The Dark Show

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)

BYU SUCKS

That is all.

The Show on the Road: Victory at The Pit

The Pit.  A mile high and louder than Hell.  Or so they say.  The Show was more than happy to find out if this Lobo slogan would hold true for the #6 Aztecs’ visit to Albuquerque.

Our tour guide for this trip was one retired Show member.  She grew up in Albuquerque so she was able to lead us around town and give us a little background information.  Prior to our departure from San Diego she texted each of us a warning that we should bring some non-Aztec clothes for our night on the town after the game.  Win or lose, she suspected that Lobo fans would be unfriendly.  Apparently Albuquerque is a dangerous place to live.  Our guide relayed one story to us of a popular eatery in the college area called Frontier.  It is well known for its breakfast burritos (as apparently the entire area is), but to even enter the restaurant one must first pass through a metal detector.

What can brown do for you?

No more than 30 seconds after disembarking our plane in New Mexico a Lobo fan approached one of my companions to inform him “you know, here everyone is a Lobo.”  He was not kidding.  Not only is everyone a Lobo, everything is a Lobo. Restaurants, theaters and shops all bear the nickname of the UNM athletic teams.  Observing how enthusiastic this town is about Lobo athletics, I began to wonder what happens during football season.  Another interesting observation about the city of Albuquerque is that literally everything is brown or a shade thereof.  The buildings, the interior of the airport and even the grass are all brown.  It could be the most mundane looking place I’ve ever been.

Medio Litro

Our plane landed just 4 hours prior to game time, so before heading to the arena we briefly drove around the campus area.  We first spotted the statue of a Lobo, and decided it was necessary for us to mount it, in order to assert our Aztec dominance.  After this we ventured into the UNM campus bookstore.  One of my Show compatriots asked an employee there “I hear you have a large coloring book section, is this true?”   Eventually we met up with well known pep band member FemBone for lunch.  We dined at Bailey’s on the Beach, a restaurant at which FemBone’s brother helped create the menu.  There I enjoyed my Coca-Cola containing real sugar, imported from real Mexico.

Snake

After lunch we made our way on over to The Pit.  While waiting to enter the arena (approximately 1 hour before tipoff) surrounded by a veritable wolfpack of UNM fans, I was very tempted to sing the SDSU fight song, but the fear of being shanked was enough to dissuade me.  Once we were inside the arena I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm any longer.  As I stood on the concourse above the bowl of the arena I shouted “GO AZTECS” as loud as possible.  Immediately, the infamous Lobo super fan “Snake”, took notice and he was none too pleased with the Aztec invasion.  I’m not sure how his nickname came about, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a reference to his reptilian appearance, with his bald head and leathery skin.  If you know nothing of “Snake”, just know this, he was arrested last season for soliciting a prostitute.  Can you really blame the guy though?  There must be slim pickings in ABQ, as evidenced by another fan’s fondling of UNM mascot Lobo Lucy (http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/police:-lobo-lucy-groped-by-drunk-fan).

Fisher is the classy one

Shortly before the game former New Mexico Lobo Darington Hobson came out to take his seat in the front row, but not before holding his ear to the crowd in order to elicit a response.  I wonder if Hobson realizes many Lobo fans still feel jilted about his decision to leave New Mexico early.  Yet another gaudy Lobo persona is the New Mexico coach himself, Steve Alford, even if only in his wardrobe choices.  One of my favorite chants ever started at Viejas Arena was the one mocking Steve Alford’s “Mustard Pants.”  Well, for this particular matchup with the Aztecs Alford chose to complete the condiment combo with his Ketchup Jacket.

Before the game started I had a nice conversation with one of the few Aztecs fans that made the trip out to Albuquerque.  I didn’t catch his name, but he sits in section C in Viejas.  Here is a picture of him at the airport, snapped before I knew that he’d be sitting right next to me.

