Join the tradition-get out to the Bowl

The smoke from the tailgates wafted over my head as I walked up the gravel track past Lot F. The murmur of the crowd movement mingled with the occasional cheer from the Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium where Yale was locked in a tight contest with Harvard. Pausing for a moment, I surveyed the scene, lost for a few seconds in childhood memories--playing touch football behind the ticket booths, sneaking into the Bowl to watch a game. As a resident of the New Haven area, Saturday afternoons at the Yale Bowl have been part of my life since the seventh grade. It is a place that has a lot of meaning for me personally.

Imagine my surprise when I entered the grand old stadium and viewed the spectators--all 20 of them. Even my own college, wonderful Silliman, was delinquent, with three or four lonely souls gathered around the Silliman flag. As a long-time Yale fan, and someone who has recovered that flag from the back of a Hanover, NH police car after a football game, I was thoroughly depressed by the utter lack of fan support.

My depression lasted for one series. As I watched an admittedly more talented UConn squad hit Yale quarterback Chris Whittaker, SM '99, over and over, then throw the ball over the heads of our cornerbacks almost at will, I quickly realized why my classmates were spending their afternoons elsewhere. At first glance, it was very, very ugly.

Julia Tiernan/YH Chris Whittaker, SM '99 hands off to Eli tailback Derek Bentley, SM '99

Notice I say "at first glance". As the game progressed, I saw some things that can only bode well for the future. The defensive line is a strength, capable of putting pressure on the quarterback. The linebackers showed good speed, cutting off the sideline as well as anyone could expect against a much faster UConn squad. The running backs in Eli blue are hard-nosed battlers with good open-field running skills. The line run-blocked effectively for much of the game against a strong defense. And Whittaker took hits without fumbling, showed good play-action skills, and hit his receivers in the chest with most of his passes.

Of course, those same receivers dropped the ball almost every time. Those hard-nosed running backs didn't always hit the holes the line opened. Sure, the quarterback didn't fumble when he got hit, but he got drilled so many times that I'm surprised he even remembers his name. And finally, the speedy linebackers looked even speedier when compared to the poor cornerbacks who got burned time and time again.

When the good and bad of Yale football is summed up, I find myself coming to the same conclusion as many others. Yale will put together some victories this year, maybe as many as four. The tight, ground-based Ivy League games provide ample fodder for an Eli upset, and as recent history shows, the H-Y-P match-ups are never easy to predict.

So yes, Yale is worth watching. But the experience of a Yale game is more than wins and losses. Many of you will say that it isn't as grand or exciting as Michigan, UCLA, or other big-time schools. I think you are wrong. The real reason to go to games and root for the gutty members of the football team is because you can--but only for four years.

Since I have been at Yale, I have gotten lost going to Brown for a football game, had my picture taken with Barney on the way to Yale-Army, sung "Bulldog" with four or five friends in a sea of opposing fans, watched as the Silliman flag was arrested, gone clubbing in Boston, led the Yale cheerleaders in a cheer, yelled myself hoarse with my friends, and...well, you get the picture.

A big part of any university experience is school spirit, that feeling of being part of something larger than just your classes or your friends. Yale is full of tradition and character. A college football game is a unique experience, one which can provide fantastic bonding opportunities and great material for stories to retell at reunions and picnics for the rest of your life.

Don't worry about whether or not you understand the game, or whether or not Yale will win (which it may). On Sat., Oct. 11, get up, take the bus to the Yale Bowl and look around. Smell the tailgates, look at the students laughing and cooking-out, notice the people tossing a frisbee, throwing the football, or kicking the soccer ball. When you get to the Bowl, look at the crumbling walls and the ancient tunnels and think about all the thousands of people, famous, forgotten, and insignificant, who have walked these steps before you. Enjoy the crisp fall air, the grass, and the band and the game. Sit in a group with your friends, grab your college flag, and yell yourself hoarse. Don't think about work, don't think about how silly you look, and don't worry about seeing a Yale win.

Take the time and make a memory for yourself in a place that's full of them. Become part of the tradition.

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