight.

This is to all the other "Fans" of that team, they say they have been a fan for "Longer than I can ever remember".  Quit Lying, your mom/dad bought you a shirt you saw on a rack at Walmart, found out who it was and BAM, you's a fan! So, because of the shirt, and hat, and all the other stuff you collected since you were 11, you think you "Belong". It gives you a feeling of being apart of something, and you love it. You also love the fact they win, constantly, Have the most state funding, and probably could buy the entire state of Hawaii and use it as a vacation home for Mack Brown. You use this knowledge, what little it is, to be-little the other universities students and alumni about their school. You say things like "you have little brother syndrome". "2008 was a fluke." "(Insert name of other university) SUCKS! Hook'em baby!", because you feel entitled. Nevermind that you have no clue about that university, or even been to the campus, or spent a day there. Nevermind that you didnt have the Moxie to actually apply to the university you "love so much", and for those that did, they forget the rejection letter they were sent back.
The school that you "Bleed Orange" for, doesnt even want you "Bleeding" their orange.

Face it, your a fair-weather fan. The only time you show any pride is when your team is winning. You cancel the fact that your team didnt make it to one of the 32 bowl games this year. That your team lost 3 games AT HOME. Even the student body gave up on them. This is where you shouldve kept quiet, and let the real fans be the ones to come out, but you didnt. Your pride has manipulated your mind so much that, now, you take hits against the University (that didnt want you, mind you) that you dont have an ounce of affiliation with, personally. It amazes me, that people long so much to be apart of a winner, that they trick themselves into thinking, or worse other people thinking, they actually could have been apart of it.

I guess my anger with these people is the fact, they have no clue how hard I worked to get to MY university. To graduate from Texas Tech University, and plan my life afterwards. I risked a lot, I failed a lot, but I triumphed. And I'm definitely not going to let someone who is "just a fan" talk about it in a way that is negative, because you simply have no right, or justification.
I look at my life, much like I look at Rudy Ruettiger's life. He was nothing without Notre Dame, and frankly, he could have done just fine without that school, but he didnt want to. He set a goal, polished it, and stuck with it. It was a mircale he even got into the school, much less on the football team. I made a goal long before I could remember that I would go to the best school I saw that fit me. That was Texas tech. I learned this when I was in 8th grade, before then, I never really had a affiliation with any school, I kinda flipped-flopped, but since I didnt have a alum background, I didnt have much facisnation with college sports of any kind. As far as I can remember my parents were strict on grades, and just told me "to go to college, we dont care where, just be happy." After numerous talks with the Texas Tech rep at Sulphur Springs High School, I knew I had found the place. I began setting myself up to go there. Of course, without any money, I wasnt going anywhere, so after years of saving, working night shifts and attending random juinor colleges, I finally moved here and enrolled at Texas Tech.

I think it's a story I'm excited to tell my kids and grandkids, and the pride that burst out of me when I tell it will be original, because those who know me, know I cant gloat about myself to save my life.
And that, to me, is way more powerful, and passionate, then these so called "Longhorn fans" could ever imagine pumping into their lives. It's something that I can tell my kids and grandkids, and they'll be proud to know, that their father/grandfather never settled, never strayed away, and never faultered to follow his dream.

I dont think I have to explain my passion for the Red Sox, because anyone who knows me already knows I love my BoSox. And yes, we sucked last year, and yes we have a very high payroll. But thats not why I love them. Honestly, sometimes I wish they would trade everyone away. Go ahead, Theo (Dont read too deep, please?) trade'em. My love is for the team. yes, I will follow Pedroia, Lester and those guys, and cheer for them when they play, but I will always cheer for the Red Sox, no matter what.

Now, Please, let the punishment I am about to endure from several "Longhorn" fans" commence, I'm open for it. I challenge you to ask yourself first, "Would I still be a fan if they lost every single game?", or "If theyre fan base wasnt as broad and popular?"

"Am I a fair weather fan?"
 Wreck'em

Lucas Out.