A couple minutes into the game the Aztecs found themselves in a 13-6 hole.  And just a few minutes after that the Aztecs completed what might have been the decisive run in the game.  Now, in this game I’m not sure I got the full experience of visiting The Pit.  I don’t know when it’s supposed to be louder than Hell, but when the Aztecs are on a 12-0 run it is no louder than a church.  The highlight of the first half (and probably the season) was DJ Gay’s epic (beyond) half court shot.  DJ had been on a tear near the end of the half, so when he rebounded the ball I though to myself ‘I’ll bet he hits another three,’ then I looked up at the clock and saw that less than 3 seconds remained, and I thought ‘oh well,’ and before I could even finish the thought, the ball was swishing through the net, and all I could think was “Holy SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”  Up to this point I had been somewhat reserved with my enthusiasm, being surrounded by hundreds of irritable Lobos.  But I would not sit after the best shot I have ever seen in person.  The 4 of us stood and belted out the Aztecs’ fight song at the top of our lungs.  Never have I seen such anger, hate and rage issued through the expressions on a person’s face.  The New Mexico fans around us were seething that opposing fans would dare enter their Pit and dishonor its hallowed atmosphere with an alien fight song.  No one likes us, we don’t care!

Aztecs lead at the half

On this particular night DJ Gay was inhuman.  He channeled the spirit of Brandon Heath, to hit 7 out of 11 three point shots.  The Lobos would have been wise to pull the fire alarm in this game (http://www.krqe.com/dpp/sports/ncaa/unm-pit-evacuated-), because DJ Gay was on FIRE!!  By the end of the game you could literally hear the collective sigh of the Lobo fans each time DJ caught the ball.

During the second half when it became apparent that the Aztecs would leave with a victory, the New Mexico fans became testy.  After an Aztec basket, during a timeout I stood and cheered verbatim “Go Aztecs! WOOooOOooOO!”  A Lobo fan a few rows in front of us told me off saying “you have no class!”  Another Lobo shouted “they don’t know what it’s like to win in March, give them a break!”  What I found ironic about this is that just this past March the Aztecs defeated New Mexico in an important tournament game.

Security at The Pit is serious business

Late in the game the Aztecs found themselves in a bit of foul trouble.  The fans in the arena would never have known though, because even after the recent $60 million dollar renovation to The Pit, there is no scoreboard that lists players’ points and fouls.  Even the arenas of the Big West feature such conveniences.  Seriously New Mexico, get your act together.

So the Aztecs left The Pit with yet another W (having won 4 of the last 6 in Albuquerque).  After the game we waited by the bus to get a few pictures with the team, and to congratulate them on a wonderful victory.  Already waiting by the bus was UNM fan “Snake”.  He was there getting all the Aztecs to sign an SDSU media guide.  He was very respectful, appreciative and congratulatory to the team and coaches, so much so that I almost feel bad for my digs on him earlier in this blog (almost).  So I invited him to join us in one of the photos with the team.  We waited around for quite a while for the hero of the night DJ Gay, as he was heavily occupied with the press after such a performance.  Finally he came out with Coach Fisher and the four of us cheered “DEEE JAAAAAY GAAAAAY” a la the Viejas Arena PA announcer.  Both DJ and Coach were all smiles.

Do What DJ Does

After a dominant victory in The Pit and a successful post game photo op, I skipped back to our car jovially, as though we had just won the MWC Tournament.  On the way back to the car Darcy (our tour guide and Show retiree) provided one of the best quotes of the trip, “I love it when Gay is hot!”

The next morning, the Lobos were greeted with the below headline in the Albuquerque Journal.  Awesome is right!  After the victory Malcolm Thomas tweeted “19-0…Can we get some respect?”  The Aztecs are starting to get the respect they deserve. It seems with each victory, more and more jump on the bandwagon.  ESPN called the Aztecs the most impressive undefeated team of the week.  And after the plane landed in San Diego even the flight attendant exhorted “Go Aztecs, 19-0” over the speakers.

Awesome: inspiring awe or admiration or wonder

Do Work Coach

On my return flight to San Diego I had the pleasure of being on the same plane as the team.  When I boarded in New Mexico, as I walked past Steve Fisher in search of a seat, he stopped me to shake my hand and thank me for coming out.  So I decided to take a seat in the same row across the aisle.  During the flight Coach worked diligently in preparation for the Aztecs’ next game (at home against Air Force on 1/19).  The flight was pleasant, and I was excited to be back once again in America’s finest city.  While waiting outside for my ride to pick me up at the airport DJ Gay, Billy White and Tim Shelton walked past me towards the team bus, and as they did so they approached me to thank me for coming.  I thanked them for continuing to win and wished them luck against Air Force.  I was really impressed with their gesture, and I’m glad that we have such honorable student athletes representing our school.

That does it for this edition of the Road Show Blog, the next installment will be after the UNLV game on February 12th.

