It's 1am Do You Know Where Your College Student Is

Monday, October 6, 2008

the New York Football Giants

The New York Football Giants

I have never been a huge football fan; in fact, I’ve only really been a Giants fan for about 3 seasons. The first memory of football I can remember is when the Packers played the Patriots in the Superbowl, I think I was probably about 6. I never played football growing up, (soccer was safer apparently…) but I didn’t mind either. Baseball may be America’s pastime, but Football is America’s game. Growing up with a father who is a faithful New York sports fan, (Yankees, Giants, Rangers, Nicks, in that order) it was hard not to follow the New York sports teams.
Ken Griffey Junior was always my favorite athlete, I grew up in the perfect time for him, home-run races, robbing home runs, and gunning guys out at the plate. I would stay up well past my bedtime, listening to Mariner’s games on my radio, I have no idea how they came in, but I can remember laying in bed, and any time Griffey would make a great play I would run into the living room as fast as I could, and if I timed it just right, I would be able to see the replay before getting yelled at and told to go back to bed.

So I guess that made me a Mariner’s fan for quite awhile, but growing up in a Yankee house, that wouldn’t remain for long. Soon enough Griffey was traded to the Reds, and the Yankee in me slowly started to emerge. But that’s enough about baseball, because this is titled the NY Football Giants isn’t it?

As I got older, I started to follow football more, as I mentioned with the Pats and Pack superbowl. If I remember correctly, I lost 25 cents in that game. (betting on the Pats, I should have known, the Pats NEVER win) I’m not entirely sure why I bet on the Pats in that game, I mean, I was like six. But nonetheless, I promise I’ll pay you eventually mom.

A few years later, maybe it was the next year, it was the Rams time against the Pats for a Superbowl victory, and I guess out of spite for losing me those 25 cents, I bet against the Pats. Another 25 cents down the drain. This was right around the time that for whatever reason it might be, I started to follow the Titans. I think it had something to do with Steve McNair, because I was always a big McNair fan. For a few years I would remain faithful to those Titans, they weren’t playing too badly either. But then McNair left, Eddie George left, and so did I. (I still get the newsletters from the Titan’s fanclub, I didn’t know a Titan’s fanclub still existed!)

SO. Now clearly there was a hole in my football heart, how would I ever be able to replace it? Eli Manning. You’ve gotta feel for the guy, I mean, did you see his face at the draft!? Regardless, With the Giants games on every Sunday, Monday, or whenever it happened to be, the Giants fan in me started growing. A few years later, and wouldn’t you know it, the Giants would be my second favorite sports team, just behind the Yankees. I thank the sports gods every day that I grew up in a NY household, and didn’t succumb to the pressures of the Red Sox and Pats fans in the neighborhood.

You may be wondering why how I became a Giants fan really matters. The short, answer is because it gave me the single greatest event of my entire life. Alright, so the short answer doesn’t really say much, or make any sense, but I promise I will explain. I feel that I can honestly say the Giants Superbowl victory was the greatest moment in my 19 years, or 6973 days, or 167365 hours of life. I know what you’re thinking. How could the Giants Superbowl victory be the greatest moment of your life, you’ve been alive for plenty of Yankee world series wins, so what gives? I’m glad you asked. No, it wasn’t because they beat the Pats, my arch nemesis, (Aaron FUCKING Boone was better anyway…), nor was it because it was just one game, not 7. I’ll explain.

It goes back to the start of the football season last year. I don’t really know what started it, probably just my procrastination on homework, and his tendency to have the games on in the living room, but I can tell you where I was for EVERY SINGLE Giants game last season. Every one. From week 1 to week 16, to the playoffs, and the Superbowl. I think I was even there on their bye week, just to keep with the habit. And that place? Sitting next to my dad. At first it was just by chance. I was home; the game was on, why not? But as the season went on it became habit. Habit bread tradition, first it was nachos. Yah, I know, nachos. The nachos took many different forms. At first they were simply chips with cheese, microwaved for a few minutes. But as time went on, they became more and more elaborate. And the Giants continued to win.

Later in the season, more of the family started tuning into the games with us, especially when it got down to playoff time. Now, it seems like it should be mentioned that this point in my life was one of the busiest ever. Second semester senior year, getting ready for college, making the decision where to apply, applying, deciding where to go in the end. All of this took place sitting on the couch watching the New York Football Giants, and sitting with my dad.

You might see where this is going… The final regular season game for the Giants was against the Patriots, sitting on a 17-0 record, who would clearly be playing all of their normal players, to ensure the 18-0 finish. The Giants on the other hand, might be giving some regulars rest to get ready for the playoffs. Sitting in a hotel room on Long Island, we watched the heavily favored Patriots narrowly squeeze out a victory, right as I made the final payments to the College Board, and sent in my finalized applications.

As the season ended and the Giants geared up for the playoffs, we geared up as well. Nachos, obviously, were the first priority. One set of nachos, and one playoff victory. A week later, another plate of nachos, and another playoff victory, by this point the whole family had been caught up in playoff fever, gathering in the living room to watch the Giants make it to the Superbowl. Football was never big in the family, but it had drawn the family together now more than ever. Superbowl Sunday rolled around and I was faced with going to one of numerous Superbowl parties with friends across the state, or staying in and watching with the family. It wasn’t a difficult decision at all.

