By: Bryan Gibberman
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OR 
When I left the snowy winters of New York for the 120 degree summers of Arizona to attend Arizona State University I had a big dilemma on my hands.
Growing up I was always a Michigan Wolverines fan for basketball and football. Apologies to any college athletes that read this, but no other sports at the collegiate level matter, it’s just a fact of life. I do have to give credit to all college lacrosse/baseball teams who use their meaningless sports to have what is essentially a frat house and pull girls left and right.
Back to my dilemma, entering ASU as a freshman was I supposed to drop Michigan as my team and root for the Sun Devils, cheer for both teams, or ignore ASU and stick with U of M?
At first I tried option two; rooting for both teams. I went to the ASU football and basketball games. I tailgated, wore maroon and gold, and stood in the student section whenever the teams played.
During my sophomore year the ASU football team destroyed a highly ranked Iowa team and the student section stormed the field. It was during this moment that I decided I was no longer going to pretend to give a crap about Arizona State sports.
Being a fan is not something you learn to do or develop with age. I grew up watching Michigan athletics. In basketball I lived through the Wolverines losing to Duke in the National Championship game, the Chris Webber timeout, the Brian Ellerbe years, and the disaster of Tommy Amaker. In football I remember watching the 8-4 Gary Moeller teams of the 90s, Lloyd Carr resurrecting the football program and bringing a national championship back to Ann Arbor (they would have killed Nebraska in 1997, split championship my ass), and Rich Rodriguez bringing it down.
I had three friends from high school that attended the University of Michigan. First off, it annoyed me they were smart enough to get into school when I wasn’t. Second, it annoyed me I had to listen to them talk about how much they loved Michigan football and basketball. What gave them the right? They didn’t go through all the heartbreaks I had to deal with. Did they even know who Avery Queen was (starting midget PG for the basketball team, one of my all time favorite players, but they sucked every year he was there) or remember watching the Kordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook Hail Mary? I was a pretty salty kid.
I’m sorry, but there is no possible way an 18 year old male or female can feel as attached to a school just because they go there, as me who grew up living and dying with every game.
I have a friend who grew up a Missouri fan, went to ASU for undergrad, and Ohio State for graduate school. When any of those teams win he screams and yells with excitement as if Megan Fox is waiting for him in his bedroom ready to let him do whatever he wants to her. I refuse to believe that is true emotion, it has to be conjured.
When I try to explain this to people who see me at a bar in my Desmond Howard jersey on Saturday’s or in my Michigan hat the first two questions I receive are did you go to Michigan or did you live there?
The basic answer to both of those is no (I grew up in Congers, NY- did live in Michigan at a very young age, but I don’t really remember so it doesn’t count). The next part of the conversation I have to go through and explain is how long I have been following the team and I just never felt an attachment to Arizona State sports even though I went there. The discussion always ends with the person I am talking to looking at me like I am walking around in public like Jake Gyllenhaal in Bubble Boy (Yup, I just included Bubble Boy in a column, I rule). Which leads to me wanting to punch the person in the face, but I contain myself, because honestly, I’m a wimp and would end up getting the crap kicked out of me.
When trying to sort out in my mind whether I am right or wrong about this debate, I still believe I am right, but do recognize most people think I’m nuts.
Maybe, I am in the minority and most kids don’t attach themselves to a college team at a young age so once they choose a college it truly does become their team.
Maybe, I am wired differently emotionally (I clearly take sports too seriously). It seems like nowadays people switch teams in all sports at a high rate. I could never do it, no matter how angry I got at any of the teams I follow.
Maybe, people are better actors than me and can pull of pretending like they care.
Whatever a person’s reasoning is know this – if you pick up the University of Michigan at the age of 18, I am a better fan than you; I don’t care what you say.