Yeah, we will have 1 or 2 people there

Until that time,

Yours truly, blueaztec

The Scientific Side of Self-Pity

San Diego State University proudly boasts of being named the #1 small research university in the country for the last 4 years. I’m starting to wonder if the athletics program at SDSU has something to do with that. Because SDSU athletics has unknowingly ventured into the scientific field and the results are both sound and logical. Granted, the AD’s office hasn’t formulated any groundbreaking scientific data inside the AAC, but I can’t think of a better example of an organism that adheres more to the laws of physics than these guys. They are their very own scientific research project.

Maybe it’s because their home field used to be called Jack Murphy stadium. Maybe former San Diego mayor Dick Murphy has something to do with it. It could even be “McMurphy’s” fault, the local pub just a few blocks from campus.  But San Diego State University has always been a strict adherent to good ol’ Murphy’s Law.  And you don’t have to be future French bio-chemist Mehdi Cheriet to know what Murphy’s law is. It’s the epigram that states, “If anything can go wrong, it will.”

And that idiom seems to have been the constant theme at SDSU for as long as I can remember. Today’s latest example is former Aztec head coach Brady Hoke’s departure for snowier pastures at the University of Michigan.

You can’t blame Brady for leaving. After all, he has stated several times to private and public sources that Michigan was his dream destination. But it seemed like so many unfortunate things had to happen just to leave SDSU without the only head coach to lead them to a bowl win since Don Coryell in 1969.

Rich-Rod, Harbaugh, Miles, Strong and whoever else all found a way to get themselves out of the picture so Hoke could find his way to pose front and center, donning the maize and blue.

I know every fan-base goes through this kind of thing. The sky seems to be falling on half the schools in the country. And if it’s not this thing, its another and so forth.  So who knows?  This might not turn out so bad, and SDSU’s future could be as bright as ever. For example, I’m pretty sure we still have an undefeated basketball team, who happens to be ranked #6 in the country.  And our team enjoys the advantage of playing in front of one of the most fanatical home-courts in college basketball.

And so far nothing has gone terribly wrong for our beloved hoops squad.  So I’m not going to lament over a possible curse.

Now, if Brian Carlwell gets caught stealing a fridge, Tim Shelton leaves the team to sign with Death Row, Malcolm Thomas jaywalks into oncoming traffic, Mehdi is deported after being exposed as a French spy and Kawhi Leonard leaves our planet to go back to his home on Pandora, then I might start going off on a whole “we’re cursed” rant.

But for now, I would just like to acknowledge that SDSU is not immune to the laws of the universe. And if any physics professor at San Diego State is having a hard time explaining Murphy’s law to his hungover and sunburned  GE students, he doesn’t need to look any farther than our very own Athletics Department for a perfect example.

“Life isn’t fair” has never sounded so scientific.

Do What DJ Does

A Little Conference Home Opener Gift From The Show. Enjoy.

Go DJ. That’s Our DJ.

Whatchu Chokin About Willis?!

As the Aztecs get set to host our conference home opener Wednesday night against the Rebels it’s important that we reflect on one particular UNLV player who got his hands wrapped around a messy situation in the off-season.

We as the Show have come across some pretty nasty characters in opposing uniforms over the years. Players who have been suspended for drug use, drunk driving, fighting, and being Australian. But in this, my 6th season with the Show down in Row 1, I don’t think I have ever come across a player as cowardly and disgusting as UNLV’s Tre’Von Willis.

On Tuesday June 29, 2010 Tre’Von was arrested on chargers of Domestic Battery against his 26 year old girl friend. Willis spent the night in the Henderson Detention Center before his bail was posted at $18,637 the next day.Willis allegedly wrapped his hands around this ladies neck and choked her. Then he  fled the scene before police arrived. He was then taken into custody  8 hours later.

Mugshot

The following 3 months were a mess of conflicting reports, hearings, arraignments, and ultimately a plea agreement signed on September 28th. Consistent with his cowardly acts of beating on a woman, then running from the cops, Willis denied ever having choked her. I’m not here to play detective, I will let the actual detectives tell you their conclusions of their report.

Willis, 22, had been involved in a relationship “full of turmoil and hardships” with 28-year-old Skye Sanders for more than a year, the report said.

About 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at Sanders’ Henderson apartment, the couple’s struggles escalated into a physical beating at the hands of the 6-foot-4 inch guard, according to the report.

The report said Willis was angry at Sanders because she wasn’t paying attention to him and, instead, was text messaging friends.

