Our beloved Aztecs hit the road to play some shitty team we dominate every year and it is your DUTY — not your right, not your option, YOUR DUTY — as a Showman (or Showgirl) to get your ass up the 15 and back up your university.
Now, as a disclaimer, this is only the second-biggest Vegas trip of the year. The Mountain West Tournament in March is a much bigger deal. Why? Well we’re playing for a championship and get to play other teams, not just stupid shitty UNLV, They suck and are bad and are not good so beating them gets kind of old.
Ok, maybe it doesn’t get old.
Anyway, back to this weekend. We gon’ drank. OH WE GON’ DRANK.
And while alcohol consumption is important, there are other things to remember. For instance, did you know gambling is legal in the city of Las Vegas? It’s true! And if you’ve been betting on SDSU in our trips to Vegas in recent years (like we have) then you are a person of sound financial decision-making. Bet the Aztecs and bet BIG. When we go to Vegas we don’t just beat their team, we take their money and sex up their women and vomit on their sidewalks. HAIL!
You may be reading this and thinking, “Damn, I wish I woulda gone on this trip.” THERE”S STILL TIME, ASSHOLE. Seriously, short of your parents being killed, causing you to eventually become Gotham City’s only hope for justice, there is no excuse for not coming.
Got work? CALL IN SICK. Broke? PILE INTO A CAR, SPLIT GAS AND MAKE IT A DAY TRIP. No tickets? THERE ARE SCALPERS GIVING TICKETS AWAY FOR CHEAPER THAN FREE FISH TACO COUPONS.
If you’re now reading this and feeling guilty for not going. GOOD. We’re all ashamed of you.
We’ll be tailgating pregame because other than shouting and being offensive, drinking in parking lots is what we do best. Follow us on Twitter (@The__Show) and we’ll let you know our exact location that morning. One word of advice though, make sure you bring your own 4Lokos from California. Nevada 4Lokos taste of losing streaks and inferiority.
There is one mantra that matters when we are on the road: “No one likes us. We don’t care.” Of course we own that building, so there’s some debate as to whether this is a road game or not.
Regardless, get ready to get drunk and get rowdy. It’s Vegas. And WE WILL BE VICTOOOOORIOUS.
I add to this incredibly inactive blog with news of this Saturday’s game vs Air Force.
Many of you know, that Air Force runs the most boring offense known to man. It originated from Princeton and has somehow made it’s way over to our resident MW service academy. Basically the strategy is this: Limit your opponents possessions and offense by running the clock down during your offensive possession and taking a high percentage shot based off quick passes beating defensive rotation. Translation: Bore everyone to death, score 50 points and try to beat the opponent 50 to 49.
The most exciting thing about this game may be the fact that we are almost guaranteed curly fries at the end. Air Force has finished last in the MW in offense pretty much every year of their existence in the league. To make things even worse, the past 5 years they have been an absolutely awful team.
If you remember, most of the time we play Air Force we break out the “Borrriiinnnnngg, Booorrrrinnnnng, Boooorrrriinnnnng” chant relatively early in the game.
To that end the Show cordially invites you to our sleep over during the Air Force game to show the Falcons exactly what we think about their pathetically dull offense and team.
So please dress the part.
Bring pillows, night caps, blankets, hell even bust out the onezies for this opportunity to make fun at our long time rivals.
Disclaimer: Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. We expect it to be loud, and intense, especially if this game is closer than we might think. But the opportunity will probably present itself to expose just how difficult it is to watch Air Force run their offense, and having a sleep over is just the way to do that.
San Diego State doesn’t have a rival. Or at least, it hasn’t for about a decade.
“But what about BYU? We all hate BYU.”
First of all, everyone hates BYU. We’re not special. That’s like saying our rival is traffic, or Mondays. Also, BYU already has a rival. It’s their more infinitely-more athletically successful state-mate, the Utah Utes.
Football schedule-makers have had us play UNLV on “rivalry week” for the past few years, but again, UNLV already has Nevada-Reno as their rival. We’re just the guys who kicked the shit out of them in basketball 8 of the last 9 times. (Four of those wins came on their home court of the Thomas & Mack Center, otherwise known as “Viejas North”, The Show’s official vacation home.)
So we’ve been rivalless (WORD?) for far too long, BUT NO MORE. This Saturday we rekindle our old WAC rivarly with Cal State Fresno. (They may call themselves Fresno State, but we will always refer to them as CSU Fresno.)
But what do we really know about Fresno? Well here’s a brief history: The city of Fresno was founded in 1978 by a group of racist puppy-eaters who were kicked out of Chico State for not being able to keep up with the rigorous academic course load. They decided to form a school in the mid-80′s as a front for their lucrative crystal meth business. At some point, Trent Dilfer went there. It’s also where Ryan Matthews perfected his gold medal-quality fumbling ability. Today, Fresno is world-renown for being the home of Keven Federline and meth. Did I mention the meth?
And here we are. Now we welcome these subhuman mutants into America’s Finest City in a battle for CSU bragging rights, oh and also an antique oil can for some reason. Whatever, could be worse.
But why should we waste energy hating these worthless cretins? Well for one, they think they’re better than us. No, really. Their basic attitude is, “Fine, keep your hot girls, perfect weather, delicious food, incredible nightlife, hot girls, professional sports teams, hot girls and beaches. Our football program is still better.”
Here are just a few of the notable players and coaches to come through SDSU: Don Coryell, Brian Sipe, Zuma, Marshall Faulk, Brett Swain, John Madden, Sean Payton, Brian Stahovich and Carl Weathers.
