A Pyrrhic Undefeated Season

My alma mater, the University of Central Florida, had an undefeated regular season, won its conference championship in double overtime, and sits at #12 in the CFP rankings. (No love for a non-P5 team; bah-humbug!) Amidst all of the celebrating, however, our head coach got plucked away by Nebraska, so a lot of alumni are lamenting that loss, while others are cursing him because of the unfortunate timing of the news of his departure dropping while we were still in playing Memphis.

But there's a far more shocking story to come out of UCF than the loss of our head coach and his staff. Donald De La Haye lost his football scholarship because the NCAA forced him into a take-it-or-leave-it situation: continue making YouTube videos that have generated some money for him, or play football. The option to do both was not on the table because it threatened the cartel the NCAA has over the monetization of its slaves... er, student athletes.

So naturally, I posted that article to the Facebook page that discusses all things UCF athletics. And although there was some mild support for my post or sympathy for the player, most of the reactions fell in the range of "don't bring down our high" to "he traded his free speech for a scholarship"; as if a constitutionally protected freedom could be bartered in such a way. I believe that the university has not only the moral obligation to reinstate De La Haye's scholarship and stand up for him against the NCAA, but also a constitutional duty to do so as a public university. In Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), the Supreme Court famously declared that students do not shed their right to freedom of speech simply because they have entered the schoolhouse doors. 

Contract law contains the doctrine of "unconscionability." This doctrine allows courts to render a contract unenforceable because the terms of the contract so overwhelmingly favor one party over the other that it shocks the conscience. One of the key factors of unconscionability is whether one party had vastly superior bargaining position. UCF, acting as a proxy for the the NCAA's regulations, stood atop a mountain of bargaining power compared to De La Haye, a kid born in Costa Rica who was sending some of the revenue from his YouTube channel to help family there. The NCAA's restrictions on monetizing videos based on an athlete's "reputation, prestige, or ability" forced De La Haye to sign away his right to express himself in his role as a football player when he accepted a scholarship to play for UCF. Forcing De La Haye to sign away a constitutionally-protected right so he could receive a monetary stipend and tuition--things he earned by his athletic prowess--strikes me as a grossly unequal exchange. Meanwhile, UCF and the NCAA continue to make money off the blood, sweat, and backs of men and women in athletic programs around the country.

As it turns out, De La Haye decided to leave college football behind him and continue his endeavors with his YouTube channel, Deestroying. But it never should have come to him being forced to choose one over the other. Stories like his are the reason my university will never receive a dime from me. True story: I quit my Chicago-area alumni chapter board this past summer because the school forced me to contribute financially despite the hours I volunteered to promote its brand and image. And I told them that I have serious misgivings about donating money to a public university that does not value free speech.

Not a dime. The only financial gift I've ever made to UCF, which the alumni association found "unacceptable." 

UCF's 1400 acre campus has only nine designated "Free Assembly Areas" that people must meet in if they want to hold political rallies or events (University Regulations, UCF-4.2093(12)). The university has also codified into its campus regulations the constitutionally suspect "fighting words" doctrine (UCF-4.2093(6)(f)) as well as the heckler's veto (4.2093(8-9)). The former has been drastically limited by Supreme Court cases National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie (1977) and Snyder v. Phelps (2011), to the point the doctrine is almost meaningless. (Consider, for a moment, that the very statements Walter Chaplinsky yelled at his arresting police officer in the "fighting words" case were "You are . . . a damned Fascist," something we hear regularly these days.) And the heckler's veto has no place on a public university campus that purports to value integrity, scholarship, and community.

Overall, reading De La Haye's story yesterday amidst the conference championship left a sour taste in my mouth. Sure, the school will get some recognition for the victories its football team had this season. But in putting its fealty to the almighty NCAA above the rights of its students, I can't help but feel that this 12-0 season deserves an asterisk next to it.

Robert Phillips is An Idiot

Copied from a Facebook picture comment:

Robert Phillips: I've never thought that in order to be a "REAL fan," you have to go to the game. I'm a UCF grad, a football fan, and a UCF fan. I go to as many games as I can. But you all know as well as I do why many fans would rather stay at home to watch on TV, or even go to a sports bar to watch: stadiums are hot. You'll walk in the sun and stand in line for the privilege. You'll be gouged for drinks and food. It'll take you 30 minutes to get off campus afterwards.

But other reasons to stay away include the other people who go [bullets added]:

1. Drunk Fratboy with the tribal armband tattoo who never really realizes how drunk and obnoxious and pathetic he's being.
2. College Girl who stands with her back to the field the entire game, obstructing your view while she flirts with Drunk Fratboy.
3. Pompous armchair analysts who pretend to know every statistic about every player and make sure you can overhear their constant overanalysis and play-by-play.
4. Students who think being a fan means shouting the same slurred rhymes and insults every three minutes.
5. Mothers and grandmothers of players who scream hysterically every time her son/grandson does something...well, every time he does anything.
6. Dude who can't stay seated and needs to squeeze in and out of the row of seats every ten minutes.
7. Dude who takes his seat and part of your area as well.
8. Dude who rests his foot on the seat in front of him, not realizing or not caring that that's where you're trying to sit.

Yeah, I just described some of you. So don't think for one moment that "real fans" go to the games. Sometimes real fans are such dedicated fans that they don't want any of the above to get in the way.

Now, maybe I'm slightly biased against this guy (read: I hate him and think he's an uneducated idiot) because I tend to fall under numbers 4, 7, and 8. But I think a true fan is someone who is at the game supporting his team. Sure, that doesn't mean a true fan can't watch from home; maybe he couldn't afford the ticket, or he had to work earlier that day. But I think where Mr. Phillips made a grave error was to confuse the term "real fan" with "fairweather fan."