Sanders told police Willis said he was going out, and she replied she also was going out. Willis then overturned Sanders’ purse, dumping its contents while looking for her keys. Sanders laughed at Willis because her keys were not in her purse. That’s when Willis got physical with Sanders for the first time during their relationship.

“Willis had his thumbs in the center of her throat with his fingers wrapping around the sides of her neck,” the report stated. “Sanders stated that while Willis was choking her, Willis kept saying to her, ‘Say you’re sorry.’ “

Sanders told police she was barely able to say she couldn’t breathe while Willis had his hands around her throat.

When police interviewed Sanders at her home, she was crying and nervously shaking. The reporting officer said he observed slight redness on the front of her neck, according to the report.

Police interviewed Willis at his Las Vegas apartment about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The report said Willis told police he was at Sanders’ apartment and did have a verbal altercation with her, but it didn’t turn physical.

Willis was arrested on charges of felony domestic battery by strangulation, felony grand larceny for stealing Sanders’ cell phone and misdemeanor coercion.

Ok. So we can all agree that Tre’Von Willis is a dirty, cowardly, scumbag both on and off the court. Had Willis been an Aztec, Steve Fisher would have kicked him off the team before Willis ever posted bail. Maybe we’re spoiled in having a classy coach who demands that his players represent their university and themselves with dignity and honor. I guess it shouldn’t surprise anyone that at a school located in Las Vegas, charges of domestic battery are glossed over even by the school itself. The punishment Willis agreed to in his plea deal included community service, rehabilitation counseling, and a threat of a 90 day jail sentence if he doesn’t stay out of trouble. The punishment handed down to him by his coach Lon Kruger? A 3 game suspension including  2 games against meaningless exhibition opponents and cupcake UC Riverside.

Justice apparently had it’s way through the legal system. Willis accepted a plea agreement and was judged. We at the Show respect that. However we will not stand for the injustice that went down after Kruger’s “slap on the wrist” punishment in the basketball world. 3 games for choking, stealing, and running away? Apparently coach Kruger believes in running his team true to his school mascot. The lawless nature of this event would make any Rebel proud.

So it’s our job to hand down justice. We plan on making it hell for Willis and giving him exactly what he deserves.

On Wednesday night, please bring your signs, bring your voices, and let’s send this coward back to his sin city where he belongs with another loss on his back.

The Show on the Road: Boylen Mad

“We’ve been up and down but we feel we are moving in the right direction,” Boylen said.

Such are the expectations surrounding the Utah basketball program this season.  How far the mighty have fallen.  These days the Ute’s are satisfied just being competitive with USD and Air Force.  Rick Majerus must be rolling over in his grave.  Wait, what?  He’s alive?  Well it appears his legacy at Utah certainly is dead.

From Boylen’s behavior on the sidelines you would never guess that he believes the Utes are headed in the right direction.  Never in the history of college basketball has there been a more obnoxious coach.  On the sideline Boylen plays better defense than his team does on the floor.  Regularly throughout the game he scurries up and down the sidelines, wide eyed, with hands outstretched as though his demonstration will suddenly enthuse the Utes into playing decent defense.  Well apparently it works for him.  Aztec fans should remember this infamous play during which he became the first coach ever to enter the box score, when he stole the ball from Lorrenzo Wade. 

Boylen’s antics have caused somewhat of an exodus of talent from the basketball program.  4 players with remaining eligibility left Utah in the off season.  A promising Ute freshman, Marshall Henderson, quit the team and transferred to Texas Tech.  Henderson was the kind of player Mountain West fans loved to hate.  He was cocky, the kind of guy that would drain a 3 (to go 1 for 6), and hold up his fingers in triumph, despite being on the losing end of a 70-68 score.  Though, last year during the game at BYU Henderson did something every fan can appreciate, when he punched BYU’s Jackson Emery.  So I guess he’s okay in my book.

Delirium had not yet set in

The ride up to Utah was tiresome and taxing.  Believe it or not, traveling 10+ hours by car from sunny San Diego into pollution riddled Salt Lake City is not the best of times.  We did make the most of it though.

The Show travels in style

I was excited when during the drive we began to see myriad billboards featuring advertisements for various wedding services.  Seeing those, I knew we were approaching the heart of LDS country.  We finally arrived to our hotel, the Grand America, after 9 PM on Friday night. The morning of the game we headed out to get some food and noticed there seemed to be plenty of fog in the air.  It was not until later in the day we learned that the air was not filled with fog, it turned out that it was in fact smog.

