By
Francisco Merced
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Well, it's my birthday today. Some people have come up to me and said, "Hey Frank, what do you want for your birthday?"
Well, I don't quite know.
Perhaps I should hope for world peace or ask for a berth to the Rose Bowl.
Maybe I should ask for harmony and peace, a final calm within my body from the continuing struggle between Korean and Hispanic blood that flows inside me.
But my editor tells me no. He reminds me that I'm a sports reporter doing a sports column and like WWF wrestler "the Rock" says, "It doesn't matter" if its my birthday or not.
So, what has happened in the world of sports?
I could complain about NBC 's coverage of the Olympics, but why would I? Everyone knows they suck. I love the Olympics, but damn you NBC!
How about baseball? Baseball sucks too. Absolutely no drama. For the umpteenth time the Braves and Yankees are going to the playoffs. Looks like the Mariners or A's will go, too - but that one is very close. But, you'll ask me, what about the White Sox? I do like Frank Thomas and the surprising year they've had, but they doesn't stir my blood at all.
St. Louis and San Francisco both made it, and I pray one of these saintly cities beats out Atlanta. I won't mention the Mets. Oops.
Basketball's out. NASCAR - never mind. Hockey is played on ice and soccer, well, is just soccer.
That leaves me with only one love, one true sport. A sport in which teams have to come together to prevail and together must face defeat. A ballet on grass, football is the one, true fine art in today's society.
What other sport bonds the rich and poor and unites a small Texas city on a Friday night?
In the movie "Remember the Titans" - from all the "making the movie" specials I've seen on ESPN - a high school football team brings together a racially-separated city and wins the state championship. Pardon me, but I need a tissue.
I can hear the skeptics now - they all beat their wives, they're criminals. For every Ryan Leaf, there are three Cris Carters. And everyone has to love the best minister in the league - Rev. "Primetime" Sanders. Hallelujah!
Look at the college game. The Wildcats don't look too great, but just think if Arizona had last year's offense with this year's defense. Whoa.
Nevertheless, fans come out and buy tickets every year hoping that "this year" will be the year of roses. In 1998, the team was 12-1, one loss away from Pasadena.
This year, South Carolina is the Cinderella story of the year. In his first season, head coach Lou Holtz went 0-11 under much adversity.
What a difference a year makes. Now the Gamecocks are undefeated at 4-0 and have beaten two top-25 teams, finally earning a No. 23 ranking in both polls.
At Tennessee, Michigan and Nebraska, more than 100,000 people come out every Saturday to watch their teams play. When Cornhuskers fans fill their stadium it becomes the third largest city in the state.
Alumni at schools such as Notre Dame are die-hard over the outcomes of their football team. Such love can't be found anywhere else.
So, what do I want for my birthday? I want football.
Too bad today is Tuesday and not Monday.
