Column: Making it in Missoula

The Bruins Kicked Some Serious Booty

By Little Sis, 12-03-06

To those of you who missed what's being called "the biggest upset of the season", I feel for you. To those of you who've been subjected to my constant replays, stats, and general giddinesss for the last day and half, I make no apologies.

A friend of mine told me last week that I shouldn't be so invested in my sports team. Obviously, he didn't go to UCLA.

Yes, UCLA beat USC in the most volatile rivalry in college football. The two teams actually started jumping up and down on the field and barking at each other. Tommy the Trojan and the Bruin Bear got wrapped up protectively for the week before the big game to avoid the legendary pranks that have gone down in the past. We're brainwashed from the beginning to hate USC with an inexplicable ferocity. The biggest joke on campus: what's the only similarity between USC and UCLA students? We ALL got into USC.

After the beautiful diving interception by UCLA's McNeal with 1:10 left in the game, John David Booty looked like he might cry (seriously, how pretentious is that name?!). Pete Carroll looked like his botox had suddenly worn off. And there was some very graceful victory dancing going on in front of my TV.

My mother, who went to UCLA, called crying. My aunt called, then my other aunt, both alums. My friends were calling each other from all over the country. My inbox was full of triumphant emails this morning, and my UCLA sweatshirt won't be coming off for a week.

Our t-shirts used to read: "A Bruin is forever, but a Trojan's only good once."

How can you not be invested?

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