Could Utah fans look more miserable?

Uncle Teddy

We arrived at our seats in the arena with about 20 minutes until game time.  Our seats were positioned just a few rows in front of Ted Leitner’s broadcast booth, and at mid-court.  Ideal tickets for viewing an Aztec beat down.  While the arena was still quiet the 7 of us sang the fight song, loud and proud.  The Aztecs took notice as Malcolm Thomas pointed us out and James Rahon fist pumped along to “S-D-S-U SDSU Aztecs Fight!”  The outburst of school spirit must have been somewhat of a surprise to the smattering of Utah faithful in attendance, as many of them turned their heads to wonder what was going on.  On the topic of fight songs, it’s always funny to hear Utah’s anthem.  It is a catchy tune that could be confused with the Mickey Mouse song.  You can sing along starting at the 11 second mark. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E, M-I-C-K-E-Y, M—O—U—S—E… MICKEY MOUSE!

Stay Classy Utah

On this particular day the MUSS (Mighty Utah Student Section) was a bit of a disappointment.  A more apt moniker would be the Meager Utah Student Section.  Apparently the Ute students cannot get up for a home game against the #6 team in the nation.  Meanwhile Viejas Arena is sold to capacity against the likes of Occidental College.  Here you can see the few dozen students that remembered there was a game waving giant heads, a trademark of SDSU’s The Show.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I guess they couldn't figure out what a Ute looks like

In the first half the Aztecs were unable to get off to a dominant start.  Playing their second consecutive road game, I was ready to cut our team some slack.  The second half was business as usual as the Aztecs went on a routine 10-0 run, the 18th run of the year of at least 10 unanswered points.  The Aztecs went the first 19 minutes of the second half without a turnover so I credit our team with the ability to adjust at half time and better execute.  The highlights of the game were Tim Shelton’s ridiculous number of charges drawn (4), Billy White’s intimidating screen and DJ Gay’s 4 second half threes. One of my favorite plays was one in which the Aztecs showed great determination, despite missing several shots around the basket, the players continued to do work and get rebounds, finally Malcolm Thomas put the ball in the basket and drew a foul.

In the second half I was able to dance my way on to the big screen, during the Boogie Cam timeout segment.  With the general lack of enthusiasm in the arena I knew I was sure to be featured, so I danced with the intention of pimping my MWC Champions shirt once I appeared on the screen.  Unfortunately once I was about to display my shirt, they must have realized they’d zeroed in on an Aztec and the camera switched to a different fan.

This is our house

Late in the second half we enjoyed the traditional early exit of the losing fans.  We stuck around for a while and sang the fight song once things had quieted down.  The Utah fans were definitely disgruntled with us singing our fight song in their house.  No one likes us, we don’t care!!  One ballsy Utah fan attempted to put the Aztecs down by asking who we have beaten, and I was happy to inform him that “As far as you’re concerned, we just beat Utah!”  So Utah should be a perfect fit for the PAC 12, with their basketball team on a 6 game losing streak and their football team’s loss to incoming Mountain West team Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Un-De-Feat-Ed

After the game we waited until Steve Fisher’s radio interview had ended and took the opportunity to take a photo with Coach.  Steve Fisher was, as always, very gracious and thanked us all for coming.  I thanked Coach Fisher and said “We’ll see you next week in New Mexico.”  After the photo Natalie asked Coach Fisher if he could help her out with a little problem she had.  Natalie recently had the contents of her wallet stolen, including tickets to several basketball home games.  Natalie politely asked (and I paraphrase), “Steve Fisher, would you happen to have any student tickets on you to the UNLV game on Wednesday?”  Seeing that Coach was a little confused, Natalie explained her unfortunate circumstances.  As Natalie relayed her story, Mike May stood at the ready and handed her a business card.  Coach Fisher instructed Natalie to give him a call when we all got back to San Diego, saying “we’ll get you into that game!”  Steve Fisher, the classiest guy I know.

Having successfully invaded Salt Lake, we were more than happy to get on the road back to America’s Finest City.  But first we had one stop along the way, in a town called Provo.  We stopped at LaVell Edwards Stadium, where we spotted an open gate to the football field.  I so wanted to run onto the field and desecrate it, but the girls would not allow it, apparently they didn’t want me to get into any sort of trouble.  I still think it would have been totally worth it, no matter the consequences.  Well, the main reason I wanted to stop in Provo was to mount the statue of a cougar which stands outside their stadium.  I was excited to display my sign warning the Zoobs of their doom, which they will meet on February 26th in San Diego.