No, seriously. Apollo Creed is an #AztecForLife.
All Fresno State has is David Carr and diabetes. ADVANTAGE ZUMA.
Rivalries are what make sports – especially college sports – awesome. And I would argue that unbridled hate is the healthiest human emotion. So on Saturday, it is your duty as an Aztec to make your way to the Q, get irresponsibly drunk and hurl vulgar, possibly nonsensical insults in the direction of anyone wearing Bulldog gear.
Get yourself a crate of 4Lokos, set up camp at B2, bump Uprising on repeat and chant “RONNIE FUCKING HILLMAN” until it loses all meaning because FUCK FRESNO. WE ARE THE SHOW AND WE WILL NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR PARTYING .
As the new football season approaches I’ve taken some time to reflect back on some favorite memories from the 2010 season. Keep in mind that these are not necessarily the “best” or “most important” plays. This is just one man’s most memorable moments from 2010, and it was not easy narrowing down the list. Here follows a countdown of my top 5 favorite plays.
5. New Mexico – Lindley to Sampson Touchdown
This game holds special significance for me, as it occurred on my birthday. In a game SDSU could not afford to lose, with 5 seconds left in the second quarter the Aztecs had a less than comfortable lead. Then Ryan Lindley connected with DeMarco Sampson for a 40-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the half.
The play begins at the 0:35 mark.
4. TCU – Rob Andrews Sack and Jerome Long Touchdown
This exciting game took place on the same day as the Aztecs’ first basketball game of the season. A large contingent of Show members (along with many other SDSU fans) watched this game in a packed bar in Long Beach. The Aztecs took the early lead, and widened the margin when Rob Andrews came out of nowhere to blindside Andy Dalton. Jerome Long would complete the play with a fumble recovery in the end zone for an Aztec score. With the 14-0 lead against #3 TCU the Aztec fans in the house were going nuts. People were standing on chairs, and the whole place was singing the Aztec fight song. Though the Aztecs couldn’t hold on to win, it was TCU’s first 2 touchdown deficit in 2 years, and the Aztecs held the lead for longer than all of TCU’s prior opponents combined. The 35 points tallied by State were also the most points scored on TCU in 2011, and until this game the entire conference (through 6 games) had only put up 23 points against TCU.
The play begins at the 0:46 mark.
3. Navy – Lindley to Hillman Touchdown
Everyone should remember this glorious day in Aztec history. The doubt over whether this game would actually be played, due to flooding, only served to make the event more memorable. The Aztecs came out aggressively and took the lead with a diversified and dominant offensive attack. As the fourth quarter began the SDSU offense executed the perfect fake play to start to put the game out of reach for Navy. Lindley appeared to hand the ball off to Brandon Sullivan who then went over the top while Lindley stood by, casually hiding the ball. Lindley then delivered a perfect pass to a wide-open Ronnie Hillman for the TD. The Aztecs went on to claim the first bowl victory of the Division 1 era.
The play begins at the 1:32 mark.
2. Air Force – Ronnie Hillman 65-Yard Touchdown Run
Fans should remember this game well, as the Aztecs defeated a Top 25 team for the first time in many years. When the Aztecs won this game I knew that this season could be something special. There was great energy at the Q on this day, and I still love watching the highlights and listening to the roar of the crowd as Hillman takes off for the first TD of the game. I also love the commentary by CBS’s play-by-play man, “nothing mediocre about this kid either, look at Hillman go! Ronnie Hillman, freshman running back, breaks a tackle! Here he goes! Off to the races, the cutback, the jump, gonna be a touchdown! 65 yards for Ronnie Hillman, how ‘bout that?!” This play was made possible by a frenzy of broken tackles and beautiful blocks.
The play begins at the 0:30 mark.
1. Wyoming – Brian Stahovich 89-Yard Punt
How often does the punter get the glory? Brian Stahovich’s 89-yard punt may have been the play that won the Aztecs the game. Watching this game on TV I could only laugh at the absurdity as the ball just kept going and going. Kicking from the end zone Brian delivered the longest punt in school history, the longest in the NCAA since 2004, and the 2nd longest in MWC history (the longest being the aforementioned 2004 punt by Air Force). Making the play even more impressive is that the snap was less than perfect, as Stahovich had to jump to make the catch. Stahovich’s only punt of the game was enough to earn him MWC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Wyoming head coach Dave Christensen said the kick, “caused a 10-point swing in the game,” 10 points that turned out to be the margin of victory.
What were your favorite plays of the 2010 season? Share your thoughts in the comments or on facebook.
March Madness is upon us and I’ll start this blog off by showing my bracket. Come on now, no making fun. I’ve picked an upset or two correctly, but I’ve missed A LOT too. But at least I don’t cheat and fill out 5 brackets and then claim I picked every upset. The point I’m trying to make though is that the Aztecs occupy the center spot as National Champions. When filling out your bracket that is all you need to know, the rest is irrelevant.
Win this.
The Show had a pretty good contingent that would meet up in Tucson for the game against Northern Colorado. WALDshOw and I left San Diego at 5AM on Thursday morning and parked our car at the McKale Center before 11Am. I’m told we made pretty good time.
