NCAA Football: Rooting For Rivals to Win Games? - Joe Chacon's Blog

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Joe Chacon's Blog

NCAA Football: Rooting For Rivals to Win Games? Stuck

Posted on September 13, 2012 at 01:41 AM.

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My earliest childhood memories include a white horse named Traveler, the colors cardinal and gold, and the sound of a fight song that bugs the heck out of everyone who is not a USC Trojan fan.

I've lived through the best and worst of times -- at least as long as I've been alive. I've dealt with the Larry Smith, John Robinson (Part II), Paul Hackett era. If you ever want to know how bad our team was, just know that Petros Papadakis was our star player. That should be all you need to know.

I remember how everyone questioned the hiring of Pete Carroll and then how USC returned to dominance once Carroll got things going. Only to become the disgrace of college football once the "Reggie Bush Sanctions" came down on us.

And I say "us" because that's just how you identify with your favorite team. I've never taken a class at USC, but USC football was my Grandpa's passion during the Anthony Davis era, and he instilled those traditions and love for the team for my Dad and then that was passed on to me. There's nothing like getting together to watch a USC football game.

As much as the love for Trojan football exists, so does the dislike for UCLA and Notre Dame. I hope Notre Dame loses at everything they do. It's part of being a USC fan and it just comes naturally. On the same note, there aren't very many Notre Dame Fans who want to see USC do well in anything...ever.

Here's where I become a bit conflicted. Trojan fans can't stand UCLA Bruin fans. When it comes to basketball and every other sport, I hope UCLA loses each game they play. However, when the Bruins took the field against Nebraska this past weekend I wanted nothing more than for them to win. The same feeling overtook me a few years ago when they beat Tennessee to emphatically begin the Rick Neuheisel era.

I want UCLA football to win. There are a couple reasons for this:

I'm sick of USC and UCLA playing their rivalry game late at night on the local cable network. I want them to return to their nationally televised game in the afternoon on ABC. This won't happen unless both teams are doing well.
I'm a Pac-12 supporter. Anything UCLA does on the football field reflects upon the Pac-12 and I want the conference to be strong. Rivalry or no rivalry the strength of the conference is important to the overall well-being of USC football. Therefore, I want them to win their non-conference games.

Most of my fellow USC fans don't understand how I could possibly pull for UCLA football. I don't think it is too uncommon. My wife is from Alabama and loves Bama football. However, when Auburn is playing...let's say...Oregon State, she will pull for Auburn because of the Alabama and SEC ties.

Obviously when the rivals face each other I want nothing more than for the field to open up and swallow all of the Bruin players, but leading up to the game I don't mind seeing them succeed a bit -- just not more than USC.

OS Voice: Do you ever pull for your rival to win on the football field?

Joe Chacon is a staff writer for Operation Sports and a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeChacon.

Comments

# 1 psymin1 @ Sep 13

As a Michigan fan, I never, ever want Ohio State to win. They could be playing a MAC team, and I'm pulling for the MAC team. Some rivalries just transcend conference pride, and UM/OSU is one of them. I'm sure Buckeye fans would agree.

# 2 cdh72469 @ Sep 13

As an Auburn man...never ever root for Alabama in any sport...never. I have no SEC "pride" when it comes to the Tide. An I suspect true Alabama supporters feel the same way about Auburn. Next on the list is Georgia, whom I only root for if they are playing, you guessed it...Alabama. WDE!

# 3 speedtrucker @ Sep 13

thank you cdh72469... I get so tired of the SECSECSEC "pride" from lower tier schools. I'm a Texas alum, I've never rooted for OU to win although I do always hope that they maintain a lossless record until the TX/OU game. I've never been a "if Texas can't win it, then let a SWC or Big12 team win it."
I root for Texas not for the conference, now I do like to see the weaker teams in the Big12 win in their bowl games. it's good for Tech, Baylor, Iowa State or even Mizzou and A&M while they were around to win in their lower tier bowl games. but I wasn't rooting for OU ever in any bowl game, I was glad to see Florida,WVU, USC, Boise st and LSU run them in their matchups.

# 4 thelakeshow @ Sep 13

I with Joe. I hate UCLA with a passion, but this past weekend I was rooting for UCLA to destroy Nebraska. I will continue to root for UCLA to beat top 25, non conference, regular season opponents. Other then that, I will not root for UCLA under any circumstances. Now Notre Dame, I don't care who they play. I will never root for Notre Dame, in any sports. Unless its there Womens Basketball team w/ Skylar Diggins, because she's fine as f*ck.

# 5 Jimbo614 @ Sep 14

Sure, all the time. I'm a Kentucky Basketball fan; I root for Louisville and Duke.
Louisville because of Pitino, and state pride, and Duke because simply they have a lot of class. And the world tremers when UK and Duke play. The greatest rivalry thats not a rivalry!
As to your sentiments about Notre Dame.. You gotta understand, it's a bunch of midwest spoiled rich elitests. They live in a bubble where they can do no wrong. Their parents coddle them from birth, their high schools coddle them, They only date Prom Queens. They are Frat boys. And then they go up against USC.. Who's everything they are, only more so. And it messes up their heads.

# 6 Bmore Irish @ Sep 15

totally understand this...to an extent. im a HUGE NOTRE DAME fan. watching them dominate michigan state right now. i dont neccessarily root for michigan or state, but i like to see them win only if the irish beat them. although i absolutely hate usc and never want to see them win ever, possibly cuz of the bitterness i feel about some fairly recent blowout wins over my beloved irish lol. and pete carroll is an @$$****, truly a douche

# 7 Bmore Irish @ Sep 16

and stanfords really got yalls number haha. i forgot to mention lane kiffin is a real jerk too. oh and @Jimbo614, what are you talkin bout man? USC is exactly the kinda team whose players all walk around like their **** dont stink. that got them real far tongiht huh?