After the detour in Provo, we sped off down the 15 towards our town.  Everything was going swimmingly until only a few miles before crossing the border into Arizona.  It was there that we were stopped for speeding.  The name of the exit where we were stopped?  Brigham Road.  Of all places in the state of Utah.  The officer approached the vehicle and asked “is there any reason you’re going this fast?” To which I responded “To get the F*** out of this state!”  He didn’t take too kindly to that so he decided to give me a citation for speeding.  They can’t stick it to us in basketball, so I guess they’ve got to get us this way.  We finally arrived back in San Diego around 4 AM.  The drive back was made more enjoyable by our jovial shouting of the fight song, and being 17-0 can make any drive enjoyable.  In less than 48 hours we drove to Utah, watched the Aztecs win and drove back.  VICTORY!!

 

So, we look forward now to our next road trip.  This upcoming Saturday we will travel to The Pit at New Mexico.

Until then,

Yours truly, blueaztec

The Show on the Road: Vegas Part 1 (of 3)

Our name in lights!

I will start off by saying that this entry was more difficult than the last.  There were no opposing fans, mascots or an arena to ridicule.  I guess the opponents’ lack of fans is worthy of ridicule though.

The Show Invades Las Vegas

When the schedule for the 2010-2011 season was announced this trip was immediately one of the most anticipated of the year for me.  It’s not often you get the opportunity to attend two games away from home all in one trip.  The fact that the event was to take place within driving distance made it all the more exciting.  I believe the best road trips are the ones where there are few opposing fans, because it is easier for The Show to dominate the arena, and get in opposing players’ heads.  That’s one reason we made the trip to Colorado State last year, and it is the reason I’m heading to the Air Force game in Colorado Springs this year.  The event at the South Point would be something extra special though.  If the CBE was anything to judge by then this event would be devoid of life, at least that was Ted Leitner’s assessment.  I expected that there would actually be a large showing of Aztec fans, because of the proximity to San Diego, and the team’s great success this season.  It turns out I was more right than Uncle Teddy, for each of our games SDSU had a couple hundred fans in attendance.

I Believe That We Will Win

This week was set up to be an awesome Aztec extravaganza when SDSU was chosen to compete in the Poinsettia Bowl at home in Aztec Warrior Stadium.  The plan was to head to Vegas on Tuesday morning, own souls in Vegas for two nights, then return to San Diego Thursday morning, to get our tailgate on and observe the Aztecs’ pummeling of the Midshipmen of Navy.

During the drive to Las Vegas rain would hinder our progress, but not our spirits.  When we finally arrived at the South Point, we first dropped our luggage off in the room and headed to the gymnasium to scope out our digs for the next couple days.  Having seen pictures, the place was exactly what I expected.  When we entered Miami was playing Rice, and the place had perhaps 150 fans, just the way I like it.

The event was a veritable who’s who of college basketball blue chips.  You had your Stetsons, Arkansas-Little Rocks, Oral Robertses… you get the idea.  The organizers of this event hit the jackpot when they landed a top 10 ranked team to bring any sort of legitimacy to the affair.  The excitement surrounding the Aztecs showed on the South Point’s roadside marquee.

The Aztecs would face defending World Series champions San Francisco in the first game, and the Indiana Hoosiers Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Jaguars in the second game.

Right Behind the Bench

For each game The Show was able to secure the best seats in the house, directly behind the Aztecs bench.  At first we were unsure if we were allowed on the concrete at floor level, but as we slowly walked to the seats no one attempted to stop us.  In fact there didn’t seem to be any staff in the gym of any sort.  I felt like I could have sprinted on the court and interfered with the game with no repercussions.  From our location we could hear all the most intimate moments in the Aztecs’ huddles.

The San Francisco game provided a scare for some of the more unseasoned of us.  SDSU was unable to pull away from the Dons, and finally ended up winning by making a few free throws to close the game out.  After the game the players were incredibly gracious and appreciative, and came by The Show to offer their thanks for our attendance.  We are always more than happy to travel to whatever road games we can.  Tim Shelton offered apologies for what he deemed a poor performance.  Well Tim, a win is a win, and I’ll take one any way we can get it.  There is another team that is on the other side of that score, and I’m glad it’s not us.

