This column was originally published in the Volume 6 - Issue 12 - April 18, 2007 edition of the award-winning Cardinal Courier
So, it’s come down to this, my final column in the Cardinal Courier. And this one is going to be all about the man behind Riding the Pine: me (break out the Kleenex, because this one could get emotional).
Some of you may have not realized I was a senior (due to my boyish good looks), but I am. I have only written for the Courier for 3 years though, because I joined my sophomore year. My first duty at the Courier was to write movie reviews with my friend Luke, which was a pretty sweet gig even though I’m still waiting to get reimbursed for those films. But, it was still fun and it helped to introduce me to the Courier community. (This reminds me, Democrat and Chronicle, if you’re looking for a new movie reviewer, I will work for cheap).
Both the Courier and the campus itself, has changed immensely throughout my tenure here. For example, does anyone else remember the beach volleyball area outside Haffey? Or how about when you could get late night dining at the Fishbowl at 7, instead of 8? And believe it or not freshmen, that giant construction zone in the center of campus used to be a nice little spot called Lavery Lawn. A place where people could toss a disc around, play a round of frolf (frisbee-golf) or just hang out by the picnic tables.
That last part may seem a little negative, but I’m just doing something that we all do: reminisce on good times. When I look back at my time here, I’ll block out most of the negative stuff and remember the little things that trigger those good memories. There’s the “drunk stairs” from freshman year, there’s the time Haffey 3 exploded after Aaron Boone’s homerun buried the Red Sox. And then there’s the Unicorns of Death floor hockey squad, the addition of buffalo chicken in the omelets, the intense racquetball matches and the New York trip with the Courier staff.
Ah, good times.
It’s nice to look back and rediscover everything I’ve written for the Courier. My movie reviews, my plead for an on-campus bar and of course the entire Riding the Pine catalogue. It’s been a good year for you benchwarmers (that’s what I’m going to start calling my fan base). In past issues, I’ve predicted the future, voiced my displeasure over the Sabres slug logo, I’ve defended A-Rod and offended T.O. I’ve crossed the border of rowdiness with rival Nazareth (and mocked their affection for purple shirts and wine coolers), I’ve dreamt of Rick Jeanneret narrating my life and I’ve demonstrated the true greatness of mascots. I’ve made some of the most obscure references I could think up, including a sporting Facebook, Darkwing Duck and The Mole. And now it’s come to this, my farewell column.
I’ll still have a Riding the Pine blog (http://ridingthepinesports.blogspot.com/), that has all my past columns and anything new I want to add, but it’s not the same as having my designated spot near Extra Innings in the Courier’s sports section. This makes me realize that even with all the change on campus and at the Courier, I have changed too. Sure, some things are the same. I’m still a twin, I’m still a World Champion (Odyssey of the Mind 2003), I’m still a fan of the Sabres, Bills and Yankees (and I still like to use parentheses when I write). But I know this place has made me a better writer, a smarter individual and dare I say, a better person.
As George Costanza would say, showmanship is important and leaving on a high note always leaves the audience wanting more. After a killer joke, he would say, “that’s it for me” and he would make his triumphant exit.
It’s now time for me to make my exit, so to St. John Fisher I say…
That’s it for me.
Showing posts with label St. John Fisher College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. John Fisher College. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Behind Enemy Lines
This column originally was published in Volume 6 - Issue 8 of the February 7, 2007 Cardinal Courier.
This was my attempt to go where no Fisher fan had been before. The plan was to venture into the enemy’s territory and get a new perspective on the Fisher-Naz rivalry. So, on Feb. 2 I attempted to do the unthinkable and go behind enemy lines and sit among the Naz faithful during the men and women’s double-header.
I entered the Nazareth side at around 5:30, getting to the game is always essential especially in order to get a front row seat in the heart of the Golden Flyers cheering section. I sat down in front of a row of Nazareth ladies and removed my coat to reveal my Cardinal red ‘crazies” shirt. The Naz people didn’t seem to notice (or care) about my Fisher alliance at this point, they were more focused on screaming for a member of the women’s team like a group of crazed Teddy Geiger fans.