SMH
After grabbing some food, we headed into the arena and took our seats for the second half of the Temple/Penn State game. I can’t go any further without commenting on how terrible the Penn State mascot is. As one friend put it, “their mascot looks as old as Joe Paterno.” Well it is in fact older by 5 years. I am alone in thinking that the Aztecs have one of the best mascots in college sports? The best part is that it’s not a guy dressed up in some absurd fluffy costume. I mean take a look at the Northern Colorado mascot. It looks like a 30 year old teddy bear. Then you’ve got the Kansas State mascot which is just a guy with a giant wildcat head.
UNC Bear in the background.
WALDshOw and I had some pretty amazing tickets in the third row, but at game time we decided it would be more fun to sit with the rest of The Show. The game started out just fine for The Show, but after only a few minutes the blue hairs in our section (backed by arena security) stifled our enthusiasm by making us sit down. I will never understand people that do not want to stand at a basketball game. If you want to sit and eat peanuts, I think that is done better from the comfort of your couch at home.
Our would-be-view from the third row.
Sports Illustrated picked the Aztecs to reach the Final 4, and the commentary regarding the SDSU/UNC matchup went something like this: “The only question in this game is how the famously creative SDSU student section will distract the Bears.” Well the bears did miss their first 4 free throws, thanks in part to the famous large heads.
He's the hero San Diego needs right now.
For me the highlights of the game were Billy White’s continued stellar play and the very low number of turnovers. As I said in the last Road Show blog, when Billy White is playing up to his potential the Aztecs simply cannot lose. Heading into this game some fans had some feelings of trepidation, facing the same school that stunned the Aztecs at Cox Arena in a game 3 years ago, but there was no way that would happen again. This season is about vindication, and the Aztecs will not let us down.
Badger douche.
After the game we headed outside and decided to meet at a local bar known as Dirtbag’s. There were several other Aztec fans there and we did our usual singing and chanting once or twice, to the ire of the fans of U of A and Wisconsin. Some Wisconsin fans decided to get into it with us, suggesting that the Aztecs play in an inferior conference. This fan asked, “what conference do you play in? The WAC?” To which Showdora responded, “nice job in the Rose Bowl.” Referencing the Aztecs’ conference mate’s victory over the Badgers. ZIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!
Welcome at the Westin.
After enjoying some basketball games on TV at the bar we headed over to the Westin, where the basketball team, pep band and cheer/dance squads were staying. The accommodations were amazing, and it is clear that the higher seeds receive preferential treatment with regard to hotel arrangements. There were something like 12 pools, and one could probably get lost for a day trying to get through them all. We found our friend, Ripley’s Show It Or Not (aka iamtrumpetshow) and proceeded to have a good time. Eventually we met up with our friends Beau (GeckShow) and the Aztec Warrior. We even briefly said hello/hung out with the team.
On the off day a couple of us headed up to Mesa to watch the Cubs’ spring training game. The two teams combined for 27 runs on 40 hits. The place was packed as it was the 4th largest crowd in Hohokam Stadium history. Go Cubs!
It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.
Then Saturday arrived. The Aztecs got past the first round game without much difficulty, and now would be facing a team that had been in and out of the top 25 all season. It could be argued that, other than BYU, Temple is the best team the Aztecs have faced this season. We got back to Tucson a couple hours before the game and parked. We then hitched a ride on the bus with the band and cheer. Yeah, we’re kind of a big deal.
On the bus.
For this game The Show was standing from the start and we were never asked to sit down. Event security was even accommodating. For this game most of our section stood the whole time, and we were able to bring a lot more energy to the game. Near the end of the game everyone around me seemed to be nervous. People were pacing back and forth and had their hands in prayer formation. I for one was completely calm; I’ve seen enough of our games to know that we always win. The greatest plays were Malcolm’s blocked shot and Kawhi’s steal and dunk to put the game away.
Near the end of the game all of the U of A fans in our area started rooting for Temple. I guess they were upset that we stood the whole time and obstructed their view of the game. No one likes us, we don’t care!
Here’s a short video from after the victory, I didn’t get any better footage, I was too busy celebrating.
Ridiculous mascot.
After the game everyone wanted to relax and watch the Kansas State and Wisconsin game. We were watching a great competitive game, but none of us could get into it until the last moments, because we were all pretty much in a coma after our thriller of a game. Eventually we went out to enjoy some victory pizza at a place called 1702. I do not recommend it, they had some of the slowest most inattentive service ever. The portions were ridiculous though, a single slice was the size of an entire pizza.
Shane going nuts.
Our friend Shane, not expecting the huge portions, got a Greek salad and a calzone. After eating most of the gargantuan meal, the server asked if we wanted some desert, to which Shane responded “I’ve always got room for desert.” The man is crazy. While eating we watched the end of the UConn game and then highlights from the day. We cheered when the Aztecs appeared on TV and turned our heads and booed when they showed “he who must not be named.”
Continuing the tradition of mounting mascot statues.
Another one.
The best of times.
Ben is chowing down in the background on the right.
All in all Tucson was an unforgettable awesome time, and we wait with great anticipation for the huge game(s) in Anaheim this weekend. Until next time…
The Mountain West Tournament is like Aztec Christmas. It is the most wonderful time of the year. Rampant debauchery and SDSU victories are an unbeatable combination. The three days in March last season were among the best ever for Aztec fans, so it would be a tall task for this team to match the thrill experienced a season ago. The team definitely did not let us down this year, as this year’s tournament may have been the best ever for SDSU. The Show would do everything in its power to will the Aztecs to victory at game time, but until that time there was a lot of fun to be had.
