10-02-2016, 07:14 AM
For me, much of the pleasure of watching football is attached to the traditions of the game. The national championship to me symbolizes all the corrupting influence of TV, money, and hype. Playing in the Rose Bowl against a Big 10 champion represents decades of tradition that ties the actual game to a part of Stanford's culture. I won't discount the pleasure of winning a national championship and proving to the world that it is possible for a university with high academic standards to win it all. I admit that would be wonderful and that I do hope it happens. However, I find myself so repulsed by the commercialism, hype, neon uniforms, night games, weekday games, inane talking heads, rescheduling of Big games, and the sacrifice of local fans and ancient traditions-- that I find the few opportunities for true tradition to be a blessed relief. Playing in the Rose Bowl, in the middle of the afternoon, against a Big 10 opponent, after winning our conference--and dominating--nothing is better than that.Â