Remembering What's Important

by BruinFan1 on Nov 30, 2008 8:42 PM PST Comment 9 comments

Conquest Chronicles -

It's been a long time since I've been around to post on any of my favorite. Some of the reasons have been good, and some of the reasons for my absence has been unfortunate. Right now, especially in light of what will occur on December 6, we should all keep in mind what is truly important and not get ourselves mired in some of the uglier vitriol that we see in what appears to be an increasingly nastier rivalry, especially on the internet.

On June 21, 2008, I did what a lot of Bruin fans would consider treason. I married a Trojan. True, we met while we were both Anteaters (University of California, Irvine), but we did grow into our roles as heated rivals during my wife's second year as a grad student at USC and my first year as a law student at UCLA.

I remember how we first were during the our first football season as a couple. We were absolutely ruthless to each other. I got an earful during 66-19 and I cheered on the infamous 4th and 2nd during the 2005 championship game. Clearly, we were huge jerks to each other and sometimes, we genuinely did hurt each other's feelings.

Fast forward to 2008. We're now married and much more mature about our situations. In fact, we are highly supportive. When UCLA has the week off or if we go to a USC game, I'll wear some Trojan gear. If the same is going on with my wife's team, she wears this really cool Joe Bruin t-shirt that I wish I had. Yet, this coming Saturday, we are not-so-heated rivals again. As my wife so nicely puts it, "If it's you are me, I'd rather it be you" in reference to losing. I return the sentiment.

What I'm trying to get at here is that, in a heated rivalry, don't lose focus on what's important. It's not bashing your competition, it's celebrating your own team's accomplishments and enjoying a very special yearly event with friends (and then, a distant third, bashing your competition). It took me a little bit to understand this, but now that I have, football with the most important person in my world has never been more fun and enjoyable.

So while you'll surely hear a lot of trash talking over the next 6 days, I'll take a different route. Here is what it looks like when a Trojan and a Bruin come together:

joeandtraveler.jpg Joe and Traveler picture by BruinFan1

Here's to an injury free game. If you win, and I hope you don't, best of luck in the Rose Bowl (although I really wish if you did make a BCS Bowl it would have been the Fiesta Bowl).

(PS - You should all consider yourself lucky that you have a great moderator in ParagonSC that understands this and runs a classy blog. Be very thankful.)

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Conquest Chronicles' writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Conquest Chronicles' writers or editors.

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Yes unlike that greek goddest (nestor) over at Ruins Nation, you have class.

Paul D. Kelley

by so.cal.native1952 on Nov 30, 2008 9:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Congratulations

So now what happens if or when you decide to have kids?

by Laughing Stock on Nov 30, 2008 9:58 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

We'll have kids

and hopefully we’ll have a lot of them. We both want a big family. When we’re visiting each other’s home games we’ll cheer for that particular team. In regards to the rivalry game, who knows. The easiest thing seems to let my wife have her way with them during football season and I’ll have my way with them during basketball season when we play each other. We’ll see how it works out…kids are waaaaaaay down the line!

by BruinFan1 on Nov 30, 2008 10:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

you might be on to something

My brother got married in Scotland last year. The photographer was a Scottish woman married to an English guy. The video guy was English and married to a Scots woman. While they were in a taxi with my brother and sister in law heading to the reception, there was some genial banter about both the photographer and video guy having children who would have to choose whether to play for Scotland or England in soccer or rugby.

The video guy said, oh that’s no problem, if my son’s any good he can play for England, otherwise I’m sure he can play for Scotland.

There was nearly a brawl in the taxi at that moment.

Point being, substitute UCLA basketball and USC football, and you’ve got your familial battle lines drawn for years down the road.

BTW, since my wife went to Vassar, this is not a problem we have to deal with. At all.

by DC Trojan on Nov 30, 2008 10:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Congratulations on the nuptials

I’m from the Bay Area, so growing up- it was the whole Stanford/Cal rivalry that got everyone’s pressure up – I mean. . . .The Big Game WAS a big ass game!

Now, being a USC alum I’ve befriended many-a-native born Angelenos and from what I’ve gathered- it’s not that entirely unusual for a kid growing up here to be a huge fan of Trojan football as well as being an equally huge fan of Bruin basketball. Damn! Talk about the best of both worlds?

Thanks for you post. You’re alright. For a Bruin guy. (tongue is definitely “in-cheek”, as it were)

So anyway. How much do you think you guys will lose to us?

"I was INVERTED!" -Maverick in Top Gun

by BixBeiderbecke on Dec 1, 2008 12:59 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Depends on Craft

I just got off the phone with my wife and told her I think UCLA will score 40 points. Unfortunately 34 of them will be for USC.

It all depends on what USC team decides to show up, the one that showed up for ND or the one that showed up for Oregon St. It also depends on how Craft reacts. I genuinely cannot believe that USC, even with the No.1 defense in the nation, can force Craft to be any worse. I’m not trying to be mean to the poor kid, I just can’t see him performing worse than what happened at ASU.