There may be more blogs to follow from other members of The Show. This blog concerns the exploits of just a few of us, dubbed The Show Corps of Engineers (because each person is an engineering major), I am the lone non-engineering representative as a finance major.
Five, five dollar, five dollar box of donuuuts!
Leaving around 9AM on Thursday morning, we were able to start our trip off with a bang. Before leaving San Diego County we stopped at a donut drive thru, and while trying to decide what to order the donut person asked if we would like “a lot” of donuts for $5. Being as indecisive as we are, we agreed to the deal. Seconds later we were delivered a box of what must have been 70 donuts, and all of a sudden we were able to quantify what exactly is meant by “a lot”. The five of us consumed less than 10% of the box of approximately 10,000 calories before abandoning the box with a Costco employee while we were refueling.
Later on the drive up we stopped at the In-N-Out in Barstow. It is my belief that the town exists solely to refuel and feed travelers making the trek from San Diego to Las Vegas, but I digress. Immediately upon entering the restaurant we spotted several groups of Aztecs fans that had stopped for the fine cuisine. I was excited to see so many SDSU fans, and I knew we would have a great showing at the T&M. During the last stretches of the trip to Las Vegas we closely followed BYU’s desperate victory over a terrible TCU team. I guess BYU fans might be finding out that it takes more than one player to make a team after all.
This picture doesn't do the section justice.
We arrived at Planet Hollywood and rested before heading over to the arena shortly before game time. Over the past few years the Aztecs and The Show have converted the Thomas & Mack into a comfortable vacation home. This game would be no different as The Show represented quite well, with a legitimate student section. I believe it was the only section in the arena to stand for the entire game. We had a large block of tickets in one section, and everyone else seemed to gravitate towards that section until we had a few hundred Show members dominating the arena’s atmosphere.
The highlights of the first game included freshman Jamaal Franklin’s 3 three pointers, and his blocked shot (from behind on 7’3″ David Foster). And chanting “he’s a freshman” after his 3rd three pointer. As Tim Shelton proclaims in his smash hit Game Time Ready, “future’s looking bright, boys coming in X Thames, LB and Jamaal Franklin!” Holding Jim Boylen’s Utes to 15 points at halftime was another highlight.
After the game we purchased all our booze and got some pizza from Dominos, before heading out to the strip for a victory stroll. This is where things get hazy for me and the nights blur together. Walking the strip dancing, and singing is a blast. It’s even more fun when you’ve got rival MWC fans walking the strip as well. I can’t remember seeing any byu fans walking around so late at night, but we did see plenty of Lobos. Each time we saw one we would chant “BEAT BYU, BEAT BYU.” And they would often join in with us or high five and woo. The WAC tournament was also going on in Vegas at the same time as our tournament, which meant seeing plenty of Utah State fans.
Utah St fans on the right, random beezys up front.
We love fellow byu haters, and we got a picture with one bunch. One of our favorite activities to celebrate victory is what we called the “fecta,” or what may be better described as a bump.
The "fecta"
You’ve seen it performed often by the Aztecs on the court. The “fectas” kept getting larger and larger, I believe the most we ever had was approximately 20 people, performed after winning the championship. So anyway, on Thursday night (or rather Friday morning) I finally went to sleep after having been awake for 35 hours. It was the seventh time this season that I have been up for over 24 straight hours for Aztecs basketball.
On Friday morning (after just a few hours of sleep) our group moved to the Hard Rock for the remainder of our stay. One benefit of staying at the team’s hotel is randomly running into National Championship winner Steve Fisher. Before going to the semifinal game against UNLV, we grabbed some food at a place called Smash Burger. I recommend it highly. At the restaurant we spotted several byu fans, I guess they only come out in Las Vegas during daylight hours. For any MWC fan that attended the tournament, you might be wondering if byu has more than one player. Believe it or not their team is made up of many people. byu fans apparently aren’t aware of that fact however. Every single byu fan in attendance at the tournament sported some sort of jimmer paraphernalia, whether it was a “you got jimmered” shirt or a jimmer jersey. One patron at Smash Burger even had a byu hat, with the number 32 emblazoned on the side. After the Utah game we did spot a UNLV fan getting in on the “32″ fun.
We made friends with other MWC fans.
Before heading to the game we stopped at Blondie’s at the Miracle Mile and met up with many other Aztec fans. We sang and chanted and did our thing. We made the bar ours, and we made Arizona and Penn State fans jealous. We eventually headed over to the arena to watch the UNM/byu tussle. UNM made it a good game for a while until Drew Gordon fouled out and Dairese Gary went down with a torn ACL. It’s sad to see Gary’s career at UNM end that way. I wish the Lobos the best in the NIT, and I hope they can make some noise even without their senior leader.
Before the UNLV game people were a little worried about DJ Gay’s recent performance. So I made the prediction that DJ would go off for 18 in this game. He ended up with 15, but I was close. I will never worry about DJ’s performance, because even when he’s not shooting well he is still under control, making good decisions, and playing good defense. He’s just always a leader. And when it comes down to it, I know that in the games that we really need DJ to step up, he does so. The game against UNLV is what DJ Gay is all about. He is a leader through and through, and he did it again by winning the game with a floater as time ran down (without the need to call a timeout).
We don't think much of UNLV.
The highlight of this game is that we own the Thomas & Mack. Kruger simply cannot beat Steve Fisher. The Aztecs have now won 8 out of the last 9 games against UNLV and 5 of 6 on UNLV’s home floor. It’s always a pleasure to chant “this is our house” as the sad sack Rebel fans exit the arena, especially after such a thrilling victory. Other post victory chants included “AAAAZTECS” in mock of the “Rebels” chant, “We Want Jimmer,” and of course a cappella renditions of Uprising and the SDSU fight song.
The semifinal game ended later so we didn’t have as much time to hang out on the strip but we tried anyway. Eventually we just got food at O’Shea’s and called it a night.
On Saturday we slept in and didn’t do much before going to the game. When we arrived we were fully rested and ready for what could be the battle of the century. This game was for all the marbles. The stakes were possibly the highest ever. The winner would get undisputed bragging rights, the West region in the NCAA Tournament, a banner, and most importantly the final victory in what could be the last basketball or football game played between the two schools for a very long time. The Aztecs were going for their second straight tournament title, and byu would try for their first title in a decade. On the way to the arena I said I would love to see an Aztec blowout and then predicted that the Aztecs would win by 18. That is a 100% true story.
This is what it looks like when The Show goes nuts.
The Aztecs burst out to a 5-0 lead and at that point as far as I was concerned the game was already over. The Aztecs looked hungry and ready to play. There was no way we would lose this day. If you watched this game then there is no way that you can dispute that the MWC is a major conference. A match up of two top 8 teams is not something many conferences can boast. The crowd was electric, whenever either team would score the noise in the arena was deafening. The MWC is big time basketball (and football too for that matter). Some of my favorite moments of the game were the first two times jimmer tried to drive on Jamaal and both times he came up empty. Perhaps my favorite aspect of this game is that Billy White came up big. When Billy has a good game the Aztecs are unbeatable and that’s all there is to it. When the Aztecs built the lead to 23 I found myself wondering if this was real life. The Show was going absolutely nuts, and the byu fans around us were moping. It felt good knowing that they could see how happy we were. When byu cut the lead to 10 one fan made a sign asking us “nervous?” Ha, nice try troll. It was the same fan who a day earlier filmed us because he thought we were sad that UNM couldn’t beat byu. On March 12th the Aztecs looked like an NBA team. The Aztecs forced turnovers and had breakaway dunks, that is the best way to win. The picture of Kawhi taken at the end of the game sums it all up. The Aztecs got the last laugh.
After the final buzzer sounded we stuck around and celebrated on the floor. It was kind of difficult getting down there but most of us eventually did. It was kind of sad to see some fans still in the stands, but they probably had a better view of the proceedings than I did. Speaking of “better views,” WALDshOw was able to get right under the basket during the net cutting ceremony for some incredible pictures.
Back 2 Back
Class act if there ever was one.
After that celebration we headed out to the team bus. There we waited to congratulate the team. We sang Frere Jacques for Mehdi, chanted Game Time Ready for Tim Shelton, yelled “DEEE JAAAY GAAAY” for DJ, and “BILLYYYY WHITE” for Billy. Steve Fisher took the time to thank all 200 or so of the fans and shook each person’s hand. Steve Fisher is a coach that knows this kind of thing doesn’t happen for everyone. All Aztec fans should be so grateful to have such a quality person as our head coach. While congratulating the team I was also able to get a victory hug from Jamaal.
After becoming tournament champions we went to Sonic for a victory dinner. Shout out to the guy that saw me there and asked if I was the guy that writes this Road Show Blog. Sorry I didn’t catch your name. We then went back to our room and played what was apparently the best game of King’s Cup ever. The greatest moment was when the rule was that any profanity resulted in taking a drink, and at the same time categories came up and the category was swear words. We had a good few minutes of laughter about that one. Eventually we made our way out to Blondie’s again for some more post championship fun.
The next day we stuck around Vegas for a while because we wanted to sleep in. We had lazy day, getting Coke floats at the factory and playing a never ending game of air hockey at GameWorks before heading over to the restaurant formerly known as the ESPN Zone. There we watched the selection show and cheered loudly when the Aztecs seed and location were announced. We were mildly disappointed that we did not receive a 1 seed, but we were very happy with Tucson in the West region.
Some of the top quotes from the weekend:
“I believe that we will win.”
-When asked on the strip by an evangelist “What do you believe?”
“If the Navy could clone me, they’d have the perfect warrior.”
-Levi Lentz
“That’s an honor code violation!”
-WALDshOw, when a male BYU fan entered the women’s bathroom at the T&M.
“Do What Davies Does”
-Jessica Valadez, to a BYU fan trying to talk trash
“Watch out guys, when I’m drunk I can get a little rapey.”
-Shall go unnamed
Now I will share some stories with you that were submitted to me by other members of The Show for inclusion in this blog. One man’s point of view was simply not enough for this glorious weekend.
From Billy Blanco:
I got a chance to talk to Billy White’s dad after the game while waiting for the players to load the bus. He really liked the sign we brought and asked if he could have it. I snapped a photo with him before handing it over. He said he was going to have the team sign it and put it up with all of Billy’s trophies and awards.
Billy Blanco with Billy White Sr
From Shane who had a conversation with Boylen:
Boylen's FIRED!
As he was walking by, I kind of turned in my chair and said “way to be classy in your interview yesterday regarding Kawhi, coach”. He asked me, “what?” So I repeated what I said. His response, “Shut your f***ing mouth,” and as he walked off he said, “I hate those F’in Aztecs.” After he walked off, I had a feeling that it wasn’t over and sure enough, as I kept an eye peeled in that direction I saw him walking over. He walked directly towards me. When he got within a couple feet, I made it a point to get up out of my chair (I didn’t trust him). He then said, “come talk with me over here,” and had his arm outstretched like he wanted to put his arm around me. I made it clear to say, “first of all, don’t put your hands on me; I know you have a bit of a temper.”
