From Where I Sit: UConn Highs and Lows
11/23/2010 9:10:17 AM | Football
FAN BLOG ARCHIVES
Nov. 16: Bowl Bound
Nov. 9: Tradition
Oct. 26: Revenge Tour
Oct. 19: Moving On
Oct. 12: Searching For Greatness
Oct. 5: Get Your SU Fix
Sept. 28: The Only Way to Pre-Game
Sept. 21: How Fans Are Made
Sept. 14: Emerald City Blues
Sept. 7: The End of Summer
I watched last year's demolition of Rutgers from the sideline at the Dome courtesy of two field passes. It was an experience I'll never forget. This is how I described it twelve months ago:
“On the field, the excitement of the game is overwhelming. The crowd is over you, surrounding you. The Dome roof seems like forever away. The field is expansive yet walled in by fans. The speed and strength and size of these athletes are simply impressive. The collisions on the field, up close, are violent…
"The noise of the crowd washes over the field like a rogue wave, a cacophony of voices screaming and cheering and whistling and whooping and hollering. It's hard to hear. And it feels great. The Dome can be a special place to play.”
That was a special game. As the teams ran off the field, some laid down in the end zone in the middle of the “O” in Orange and screamed in joy.
This year, once again, on the eve of a huge redemption game, I scored two field passes (thank you SU Marketing Department!). Everything I wrote about the experience still holds true. But as inspiring and uplifting as last year's game was, the battle vs. UConn was depressing and heart-crushing.
It's as if the Dome is some type of emotion-amplifier, like a huge satellite dish focusing waves upon waves of joy or loss or happiness or regret from the crowd, depending on their mood, to the Ernie Davis Legends Field. It's a powerful experience, and I can only imagine what it's like for the players who are actually competing and giving their all for Syracuse.
And the effects don't wear off easily. I woke up miserable and actually thought about not attending Sunday's basketball game vs. William and Mary's. Not because I'm not a big bball fan, because I am, I just didn't even want to set foot in the Dome so soon after Saturday's game. It was still too raw, and I didn't want to dwell on it, especially when we are having a season to be proud of.
Being a fan can be both a joy and a curse as you experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The nice thing is, losses are forgotten, while wins put a smile on your face for years to come.
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