09-11-2023, 01:47 PM
Responding to the original question, it doesn't diminish my enthusiasm for the final Pac-12 season in the sports I care most about, not even a bit. And frankly, it heightens it--I'm going to relish every game or match against UCLA and USC in soccer and tennis more than I usually do (which is a lot). I always, uh, strongly disliked USC in all sports, but for the most part I was fairly neutral toward UCLA (with the exception of women's tennis). Well, that's changed. They've earned my everlasting dislike.
My feelings toward the other soon-to-be-former Pac-12 teams depends in large part on their role in the conference's demise. We could have survived as a Pac-10, so Colorado kicking off the last round of destabilization means I am now fervently anti-Buff. For the schools that seemed to be trying to hold the Pac-12 together like ASU and Utah, I have some increased goodwill. And while I certainly don't like Oregon or Washington, I can't really blame them for preferring stability in the Big Ten, given what the alternatives looked like. I think I'll always root a little for Wazzu now--they've always been a plucky, fun underdog. And I can't say that I've ever cared very much about Oregon State one way or the other (the fact they're the only Pac-12 team not to field a women's tennis team probably has something to do with that).
And then there's Cal. Sure, I dislike them, but I also feel a lot more empathy for them as this realignment process has unfolded. We're tied to them, and them to us. They're family. Family we argue with at Thanksgiving, and maybe more than argue, but everyone else is gone and they're still here.
But all of that applies to non-football sports. My expectations coming into this season were low, but I was hopeful we'd be competitive. After this weekend, I can't imagine spending a lot of time thinking about or watching Stanford/Pac-12 football is going to give me much joy, so I'll likely emotionally divest from college football for the time being. And I find myself completely uninterested in the overall performance of the conference in football. We are contributing nothing towards that success, and it won't help us a bit moving forward, so I just don't care. If the Pac-12 weren't about to die, however, I'd take some pride in the fact that the Pac-12 seems to be a pretty darn good football conference for once.
My feelings toward the other soon-to-be-former Pac-12 teams depends in large part on their role in the conference's demise. We could have survived as a Pac-10, so Colorado kicking off the last round of destabilization means I am now fervently anti-Buff. For the schools that seemed to be trying to hold the Pac-12 together like ASU and Utah, I have some increased goodwill. And while I certainly don't like Oregon or Washington, I can't really blame them for preferring stability in the Big Ten, given what the alternatives looked like. I think I'll always root a little for Wazzu now--they've always been a plucky, fun underdog. And I can't say that I've ever cared very much about Oregon State one way or the other (the fact they're the only Pac-12 team not to field a women's tennis team probably has something to do with that).
And then there's Cal. Sure, I dislike them, but I also feel a lot more empathy for them as this realignment process has unfolded. We're tied to them, and them to us. They're family. Family we argue with at Thanksgiving, and maybe more than argue, but everyone else is gone and they're still here.
But all of that applies to non-football sports. My expectations coming into this season were low, but I was hopeful we'd be competitive. After this weekend, I can't imagine spending a lot of time thinking about or watching Stanford/Pac-12 football is going to give me much joy, so I'll likely emotionally divest from college football for the time being. And I find myself completely uninterested in the overall performance of the conference in football. We are contributing nothing towards that success, and it won't help us a bit moving forward, so I just don't care. If the Pac-12 weren't about to die, however, I'd take some pride in the fact that the Pac-12 seems to be a pretty darn good football conference for once.