His big thing was that I called him out in front of his wife. I kept telling him I made no personal attack. Was only in regards to him being a coach and that he should give credit where credit is due. He then explained the interviewer kept asking him the same question. Prompting him to ask what the story was really about… the game or a Kawhi story? Made sense.
Overall, he struck me as a decent guy. Obviously, his history of anger issues and tantrums isn’t what I would look for in a coach, and he was extremely unprofessional to go cussing at me like that, but he did explain himself pretty well towards the end and had alot of good things to say about our team after he calmed down. Just shows me how much I should appreciate our great coach/person in Fisher.
From Ripley’s Show It Or Not:
BYU brings people together.
From DarceShow:
The Show exits the party bus before the championship game.
Celebrating victory, Ocean’s 11 style.
From RockShow:
RockShow walked to McDonald's barefoot.
I think that just about covers it for this blog. So until next time…
When making my extensive road trip plan for this season the Air Force roadie was the last game added to my itinerary. I had already planned to go to 7 other games away from home, so I figured this game is on a weekend, might as well just tack it on for good measure. This particular trip however I would be traveling alone. Believe it or not there aren’t many people that want to travel from San Diego to Colorado Springs in February.
I was pumped for this trip nonetheless, even if only to say that I did it. I headed out to Colorado on Friday morning. When I disembarked the plane in Denver I was of course sporting one of my favorite Aztecs basketball t-shirts in hopes that someone would make mention of the team or the game. The first person to mention the game was a CSU alum working at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. We briefly discussed the Aztecs’ and Rams’ success this season, and congratulated each other. It was a nice little conversation, until the woman helping me with my rental asked what division we were talking about. My new CSU friend said Division I of course, to which my attendee responded “oh I’ve never heard of those schools.” Seriously? You work in Denver and you’ve never heard of Colorado State? She then mentioned that she is an Ohio State alumnus and told me that her school is the best at everything. I told her that we’d know who is better come tournament time. I doubt she knows what tournament I was even referring to.
Utah plates had me nervous.
We stepped outside so I could choose a car. I eventually settled on this bright yellow Aveo. It made it very easy to pick out in parking lots. I was a little hesitant when I noticed that the car had Utah license plates though. Nothing good comes out of that state. I’m not superstitious, just a little stitious, so I stuck with the car.
During the hour long drive from Denver to Colorado Springs I couldn’t help but notice how much more beautiful Colorado is than Utah. It’s not even close. Eventually I arrived at my lodging for the evening, the Fairfield Inn by Marriott. Yes a Marriott, I was not proud. After settling in at the hotel I had some time to kill so I headed to the Air Force Academy. There’s not much negative I can say about a service Academy, so this blog won’t be as scathing as some of the others. Nevertheless there are some things I’ll say. The scenery and setting of the base is all beautiful, but the only thing more boring than the facilities (the chapel excepted) is the basketball team’s style of play.
Some of the places I went on my self-guided tour were the Cadet Field House (which houses Cadet Ice Arena and Clune Arena), Falcon Stadium, the bomber display, and the cadet chapel.
I wanted to mount it, but there was no one to take a picture.
As far as I can tell, this is their student section.
On gameday morning I was very excited, and I showed up to the arena an hour early to take in the atmosphere. By the time the game started I was amazed at the number of SDSU fans in attendance. One by one they kept entering the arena, at tipoff I estimate there were a few hundred Aztecs. I thought Air Force was able to muster a decent crowd (3,463), but there were few to no cadets in attendance.
Air Force played a good game in the first half but ultimately couldn’t keep up with the more talented Aztecs. One thing that stuck out to me was just how loud Coach Fisher is. It might have just been because it was a smaller gym, but even from near the top of the arena I could hear Fisher throughout the game. The highlights of the game for me were when my favorite player Jamaal Franklin secured a key rebound and when Rahon made his 3 to put the Aztecs up 12. After the game ended, as the Air Force fans streamed out I overheard several complaints about the officiating. Falcon fans believed the intentional fouls were all unwarranted and that the foul on Billy was “all ball.” Winners win. Whiners Whine.
Their mascot is known simply as "The Bird."
Victory
After the game I stuck around for a while to take some pics and talk a little with the players and some other fans, but after that it was right back to the airport to head home. While waiting for the flight I was not surprised to see James Rahon walk up to the gate. Before too long the whole team was there. On the plane I sat in a window seat, with Coach Dutcher in the middle and Billy White in the aisle seat, across the aisle sat Kawhi Leonard and in front of Billy was Coach Fisher.
Not the most comfortable seats.
Among the topics discussed during the flight were: what the Aztecs would possibly be ranked come Monday, the best way to stop Jimmer (Billy wants the job), Beats by Dre, UNLV and CSU’s chances at an at large bid and the Fab 5, among others. One thing Coach Dutcher mentioned, while watching a video of a potential recruit, is that people expect our recruiting to get better after the team’s success this year. He made a point that it’s already that good! How are you going to recruit better than 27-1?
So now having concluded my final regular season road trip of the year, I feel a little sad that this part of the season is over, but I also look forward to the excitement I’ll experience on the road in March. I think I’ll end with a summary of the trips for this year.
1. UNLV- probably the best time I’ve ever had in Vegas. Walking the strip with friends and randomly singing the fight song is a ton of fun.
2. Long Beach State- A great way to start off the year. Although the football team lost that day, it was still a blast singing the fight song and watching Matt stand in the booth at the sports bar during the football game. The atmosphere inside the pyramid was also a lot of fun.
3. New Mexico- I was thrilled to come away with a victory in a tough place to play. The Lobos have lost only 2 games at home this season. DJ’s half court shot was incredible.
4. LV Holiday Hoops- The close games were a little nerve-racking, but 2 days in Vegas is usually always a good time.
5. Cal- It was a great time absolutely dominating a Pac-10 opponent. The loud cheers from the Aztec crowd near the end made this one special.
6. Utah- 20 hours in the car round trip was all worth it to see the Aztecs win in SLC. I don’t ever want to see that city again though.
7. Air Force- I’m glad I took the trip to Colorado, but I don’t think I’ll be doing any more solo roadies.
That’s it for now. The next Road Show blog will be from the MWC Tournament, and hopefully after that Tucson. Until then…
Pardon me for being late. Somewhere in between Valentines Day, another Aztec win over the Lobos, and a midweek Psychology test I have been remiss to report on our win in fabulous Las Vegas last Saturday. So without any further delay, let’s get things started.
We knew things were going to be epic when BlueAztec announced he had already purchased 30 tickets to the Thomas and Mac Center. He did this on good faith knowing that the die hards would readily take advantage of his smart planning and we did not disappoint.
Rebel Domination.
Our crew started with 4. Driving his company car we had old school member TripleShow, riding shotgun was yours truly, And bringing up the rear was SecondHalfShow and RockShow. What made this ride particularly nice is we took advantage of TripleShow’s employer who shall remain nameless, and did not pay a dime for gas the entire trip.
Here’s a very poor picture of SecondHalfShow reaching into your soul.
And of course any drive to Vegas must include a mandatory stop at the In ‘N Out in Barstow.
I’m pretty sure the only reason this city exists is to serve as a rest stop for travelers on their way from Vegas to Southern California or Visa Versa.
I wish I could say that the ride went smoothly. That we arrived at the T-Mac as soon as the gates opened and enjoyed warm ups with our fellow Show brethren. Yet some crazed BYU fan drove his car into the median and had us stuck in Traffic in Vegas and for over an hour, this was our view:
It was Brutal. Yet, we eventually made it into the Arena with minutes to spare before tip off and joined the rest of the Show in section 228. Ironically, I believe these were the seats where we witnessed our upset victory over then #8 New Mexico in last years MWC tournament. So we already had a good feel about the game. But, the moment I absolutely knew that we would win this game came even before I stepped inside the Arena. You see by now we are all familiar with Tre’Von Willis’s offcourt antics over the summer, and we all remember at home when we set up camp in his brain through out the game with signs and chants. Well I wanted to bring a little bit of that flavor into Vegas, into his city. But I was nervous because if the security at the T-Mac even had any clue as to what my sign (seen below) was communicating, I don’t think I would have made it far. Fortunately, Elite Security are consistently the most useless figures at sporting events and I knew I could count on their apathy. I went right on through and held up this bad boy for all to see.
We already had a good feeling about the way things were going to go, and so just like any other road game, we started things off with the fight song.
By now we all know how the game ends up. DJ and Kawhi take over, we make clutch free throws, and we make the Thomas and Mac Center our home once again. Seriously, we own that place. The Rebels are paying rent at this point. We felt like we had a good Show performance, and some Rebel fans on the MWC board agreed.
Anyway here are the game highlights:
And as the seconds wound down, the Show celebrated.
Top 3 parts of the above clip:
(3) My off key singing of Muse at the very end
(2) Stranger in blue announcing his post game plans in Vegas.
(1) The legendary David Pope declaring “We just beat their team! Now let’s go f*** their women!”
Seriously we had a lot of fun celebrating, by the time we left the Arena we were all so tired from chanting inside that we peacefully our way to our cars………….NOT. We did NOT do that. We danced our way out to the main entrance and in the meantime my “Choke Artist” Sign was ripped in 3 different places by angry Rebel fans. By the time I got outside I had resolved internally that I was going to part ways with it to 1 lucky Rebel fan. Some woman tried to steal it from me, then one of my colleagues grabbed it back from her, then I made peace with it and gave it back to the woman. I got it all on video. Enjoy:
Top 3 parts of this clip
(3) The drunk ass rebel cholo booing us through out the entire clip/the guy flicking me off as I gave away the Willis sign.
(2) Busting out the “No One Likes Us. We Don’t Care” Chant.
(1) The Anti BYU chants. I love doing it. Anytime. Anyplace. A BYU Sucks Chant is always a good idea.
After that as the unhappy UNLV fans were stuck in traffic trying to escape another loss to the Aztecs, we decided we had some time to kill so we went to greet the Aztecs as they got on the bus to go home. I got some of it on film:
Top 3 moments of the above clip:
(3) The exchange with Tim Shelton.
(2) Steve Fisher, American Hero. Giving thanks and love to all the Aztec fans that made the trip and paying extra attention to a young fan with a disability. Damn I’m proud to have him as our coach.
(1) Jamaal Franklin telling us he will try another between the legs dunk and that he didn’t get yelled at for attempting the last one.
As we said goodbye to the team, I thought to myself “Something isn’t quite right yet.” I had to leave one last impression on the Rebels before I left. As we walked back to the main entrance I then knew exactly what I had to do. I had to let remaining pieces of the “Choke Artist” sign make their final resting spot. Right where they belong.