As more purple clad students filed into the gym, the more awkward I felt sitting amongst the Naz faithful by myself (at this point no one else would join me). This was the point were a particular Naz fan found a seat next to me. After being around this kid for a few minutes I came to the conclusion that he was borderline crazy (not to mention, he said he was kicked out of the last Naz game and later in this game he would end up throwing a bottle down at the scorer’s table).
He said that he was saving his energy for the men’s game as he almost completely ignored the women’s game and just listened to his iPod and drank from an ambiguous red drink (considering he’s a Naz guy it was probably a wine cooler). It also needs to be mentioned that he reeked like a mixture of Aqua Velva and booze.
At halftime of the woman’s game, I decided to go back to the Fisher side. I figured I could find my inner rowdiness with my fellow Crazies as opposed to sitting next to some music major wearing a “friends don’t’ let friends go to Fisher” shirt.
After the Fisher ladies dispatched of Naz, I knew it was once again time to cross over to hostile terrain. This time I brought some backup with me as Sports Editor handball Mike joined me in the crowd of purple and gold.
Entering the Naz section this time was a lot different then earlier. First off, there were a lot more people this time and these people did not appreciate our Cardinal Crazies attire. The insults quickly rained down upon us, the crowd especially didn’t appreciate our “go Fisher” cries.
Of course, their insults were as weak as some of their chants. They taunted us about having a football team that was only D-III and couldn’t quite win a championship. This taunt may have been more affective if Nazareth actually had a football team of their own. Another Naz faithful told me I needed Hooked on Phonics. I didn’t really get why this was supposed to be demeaning. But I guess nothing is more intimidating then: “Hey Fisher student, your basketball team is going to lose and you suck at reading!”
My reason for entering the enemy territory was not to be an instigator (although security gave me a few suspicious glances), but to experience the other side of a great rivalry. With that being said, there was some minimal pushing and shoving. Mostly from one particular Naz fan who sat in the front row. He was dressed in a white polo shirt (surprisingly the collar was not popped) and had a permanent scowl on his face the entire game. Maybe someone just informed him that this was actually a basketball game and not a Zoolander style dance-off between East Ave. rivals (of course, it goes without saying that the Fisher cheerleaders were way better than Naz’s dance team).
When all was said and done, I ended up back where I belonged: in the Fisher student to help cheer on the victors. But this experience helped me think about the nature of rivalries. It's funny how normal people will act to one another simply because they’re rooting for a different team.
I love the rivalry with Naz. I think it’s a healthy competition between the two schools. Hopefully more games like this can help to improve the intensity of the rivalry. It may seem from this column that absolutely despise everything about our sister school, but that’s not true. In fact, I’m heading down the road to make my peace with the Naz ladies as we speak.
This was my attempt to go where no Fisher fan had been before. The plan was to venture into the enemy’s territory and get a new perspective on the Fisher-Naz rivalry. So, on Feb. 2 I attempted to do the unthinkable and go behind enemy lines and sit among the Naz faithful during the men and women’s double-header.
I entered the Nazareth side at around 5:30, getting to the game is always essential especially in order to get a front row seat in the heart of the Golden Flyers cheering section. I sat down in front of a row of Nazareth ladies and removed my coat to reveal my Cardinal red ‘crazies” shirt. The Naz people didn’t seem to notice (or care) about my Fisher alliance at this point, they were more focused on screaming for a member of the women’s team like a group of crazed Teddy Geiger fans.
As more purple clad students filed into the gym, the more awkward I felt sitting amongst the Naz faithful by myself (at this point no one else would join me). This was the point were a particular Naz fan found a seat next to me. After being around this kid for a few minutes I came to the conclusion that he was borderline crazy (not to mention, he said he was kicked out of the last Naz game and later in this game he would end up throwing a bottle down at the scorer’s table).
He said that he was saving his energy for the men’s game as he almost completely ignored the women’s game and just listened to his iPod and drank from an ambiguous red drink (considering he’s a Naz guy it was probably a wine cooler). It also needs to be mentioned that he reeked like a mixture of Aqua Velva and booze.
At halftime of the woman’s game, I decided to go back to the Fisher side. I figured I could find my inner rowdiness with my fellow Crazies as opposed to sitting next to some music major wearing a “friends don’t’ let friends go to Fisher” shirt.
After the Fisher ladies dispatched of Naz, I knew it was once again time to cross over to hostile terrain. This time I brought some backup with me as Sports Editor handball Mike joined me in the crowd of purple and gold.