The South Point has a great array of possible post-game activities.  For those not interested in gambling there is $1/game bowling.  We decided it would be fun to roll.  Just make sure that if you step over the line you mark it zero.  I was able to put together an unbeatable string of frames in our second game.  Strike, 7, strike, strike, spare, spare, spare.  I was on fire like DJ Gay against a UCSB zone.  For post rolling dining the South Point offers excellent value.  At the Coronado Café, for just $2.45 you can get eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns.  Can life get better? I submit that it cannot!

After bowling, and dining at the Coronado Café I was finally able to hit the sack after having been awake for 29 hours.

Best Show in Vegas

Our second game of the event started bright and early at 7PM.  This game would feature a rematch with the Aztecs’ heated rival IUPUI.  In the first meeting the Aztecs came away with a 15 point victory.  So despite the less than stellar performance on the previous day, and playing our second game in 2 days (and third game in 5 days), I was confident the Aztecs would win.  I’m writing this blog 6 days after the game occurred, so I’m a little hazy on the details.  The most important detail though is that the Aztecs won.  The game was close, but as a fan you have to appreciate that SDSU is still undefeated. No matter the score at the end of the game, I will always be thankful for the effort that our student athletes put forth.

After the second game we decided to eat at Steak n Shake, in two shifts.  Steak n Shake is a Midwest staple offering mostly burgers and fries.  We ate there at around 11:30PM, and I had a triple burger with fries and cherry limeade.  By 12:30AM I was dining again at the Coronado Café on the $2.45 breakfast special.  My favorite moment of the trip came between those consecutive meals.  All the teams and coaches in the event were staying at the South Point, so it was common to see them walking around, in fact it was funny to see the IUPUI coach gambling at one of the tables.  He had to head to the ATM at least once, so he may be no better at gambling than winning basketball games.  Anyway, back to my point.  After dining at Steak n Shake we were hanging out trying to decide what to do next.  That’s when Steve Fisher walked past, he must have been looking for someone or something.  When he was about 100 feet away he passed by our friend WALDshOw.  We indicated to her that she should say hi to the coach.  The man that has coached in 3 national championship games.  The man that has led SDSU to a #7 ranking.  So she goes up to coach and says “Fisher, high five!”  Of course, Steve Fisher was more than happy to oblige, and our gracious coach thanked her for coming.

Frog!

The next day my group left Vegas at 7AM, we wanted to be back in plenty of time in order to start tailgating for the Poinsettia Bowl.  The SHOWgate really got going a few hours until game time, and it was probably the biggest we’ve ever had.  I participated in and won my first ever game of beer pong, ending my opponents 26 game win streak.  Shortly before the football game we headed in to Aztec Warrior Stadium, and took our place at field level.  From there we enjoyed the Aztecs’ dismantling of the Midshipmen.  San Diego State University is the Poinsettia Bowl Champion, and ranked #7 in the nation in basketball.  Take the time to reflect on that.  The accomplishments of these two teams bring me an overwhelming sense of pride, and my hope is that every member of Aztec Warrior Nation is just as proud.

The Show on TV

VICTORY!

USD Basketball: Losing is the only way to beat SDSU

“If at first you don’t succeed, find out if the loser gets anything.”

Acclaimed American educator William Lyon Phillips taught this clever idiom to his students at Yale and Harvard. At inferior institutions like the University of San Diego, students are used to getting a substandard education. But by the looks of USD’s newest basketball strategy, the perennial losers located slightly west of SDSU might actually be learning something after-all.

This Saturday, the undefeated San Diego State Aztecs will welcome the all-but-defeated San Diego Toreros to Viejas Arena for the annual San Diego Championship. The Sons of Montezuma have shown anything but mercy to the helpless Catholics and defeated them four straight times and seven of the last eight in this supposed rivalry game.

“It’s not a rivalry,” Controversial SDSU mascot Zuma said. “Those pampered, spoiled b*tches need to step up their games and make this sh** competitive. D*mn, their sh** is weak. They f%$#ing suck!”

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a rival is “a person or thing that is in a position to dispute another’s preeminence or superiority.”

“There’s only one position USD should be on, and that’s on their knees,” Zuma said.

Although undoubtedly crass and tasteless, Zuma has a point. USD is in no position to challenge SDSU for anything, besides a rousing game of “Let’s waste our parent’s hard-earned money for outlandish tuition payments towards an average education.”