Maybe we’ll match up with the Rebels one more time in the conference tournament, in which case I’ll wish I would have held on to that beautiful work of art. But somehow I’m at peace knowing that the last I saw it, the main portion was being taken away by an angry Rebel lady while her pimp flicked me off, and the other 2/3s were resting peacefully on the steps of our finest Vegas rental property.
The Show has blown up this year. The SDSU student section has been worthy of praise for a while now, but with the success of the basketball team this year enthusiasm has reached an all time high. Students are not only camping out hours in advance to obtain tickets, but are also lining up several hours before the gates open on game day, in order to secure the best seats in the house.
Hours before the gates open.
Still hours before game time.
Once inside the arena, it is a rush to the bottom of the section to get one’s desired seat.
Opposing coaches and players have certainly noticed the intense atmosphere at the “Madhouse on the Mesa” this season. Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds was quoted as saying “I told them that the reason they were undefeated was because of them,” Reynolds said. “That’s a great atmosphere. They’re into it. That’s what college basketball is supposed to be about. Their kids are into the game and they do it the right way.”
That’s nice praise but I much prefer the comments of Utah’s David Foster. When asked whether The Show’s antics were bothersome he said ”Absolutely. Especially them chanting something personal about coach.” The Show isn’t there to be nice. The Show exists to help the Aztecs win basketball games. No one likes us, we don’t care.
The Show has long been known for it’s unique, random and wacky costumes, but this season has brought a whole new crop of guised groupies. It seems with each game the ante is upped. Taken from The Show Commandments are the guidelines on what is appropriate attire for Aztec basketball games:
Thou shalt wear two types of attire to games: red and black, or whatever the hell you want. “Show” clothing is designed to be as funny, ludicrous and intimidating as possible. Costumes, outfits, and any accessories you can dream up are definitely encouraged.
Now, sit back and enjoy as I take you through a tour of some of the latest costumes to appear in Viejas this season.
One of my favorites, custom painted clone trooper helmets.
Bombaye Skull face paint is epic.
Dilbert and an astronaut totally make sense for an SDSU game.
Ryan Lindley and Gavin Escobar get in on the fun.
No comment.
Mainstays Shirtless Show and Showdora
I love the classic hard hat. With an SDSU logo sticker for each victory.
Not sure what to say about this, except it is awesome.
The guy has a sweet cape too.
Sith Show
Not sure what this is supposed to be, but I like it.
Everyone knows Geckshow.
Fans of the Beastie Boys should recognize this getup from the Intergalactic music vid.
Progeny of the great Shownana.
Obligatory body painted drunk guys.
Face paint is good too.
More paint.
My personal favorite, WALDshOw.
Can't call it a student section without green men.
The Drive 1360 wanted to get in on The Show too.
ShadeShow
Sombreros and painted faces near the top of the section.
Another mandatory item: wrestling masks.
Buddy the Elf. What's your favorite color?
Nice skirt.
Throwback to the Slaughter House days.
Not sure what tigers have to do with Aztecs. Awesome nonetheless.
Master Chief
So that’s it just for the last two games. Not pictured: Aztec Joker, Yo Slamma Jamma, Red/Black guy, Santa Claus, Skullshow and many many others.
The Show is not a hero. The Show is whatever Viejas Arena needs them to be. Sound familiar? Hopefully this exchange assists in giving you the right mentality for the much-awaited showdown with BYU on Feb. 26th.
Mark Fisher: Dad! Dad, is he okay?
Steve Fisher: [relieved as The Show begins to pack up all the signs and giant faces] Thank you.
The Show: You don’t have to thank me.
Steve Fisher: Yes, I do. [both look at the scoreboard to see the Aztecs undefeated record no longer in tact] BYU won. The Aztec’s reputation, everything we’ve fought for – undone. Any chance you gave us at a #1 ranking dies with the loss at BYU.. We bet it all on that. Jimmer Fredette took the best of us and tore it down. People will lose hope.
The Show: They won’t. They must never know what he did.
Steve Fisher: 43 points, five of them threes? You can’t sweep that up!
The Show: No. But the Cougars cannot win. [Starts folding up typical Show attire, putting it away] Viejas needs its true hero. [Takes out full-on mormon missionary attire, along with bicycle helmet]
Steve Fisher: [immediately understanding] No!
The Show: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” I can do those things because I’m not a hero, not like your players. I will cause Jimmer to cry. I will be UNCLASSY. That’s what I can be.
Steve Fisher: No, no! You can’t, you’re not!
The Show: I’m whatever Viejas needs me to be. [hands Steve Fisher his IPhone] Tweet it in.
Steve Fisher: They’ll hate you.
The Show: You’ll hate me. You’ll condemn me, set the media on me. [In the voiceover, Steve Fisher speaks at a press conference, then destroys the Show-Signal, The Show burns all the old, classier signs, and Conor creates new T-shirts and web designs] Because that’s what needs to happen. Because sometimes… the truth isn’t good enough. Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.
[The Show goes apeshit]
Mark Fisher: Show? The Show! Why is he cursing and yelling, Dad?
Steve Fisher: Because we have to hate him.
Mark Fisher: He didn’t do anything wrong.
Steve Fisher: Because he’s the hero Viejas deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we’ll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he’s not our hero. He’s a controversial guardian. An offensive protector. The Dark Show.
(Check out our inspiration for the BYU game and this post right here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP8d2X3EKZc See you all on February 26th)