The morning of the Superbowl came and a trip to Hannaford’s commenced for nachos and all the fixins. They brought us this far; they could do it again couldn’t they? Clearly the Giants were the underdogs, up against the 19-0 Patriots. It was the greatest game I have ever watched. It came down to the 4th quarter, with Tom Brady at 2nd and long, incomplete. 3rd and long, incomplete, and finally 4th and long, throwing an incomplete pass with myself, standing up just a foot away from the screen, with my dad, mom, and sister by my side. Sometimes it takes crazy things to bring a family together, but for us, the NY Giants did it.

Now that I’m 300+ miles away, and the football season begins, I find myself thinking back to those moments watching the Giants with my dad. Nothing compares to those moments, but especially watching that Superbowl with the family. I can honestly say that that moment was the greatest moment of my life to date, and I will remember it forever.
Go GIANTS!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

The NEW Freshman 15.

For year the term "Freshman 15" has been given to the 15 pounds of weight every college freshman adds on in their first year. Or semester. For the most part, this has always been true. If you look at the culture of college campuses, it's not surprizing either. Take a look at the meal plans at most colleges. What is the most common plan across the country? 14 meals a week. Now, most college students don't have time (or energy) for many more than 14 meals a week. Especially when you consider the average time of waking up on a sunday to be somewhere between 12 and 6. The eating options on these campuses are normally quite numerous. Everywhere you turn there is another place to get some grub. Food isn't just a necessity in college, it's a social gathering. In your first few days on campus the big question always was, who are you going to eat with? I truly feel this is the reason roommates tend to be friends in the first month or two of school, then gradually separate. For awhile, you don't know anyone else, so you eat with the only person you know. Over time this changes as you start to spend more time with the people you share common interests with.

Along the same lines, in the first few weeks of school there are hundreds of organizations having their initial meetings, and what better way to bring a hoard of potential freshman members than free food? Floor meetings, dorm meetings, adviser meetings, picnics, cookouts, it seems in the first 2 weeks of school you dont even have to touch your meal plan if you dont want to. But you do. You eat early, you eat late, and then you get a package in the mail of cookies your mom baked fresh and sent still warm. Food truly is everywhere. You never will go hungry.

This freshman 15 has been pretty much constant for years. As long as I can remember at least. Slowly but surely it is changing. There is only one place on campus that is more social than the dining halls. Any guesses? The Fitness Center. The fitness bug has been going around the country for years, and it has hit the college campuses like chicken pox at a daycare. I hear "Do you wanna go to the gym?" almost as much as "do you wanna go get some food". Believe it or not, but the fitness center is open more than the dining halls are. 8 TV screens playing 8 different channels hooked up to a system allow you to plug your headphones in and get the audio from any channel you wish. The fitness center becomes a place for socializing the minute you walk in the door. The "Jocks" seem to take up all the free weights, but basically everthing else is fair game. Some people are more antisocial than others, running on a treadmill with their eyes closed listening to an iPod. Most though come to the gym with two or three of their friends, or people that soon will be. They start for a warm up on the bikes, each with a TV screen and a simulated bike ride, including other riders and resistance proportional to the slope appearing on the screen. Then they go to the ellipticals, all lined up with just inches between them, perfect for conversing. A nice jog finishes it off before the short walk back to the dorms.

I feel like the Freshman 15 are no more. So instead, i propose the Fit 15. The 15 pounds every college freshman loses. Sure, maybe its not actually 15 pounds, but alot of time, its close. Personally, I was at 202 pounds on the day I got here. Thats about 25 pounds overweight for someone my age and height. I mean, I wasn't huge, but it wasn't very fit either. (For reference, I was 175 pounds at the end of the baseball season this year. FUCK TGIFridays.) I'm officially a month into my college experience, and I'm sitting at 190 today. I'm already 12 pounds less than what I was when I got here. It's not just the fitness center thats drivings this though. Look at a Mountain Dew, only because I have one sitting right in front of me. A regular old 12oz can: Calories-170, Carbs: 46. YIKES! Compare that to the most readily available beverages on a college campus. As much as it pains me to say it, cheap vodka and Natty Light. A shot of Vodka? 50 calories. A 12oz can of Natural Light? 90 Calories. So I can have 3 shots of vodka or 2 beers for the same amount of calories of one can of dew. Lets just say I dont see many dew drinkers at the parties on, and off campus.

Now thats not to say that everyone out there is saying why have a can of soda when a beer has less calories. In fact, I dont think anyone is saying it. But the fact is that these college kids are going out there drinking light beers, and 2 (3?) nights a week puking up everything they ate that day anyway. I mean it can't make you GAIN weight. Feel free to disagree in the comments, i'm just tellin it like I see it...

-College Student (about to enjoy a Mountain dew, although... it DOES have 170 calories... )

P.S. The lingerie parties certainly don't hurt either... I mean who wants to be THAT guy at the party who doesnt take his shirt off... Or THAT girl who wont skimp down to a bra...