The Show on the Road: Flying Solo

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…

yours truly, blueaztec

The Show On The Road: Vegas (Part 2 of 3)

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.

Halloween? Mardi Gras? The Show!

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 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.