I would like to go back to where we started, that is, that maybe not everyone at USD is getting dumber from their time there. But first, I need to explain something called, “The Ratings Percentage Index” or the RPI. The RPI is a quantity used to rank NCAA basketball teams based upon a team’s wins and losses and its strength of schedule.

For instance, San Diego State currently has an RPI of 9, which means the RPI has ranked SDSU the 9th best school based on the quality of teams the Aztecs have beaten. USD has an RPI of 341, or 5th worst of all the teams in college basketball that have played a Div. 1 game.

So how could the USD Tostitos cause any harm to the Aztec Warriors by being so miserably pathetic?

Well that’s where USD’s sneaky ploy comes into play. You see, the NCAA selection committee looks at the RPI to determine seeding in the NCAA Championship tournament. Right now, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has SDSU as a 4 seed in the Southwest region. The higher your team’s RPI, the better your team’s odds are of receiving a high seed when March Madness comes around. USD’s coaches and players surprisingly know this information, which comes as a shock to many considering their incredibly low-level of basketball IQ. Could USD’s path towards putrescence really be a savage attempt to destroy SDSU’s compelling odds at a deep run in March Madness?

Let’s crunch the numbers.

SDSU’s RPI is a healthy 9 as of today. But even after beating USD tomorrow, their RPI is projected to double to 18. Their strength of schedule will also drop from 51st in the country to 118th.

Is this merely a coincidence or another example of this Catholic school’s Machiavellian treachery, similar to the Spanish conquistadors’ reign of terror from the 15th-19th centuries?

“It’s ground-breaking, really,” USD Head Coach Bill Grier said. “I’m so proud of this institution for thinking this up. Even if it was our assistant janitor who thought of it.”

“It hasn’t been easy,” Torero leading scorer-by-default Darian Norris said. “We knew we would have to suck to epic proportions, the likes of which college basketball has never seen before.”

“When coach told us the news, we were all a little confused,” Norris said. “But then when we realized that we weren’t good at basketball anyway, and SDSU would probably beat us by 50 points, we decided this was the best route to take.”

The crazy thing is, USD hasn’t even been losing to good teams.

“It’s been tough,” Sophomore scrub Ken Rancifer said. “Normally losing comes really easy to us, but some of the teams we’ve played are so bad, I don’t know how we do it.  I don’t think Fresno St. had even won a game, and they beat us. One thing that helps is our lack of talent and coordination. That’s been a key to keeping us behind teams all year long.”

It’s hard to believe, but pretty much every player and coach at USD is on board. Whether its due to lack of talent, flagging ticket sales, or just outright jealousy, the hatred for SDSU at USD still runs deep.

“I hate SDSU so much,” a student at USD said, who is speaking on condition of anonymity. But his name is Kelsey Chase, the USD Associated Students President. “Last time SDSU came to the Slim Gym, we tried to yell at them, call them names, even pick fights afterwards, but they can’t understand the pain that goes on underneath it all, knowing that we attend an incomparably worse university. That night, all my friends got together in my dorm room and just cried. Cried like little b*tches.”

So is this a strategy USD might employ for future years to come?

“I don’t see why not,” USD freshman forward Dennis Kramer said. “It’s not like we are going to be good anytime soon. Everyone knows SDSU is our biggest rival. Hell, no one on campus even remembers we have a basketball team unless we are playing the Aztecs or Gonzaga. At least this way we can effect their season somewhat negatively.”

What about the Torero’s lone win, against Div. III school Occidental?

“Oh, see, we took that into account.” Coach Grier said. “Luckily, only games against Div. I opponents count in the RPI rating. I’m actually shocked we won that game, but fortunately we will still be able to ruin SDSU’s RPI as much as possible despite that victory.”

Finally, unfortunate looking USD senior guard Matt Dorr summed it up best.

“We’ve sucked at so many other things at this school through the years. It just feels right to suck more than anything at basketball, the one thing people might actually care about when it comes to USD. Sometimes I wonder if I really have anything left to live for.. Just kidding.. Not really, though…”

Hopefully, this Saturday, the Aztecs can exact a worthy revenge upon USD for their devious scheme. And if anyone from USD is brave enough to venture into Viejas for the 7 PM tip, I think the better-educated and incalculably more clever students from SDSU will embrace those wise words from Professor Phillips, and give those “losers” all that they can handle.

This. Is. What. We. Do.

Just Evidence of the Destruction We Leave in our Wake. (Click to Enlarge)