I don't care how you act at the game. But if you go to the game, you stay to the end. That's the definition of a true fan. A true fan doesn't care about other people in the stands, because he barely even notices them. His entire focus is on the developments of the game. If Mr. Phillips is more concerned with looking around the stadium to find people to spite, then he is far from a true fan.

A true fan doesn't gripe about the weather conditions; he only thinks about how it will affect the game. If it's rainy, will our receivers be able to hang on to the ball? If it's windy, how will this affect our field goal attempts in the 3rd and 4th quarters? If it's blistering hot, will our running back be able to give his normal output, or will we have to play a 2-back system for most of the game to keep him fresh? If Mr. Phillips is complaining about the heat, in FLORIDA, then he is definitely not a true fan.

A true fan doesn't complain about the lines, or the price of food. The only line the true fan worries about is the line for the bathroom at half time, because that's the only time a true fan leaves his seat. A true fan doesn't care about the price of beer, or nachos, or water, because a true fan drinks in the energy of the stadium and feeds off of the excitement of the game. If Mr. Phillips is worried his snacks will cost more than seven dollars, then maybe he should have had his mommy pack him a knapsack. Because he is not a true fan.

A true fan doesn't care about the long waits for leaving the stadium, because a true fan waits for the players to exit the locker room. A true fan supports his team through win or lose, thick and thin, through both Hell and high water. A true fan applauds his team's performance whether they win by four touchdowns or lose by a last second field goal. And a true fan most certainly doesn't leave in the 3rd quarter to "beat the crowd." If Mr. Phillips is worried about getting out of the parking lot fast enough to get home and watch the season finale of Lipstick Jungle, then he is not a true fan.

In closing, a true fan is someone who doesn't question why he is at the game. But if you are not sure if you are a true fan, ask yourself a question: Are you there for the team, or are you there for the people you sit with?

It's obvious that Mr. Phillips is not a true fan. If anyone would like to inform him of this, feel free to send him a message via Facebook. But please, let's be civil. GO KNIGHTS!

Sports is the Answer

The annual match-up between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators is tomorrow, and one Georgia county has made the necessary preparations.

It seems that over the years, twice as many teachers have called in sick the Friday before the annual game than on an average day. With the game held in Jacksonville, Florida, over 350 miles away from Clarke County, Georgia (where the UGA is), many teachers feel the need to call into work and make the drive down the day before the game. This story can be found here, on ESPN.com.

It's nice to see that some people are finally starting to understand what's important in life. Some may view this action as placing too much emphasis on athletics, rather than academics. But it really just comes down to being responsible. If you have evidence from prior years that you might have a shortage of teachers, then it is prudent to make the necessary preparations for the same time this year.

There's already too much emphasis placed on work ethic in our society. That's why Sunday's come as such relief to the working population. People can relax, put their feet up, and watch football.

But it is just as important to take a break during the week occasionally. Even Sundays can lose their luster when it's "just something to look forward to". The monotony can be overwhelming and the days of rest short-lived when not broken up by a rare vacation.

Winning the Vote; Losing the Game

This was awesome:

I'm really proud of the presidential hopeful taking sides here. I was a little pissed off when he says Cubs fans are fairweather fans, and White Sox fans are legit. Especially when we sell out every game, and the White Sox suck.

Anyways, the game atmosphere was awesome. It was the War of the I-4 Corridor. An in-state rivalry game. And hopefully the geographically challenged University of South Florida (located in Tampa?!) Mancows would go home losers.

I can't believe I almost forgot this: On the shuttle ride to the game, a USF fan got on the bus. This would not have been a huge problem; sure we would jeer and give them a hard time, but it would all be in good fun. But this girl gets on decked out in full body paint, with a really gay viking helmet on and a hula skirt as well. That's just disrespectful. If you are gonna come in full outfit, you do not try ride our UCF shuttles. So of course I let her know that. Before I was fully aware that it was a girl, I told my friend to punch him in the stomach. Fortunately someone took the initiative and yanked off her hat and stomped on it, to which I applauded. And then the so-called UCF fan sitting next to me says something like "Is anyone else embarrassed to go to UCF right now? I want to transfer schools so bad." I told her to shut the hell up.

Anyways, on the long walk to the stadium, I was really letting the Mancows fans hear it.

In the stadium I was really happy with the amount of enthusiasm; it seemed like my voice wasn't even needed. Of course my friends said I was always needed with my off-the-wall commentary. Trash talking the USF band at halftime was great too. Unfortunately, the fairweather fans left in their ridiculous fashion. We were only down 24-10 at the beginning of the 4th quarter. I let them hear it too.

With five minutes left in the game we made a spectacular comeback; putting up two touchdowns and blocking their field goal attempt to send it into overtime, where we ultimately got gypped. The refs were so confused they didn't even know which way they were pointing half the time. They were really acting like idiots. So of course I let them hear it.

What upsets me more than this disappointing loss are the people who claim to be fans of their school, and then say they are embarrassed by the actions of their fellow students. How about some freakin' school pride? These people wouldn't no pride if it came up and shanked them in the side prison-style. And of course I let them know that.

College Football has Begun

I love the games. I love the school spirit. I love the cheerleaders. But more than anything, I love being "that guy who yells a lot".

At baseball games, I heckle. At football games, I jeer. At basketball games, I scream for a giveaway T-shirt.

Sometimes what I say is witty and gets a laugh, but it isn't even about that. It's about the sheer intensity that makes people around me say "What the hell is this guy on?"

So bring it on South Carolina State. And don't go crying to your mamas when we wipe the floor with you.

P.S. Look for my arrest footage on Fox 35 news at 10.

EDIT: We won 17-0 and not only did I get told by some cute girls that they love my enthusiasm, but 2 freshmen came over and practically worshipped me for my unbridled passion.