Entering the Naz section this time was a lot different then earlier. First off, there were a lot more people this time and these people did not appreciate our Cardinal Crazies attire. The insults quickly rained down upon us, the crowd especially didn’t appreciate our “go Fisher” cries.
Of course, their insults were as weak as some of their chants. They taunted us about having a football team that was only D-III and couldn’t quite win a championship. This taunt may have been more affective if Nazareth actually had a football team of their own. Another Naz faithful told me I needed Hooked on Phonics. I didn’t really get why this was supposed to be demeaning. But I guess nothing is more intimidating then: “Hey Fisher student, your basketball team is going to lose and you suck at reading!”
My reason for entering the enemy territory was not to be an instigator (although security gave me a few suspicious glances), but to experience the other side of a great rivalry. With that being said, there was some minimal pushing and shoving. Mostly from one particular Naz fan who sat in the front row. He was dressed in a white polo shirt (surprisingly the collar was not popped) and had a permanent scowl on his face the entire game. Maybe someone just informed him that this was actually a basketball game and not a Zoolander style dance-off between East Ave. rivals (of course, it goes without saying that the Fisher cheerleaders were way better than Naz’s dance team).
When all was said and done, I ended up back where I belonged: in the Fisher student to help cheer on the victors. But this experience helped me think about the nature of rivalries. It's funny how normal people will act to one another simply because they’re rooting for a different team.
I love the rivalry with Naz. I think it’s a healthy competition between the two schools. Hopefully more games like this can help to improve the intensity of the rivalry. It may seem from this column that absolutely despise everything about our sister school, but that’s not true. In fact, I’m heading down the road to make my peace with the Naz ladies as we speak.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Santa Scott presents the Holiday Wishlist
A version of this was originally published on December 6 Volume 6 - Issue 6
With the Holiday season almost here, I decided to address my holiday wish list, and to discuss what some sports figures will be getting for Christmas.
I tried to keep the list realistic (or somewhat realistic). So even though I’d like to see things like the Bills and Sabres winning championships and the Red Sox being relocated to Uzbekistan, I kept them off the list. So, everyone have a merry Christmas, a happy Chanukah, a glorious Kwanzaa, and a rocking Festivus, and enjoy.
-The NFL finally decides to drop the ridiculous “blackout” rule that punishes fans for not buying enough tickets. I love going to the games, but it takes up an entire day. Many people are busy and cannot make that commitment, plus it’s unfair for smaller market teams like Buffalo. For the NFL to punish fans like that makes as much sense as Terrell Owens writing a children’s book about sharing.
-Oh, wait T.O. did write an educational book called Little T Learns to Share. As much as I love the irony of one of the most selfish, egocentric individuals on the planet writing a book about sharing, I hope that no one actually tries to use this to teach some poor kid a lesson (unless that lesson is how to get all your teammates to loathe you). However, I do have a good idea for a sequel, Little T Learns How to Shut Up.
- Michigan – not Florida – faces off against the Buckeyes in the BCS championship game (see last column for details).
-For ESPN, I would give them some alternate programming to replace the spelling bee with. For example, they could have the World Racquetball Championships or something zany like Xtreme Curling (with the stone on fire?), or have Risk, Stratego or Battleship tournaments. Who wouldn’t love that?
-It’s seems like the current punishments for athletes breaking the rules isn’t doing the trick. Just look at Ricky Williams. It doesn’t matter how many times he gets suspended, he’ll always act as if he’s auditioning to be an extra in Half Baked. Instead of any suspensions or fines, guilty players should be sentenced to a number of Zinedine Zidane head-butts.
-This should apply to referees too. They constantly decide the outcome of games and have an annoying tendency of favoring certain teams (cough…New England Patriots, cough… Duke basketball). There should be some sort of repercussions for bad officiating, and I can’t think of a more fitting punishment than having the ref square off against Zidane in a WWF style cage match. It would be better than half of the “reality” shows on TV (I’m looking at you FOX). Some refs, like Ed Hochuli, would put up a good fight too.
For the rest of the wish list, I have a quick list of what’s in Santa’s bag:
-For Fisher sports teams, a few more Empire 8 championships and a sleigh full of wins.
-For Bill Belichick, a bra (or a mansiere if that’s more suitable).