That being said, if our defense can create 2 scores by forcing turnovers, we have an okay shot at pulling an upset. But a defense scoring 14 points is surely asking a lot. We’ll see. My wife is guessing 42 – 6. If I were a Trojan, I’d guess roughly the same. Being a Bruin, I’m hoping for a low scoring close game.

by BruinFan1 on Dec 1, 2008 1:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

BruinFan1, gotta call bad on one thing

in your otherwise excellent post. Now, true, you are an Anteater from your undergrad, but in no way can that excuse you from the incomprehensible act of treason of wearing any USC garb, regardless of circumstances. Marital bliss be damned-this is RIVALRY we’re talking about!

Anyhoo, I’ll be cheering mightily for another epic upset from cold and snowy Chicago, but realistically, this one won’t be close. I see the UCLA O doing its usual pathetic job of run blocking and pass protection, and we only score due to a decent punt return somewhere along the line from Austin. Unless USC has a turnover or two, we probably don’t get a TD, but the D keeps USC’s offense throttled back to some degree and USC fails to cover the spread. Call it 27-3. After that, I can only hope that my USC friends are too drunk to punch the buttons on their phones so I don’t have to hear the taunting as soon as the game ends…

Hoping its injury-free and uneventful at the Rose Bowl before and after the game.

by ucladj89 on Dec 1, 2008 12:33 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Oh no!

ucladj89 says 27-3 USC? That’s it fellas. It’s prolly gonna be A GAME?

Translation: when some of ucladj’s class and pedigree “hopes” uneventful 24 pt. Trojan victory over his beloved Bruins. . . . .I know something just ain’t right! What do you know homegrown? Is this whole 4-and-something more than-4 Ucla football team got something up their sleeve? Has this 2008 season been nothing but a “ruse”? A hoodwink? A bodacious bamboozle? Why Slick Rick and his All-Star Trojan coaches are nothing but shameless charlatans? We’re walking into a powder-blue cloud in cleats?

That’s it. Scratch everything my Trojan brethren, because this game’s gonnna prolly be close. No way a true-blue Bruin like ucladj89 gives an inch to us SUC-kers. I mean, I like this dj89 guy. A lot! But I respect him so much that I wouldn’t put ANYTHING past him. He’s in on it, yeah. . . all the way from the blustery city of Wind! Uh huh. And you know what else? Even if he’s not in on it, you gotta believe something’s up because he let BruinFan1 OFF EASY! Under any other circumstances, the dj89 WE KNOW would “regulate” a fellow Bruin for wearing cardinal and gold. (yeah but, on a sidenote- hey dj89, didn’t you think BruinFan1 painted a lovely picture of his wife in that Joe Bruin t-shirt. personally, I think it was ruined when he further said, " . . . that I wish I had". killed it for me, yup!)

I formally change my prediction. It’ll be 17-14 ‘SC. (and that’s as far as I’ll go!) Thanks a lot ucladj89! You’re all heart homegrown.

(ps: Leo Carillo and El Porto have been epic lately. never had this much fun on my longboards since the 2000 “El Nino” autumn. Insanity, I tell you. Lotsa sunshine too! Sorry, had to. btw, how’s the weather in Chicago these days? Getting out much? ;- )

"I was INVERTED!" -Maverick in Top Gun

by BixBeiderbecke on Dec 1, 2008 2:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No tricks up my currently long sleeves

Bix: you’re killing me. Been down to San Onofre recently? How’s the shape holding up at your spots? We had 3" of snow last night and today, and Lake Michigan surfing in winter (or at anytime, for that matter) doesn’t, err, hold up too well. And playing beach volleyball on snowy shores just ain’t the ticket when your feet freeze and the wind chill is -10..

As for the game, yeah, I do think we can give you guys a game, but only on the scoreboard. I think the best we can realistically hope to see is a game that the experts say after the game is complete that the score wasn’t indicative of how thoroughly USC dominated. Anything is possible, and I will be hoping/praying/begging for the upset, but G**D***, this O line of ours is unquestionably the worst I have ever seen since I began following UCLA fotball in 1983. We might have been just mediocre, but we lost two starters before the season even started (Lanis took a medical retirement and Sheler hurt his knee and was lost for the season.) We have IIRC two converted tight ends starting on the line, a true freshman and one guy who was suspended for game with Neuheisle questioning his interest in football. Additionally, there is probably no starter on offense who will grace an NFL roster. That is a total and complete lack of talent, and considering this is the side of the ball matching up against the strength of USC, well, no trickeration going on-it will be a very long day for the UCLA offense. OTOH, USC’s offense, while certainly strong, is facing a pretty good defense. Our D this year isn’t as strong as 2006, particularly at DE, so I do expect you guys to move the ball fairly well, just not at will. My prediction is based on us not turning the ball over and giving your boys a short field, but since Craft has thrown something like 12 INT and 0 TD in the past 4-5 games, my prediction probably won’t last more than a quarter.

I will be cheering for the Bruins like mad-but sanity must prevail, sadly, in forecasting the likely results.

by ucladj89 on Dec 1, 2008 8:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs