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By Sam Spiller
Arizona Daily Wildcat
December 3, 1996
So the Notre Dame Fighting Irish would rather sit out of postseason play than play in the Copper Bowl. What I'm wondering is, Why?Is it the icy-cold weather? Maybe they're depressed after losing to the Trojans this weekend in overtime. It could be that they are a little confused, being that Lou Holtz is leaving and all. The point is, why would they skip a bowl game?
I think that the Copper Bowl's lack of prestige makes the Irish faithful choose martyrdom rather than play a Western Athletic Conference team that would probably beat them.
As far as I'm concerned, Notre Dame can stay in South Bend, Ind., and lament their tragic season. I want Arizona to be the other invite.
I know the rules state that for Arizona to qulaify it must win six games, but I don't care. I think all of its close losses should be combined into a win, NCAA be damned.
All right, all right, I'll be serious. The pick for the Copper Bowl should be Wisconsin. The Badgers beat Hawaii to become bowl-eligible this weekend. They have a good program and a large fan base. The stadium should fill up pretty well, and the game will be competitive.
The problem is that there are about 15 Badger fans in Tucson. At least when Air Force played here last year, the fans came from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Where do you get Badger fans in Tucson? What the Copper Bowl officials are hoping for are minivans full of cheeseheads coming in a caravan down from the frozen tundra. Remember when Wisconsin played in the Rose Bowl? I remember at least 40 minivans decked out in Badger paraphernalia in the parking lot of Disneyland the day before the Rose Bowl. Where will they go in Tucson? Flandrau Planetarium, Fourth Avenue, Reid Park Zoo and Biosphere 2 are not quite as appealing as "the happiest place on Earth."
The other choice for the invitation is Oregon. The Ducks have shown interest for weeks, and the bowl committee has held off in hopes of luring Notre Dame orWisconsin. I am sure the Oregon faithful would trek down from Eugene to watch their Ducks face-off against the WAC opponent. The fans could migrate for the winter, making that trademark "V" formation and quacking their way down to sunny Tucson, but I don't think they will. The Ducks aren't even a draw when they play the Wildcats.
Maybe the Copper Bowl officials should invite Tiger Woods. He could tee-up a few balls and try to hit the administration building. Now that would draw a few thousand fans. I know I would be there.
Sam Spiller is a philosophy junior and covers volleyball for the Wildcat.
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