-For the Bills front office, a giant bottle of whiteout to remove O.J. Simpson’s name from the Wall of Fame in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
-For Sabres forward Tim Connolly, a bill of clean health and an elixir to keep him and the rest of the team healthy for the playoffs
-For Brian Moorman, Jason Peters, Nate Clements and possibly Rian Lindell, a deserving trip to Hawaii and the Pro Bowl.
- A scoring title for Carmelo Anthony.
- A muzzle for Michael Irvin and a few other ESPN commentators (booya).
- A pacifier for Sidney Crosby and the entire Carolina Hurricanes team.
- The Whizzinator and a time machine for Shane Merriman and Floyd Landis, so they can go back into time and pass their drug tests.
- A National Championship for the Fisher football team and a new nickname (and defense) for the “beast of the east” Rowan Profs.
- And for all the Riding the Pine readers, an awesome winter break.
With the Holiday season almost here, I decided to address my holiday wish list, and to discuss what some sports figures will be getting for Christmas.
I tried to keep the list realistic (or somewhat realistic). So even though I’d like to see things like the Bills and Sabres winning championships and the Red Sox being relocated to Uzbekistan, I kept them off the list. So, everyone have a merry Christmas, a happy Chanukah, a glorious Kwanzaa, and a rocking Festivus, and enjoy.
-The NFL finally decides to drop the ridiculous “blackout” rule that punishes fans for not buying enough tickets. I love going to the games, but it takes up an entire day. Many people are busy and cannot make that commitment, plus it’s unfair for smaller market teams like Buffalo. For the NFL to punish fans like that makes as much sense as Terrell Owens writing a children’s book about sharing.
-Oh, wait T.O. did write an educational book called Little T Learns to Share. As much as I love the irony of one of the most selfish, egocentric individuals on the planet writing a book about sharing, I hope that no one actually tries to use this to teach some poor kid a lesson (unless that lesson is how to get all your teammates to loathe you). However, I do have a good idea for a sequel, Little T Learns How to Shut Up.
- Michigan – not Florida – faces off against the Buckeyes in the BCS championship game (see last column for details).
-For ESPN, I would give them some alternate programming to replace the spelling bee with. For example, they could have the World Racquetball Championships or something zany like Xtreme Curling (with the stone on fire?), or have Risk, Stratego or Battleship tournaments. Who wouldn’t love that?
-It’s seems like the current punishments for athletes breaking the rules isn’t doing the trick. Just look at Ricky Williams. It doesn’t matter how many times he gets suspended, he’ll always act as if he’s auditioning to be an extra in Half Baked. Instead of any suspensions or fines, guilty players should be sentenced to a number of Zinedine Zidane head-butts.
-This should apply to referees too. They constantly decide the outcome of games and have an annoying tendency of favoring certain teams (cough…New England Patriots, cough… Duke basketball). There should be some sort of repercussions for bad officiating, and I can’t think of a more fitting punishment than having the ref square off against Zidane in a WWF style cage match. It would be better than half of the “reality” shows on TV (I’m looking at you FOX). Some refs, like Ed Hochuli, would put up a good fight too.
For the rest of the wish list, I have a quick list of what’s in Santa’s bag:
-For Fisher sports teams, a few more Empire 8 championships and a sleigh full of wins.
-For Bill Belichick, a bra (or a mansiere if that’s more suitable).
-For the Bills front office, a giant bottle of whiteout to remove O.J. Simpson’s name from the Wall of Fame in Ralph Wilson Stadium.
-For Sabres forward Tim Connolly, a bill of clean health and an elixir to keep him and the rest of the team healthy for the playoffs
-For Brian Moorman, Jason Peters, Nate Clements and possibly Rian Lindell, a deserving trip to Hawaii and the Pro Bowl.
- A scoring title for Carmelo Anthony.
- A muzzle for Michael Irvin and a few other ESPN commentators (booya).
- A pacifier for Sidney Crosby and the entire Carolina Hurricanes team.
- The Whizzinator and a time machine for Shane Merriman and Floyd Landis, so they can go back into time and pass their drug tests.
- A National Championship for the Fisher football team and a new nickname (and defense) for the “beast of the east” Rowan Profs.
- And for all the Riding the Pine readers, an awesome winter break.
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