D1 Athletes

In my 4th year here at Oregon, I've learned quite a bit about the different D1 teams on campus and the type of people associated with them. Everyone knows Volleyball is my favorite sport to watch, and why shouldn't it be? The girls are athletes. They have swag, they have 4.0's, and they have size (all of which don't define them, but it really does help). My true passion for the sport came after I made a sign on one fateful day, just stating a fact that I thought people should know... I really didn't think it was a big deal.

Well, it turns out the team actually appreciated it. They appreciate that I'm a big fan of what they do, and I appreciate that they appreciate it. Eventually, more signs were made and the rest is history.

Of course, not all teams on campus are like the volleyball team. Take football, for example. They're douche bags. Everyone knows it except for them (maybe even they know it), but because they get so much attention from fans, they really do think they're the best things that exist in Eugene. Same can be said for Men's basketball and baseball. Too much attention goes to their heads. Don't get me wrong, they are extremely athletic and fun to watch, most are just really terrible people.  Sports like volleyball and track and field combine the athleticism with great people to make the overall watching experience so much more enjoyable, and they really respect their fans. 

However, in my 4 years watching sports here, today was much different than any other day. Dan, seen here on the right with a death grip on Alaina's arm, and I decide to go to the Women's tennis match. Tennis is a great sport, and I've had fun watching some good matches here at UO before. But something is different from any other UO event...I notice the "bench" players are running the show. They're organizing the cameras, announcing on the microphone of what's happening, running raffles, sitting next to us to talk to some fans, really keeping up the atmosphere. That's cool. Dan and I settle to watch Rabea Stuckfajskfdj on the far court, and cheer her on to her 6-2, 6-2 win. We were the only 2 to cheer her on the whole time, and after her win she does something no other athlete ever has; approached us. 

We talked about her match, she thanked us, asked why were there (as if we need a reason)... we just talked. It took an extra 3 minutes of her day to show what it really meant that we came out to cheer, which of course gives us more incentive to go to the matches next year. Overall, a very classy act by the ladies of the Tennis Team, as we were also thanked by multiple players after we left (they had to clean the event up themselves, too). 

Rabea has earned the title of favorite player on my other favorite team.