Absolute passion is hard to find
By Mike Kaufmann
Never before have I been a witness to more giddy, drunk, middle-aged men, all gathered in one place and giving each other high-fives.
Outside of the stadium, a sea of cardinal red meandered to bars and restaurants alike, waiting to reflect on the pure joy that they had just witnessed.
I had the opportunity this past weekend to be in St. Louis while the Cardinals clinched their World Series victory.
I didn't have tickets to the game, but I didn't need them to realize one thing: St. Louis truly is a sports town.
You always hear from broadcasters Ãabout how different it is for visiting teams to play in St. Louis versus places where fans aren't as passionate, but you never really believe it to be true.
Well, after seeing the downtown area after the game, I can confidently say that the broadcasters aren't lying.
And in spite of the fact that I'm a diehard fan of another team, I still had to crack the occasional smile and give the occasional high five.
I'm from the Bay Area, and there is always tension between Raiders and 49ers fans, Giants and A's fans and people who root for non-local teams. St. Louis, on the other hand, is incredibly focused. You are lucky not to be taunted if you are wearing Tigers navy blue and white.
The type of passion that I witnessed can also be found in other cities, like Philadelphia or certain hockey towns in Canada. The point is that it exists elsewhere, but not in California.
I want sports broadcasters to talk about Bay Area fans as being passionate, loyal and anything else complimentary.
Talk to any athlete and they'll always tell you that they are able to play better and much harder when they have the support of a full crowd.
Hell, if you saw any of World Series MVP David Eckstein's interviews after a Cardinals' win, you would have noticed that he mentions the fans each and every time.
Going to the games may not seem like much, but it does help your team out.
Just ask David Eckstein and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Contact Mike Kaufmann at (408) 551-1918 or mlkaufmann@scu.edu.
Broncos tied for second in WCCvolleyballsomeone_opt1.jpgTSC ARCHIVESThe Broncos defeated the Sacramento State Hornets three games to one in a match earlier this season.Even with the knowledge that just one more loss during the remainder of conference play would kill any West Coast Conference championship aspirations, the women's volleyball team still maintained their composure during last Thursday's match against San Francisco and played like the 15th ranked team in the nation.
The match ended in a Bronco sweep, although the Broncos exhibited control from start to finish. Seniors Kim McGiven and Anna Cmaylo paced the Bronco attack with 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Sophomore Brittany Lowe also recorded 12 kills and seven aces.
Not even the visiting hecklers from USF could deter the Bronco effort.
Thursday's win added some much needed confidence to the Broncos squad that accumulated a marginal 4-3 conference record, good enough for a second place tie, before heading into the weekend's matches.
"I think it was very important and for a lot of reasons, but mainly for our self-esteem. I think the girls and I talked about how we wanted to play and needed to play and we did it so that gives them more confidence," said head coach Jon Wallace.
The Broncos capitalized on the disorganization and miscommunication among the Dons and took the first game easily after Cmaylo set the pace with two back-to-back kills to make it 4-2. The Broncos raced out to a comfortable lead before freshman Lauryn Dowd's ace captured the first game.
The second and third matches showed more organization by the Dons, but it wasn't enough to overcome the hard hitting Broncos who managed to take the next two games 30-21 and 30-22.
"This is a huge win. Right now, every match is really important for us given that we've really backed ourselves into a corner," said McGiven. "At this point, we need to fight our way out of it one match at a time."
For a team that has struggled finding consistency, it is also a big key to turning losses into wins.
"I thought tonight our effort was very consistent and our focus was consistent. I think our talent is good enough to win the rest of the matches, but it's going to come down to effort and playing together and I thought they did a great job of that tonight," said Wallace.
Despite the three game sweep, the Broncos did sustain a loss in the form of freshman Nina Sevastopoulos injuring her ankle in warm-ups.
After attempting to play on it in competition, she limped off the court in pain.
Santa Clara 3, St. Mary's 2
Saturday's match against Saint Mary's was much more evenly matched. After two hours and 31 minutes of nail-biting drama and the Broncos falling behind two games to none, the victory was that much sweeter.
The Gaels took the first two games 30-18 and then 30-25, but the Broncos managed to put their losses behind them and they took the final three games to steal the victory.
The Broncos are now tied for second with Pepperdine at 6-3 and sit three games behind undefeated San Diego.
Although a conference title might be out of reach at this point, the Broncos are still playing for their NCAA seed.
Contact Lisa Porter at (408) 551-1918 or lporter@scu.edu.