Note - The following column appears in the September 14, 2007 edition of the Gonzaga Bulletin.
Ladies and gentlemen, we've officially entered Bizzaro World. Please don't trip over your jaws as they hit the floor.
Somehow, inexplicably, Gonzaga has found itself totally besieged by . . . soccer mania?
You'd better believe it.
The sport that has yet to (and probably never will) find a niche in the American sporting world has kicked its way into Gonzaga's collective consciousness. The sport that David Beckham failed to make relevant in America suddenly means something to the Bulldogs' fans. The sport that a typical fan might call slow-paced, boring and uneventful now has an entire campus on the edge of their seats for more.
And the craziest thing of all? You can't help but get wrapped up in the fun and excitement of it all. Soccer is finally fun.
The crowds. The noise. The overwhelming enthusiasm. As of a few weeks ago this would seem highly uncommon at a Bulldog soccer game. Suddenly, the place is rocking like an outdoor Kennel.
Last Friday at Martin Field featured perhaps the largest, loudest crowd seen at a soccer game in years, with attendence exceeding 1,000 for the game against Washington (the last matchup with the Huskies in 2005 brought out only 525 fans). Now compare that to last year, when the Zags averaged 411 fans per game. To put it lightly, people are taking notice.
Big wins can do that for a team. In about a two-week span, the Bulldog men have brought soccer to the forefront of the Gonzaga sports scene. First came the improbable shutout of defending national champions and then No. 1-ranked UC Santa Barbara. A few days later, the Zags finally defeated Washington, then ranked No. 12, after 26 years of frustration.The end result: a No. 12 ranking in the Soccer America polls, a No. 21 ranking by College Soccer News, and a new legion of fans living and dying by every corner kick.
Of course, with the ensuing popularity, the question needs to be asked: Is this newfound support due to fans recognizing and applauding excellent play, or is this all just a case of people hitching a ride on the bandwagon?
It certainly wouldn't be crazy to consider the latter. The surge in popularity is remarkable for a sport that has struggled to gain a large following the past several years. Wins over powerhouse teams tend to bring out the bandwagon jumpers, and the true test of the fans' faith will be whether they'll still stick around even if the team hits a wall.
But despite the skeptic in me, it seems that Gonzaga soccer's recent popularity is genuine; a pure, if almost unprecedented, show of support for a team that deserves every bit of it.
The sport itself, and the attention that the men's team has brought to it, appeals to Gonzaga fans because it has encouraged an all-for-one mentality. As a nationwide sport, soccer fails because it tries to appeal to too wide an audience. But Gonzaga, with its small, close-knit community, has embraced the team and its excellent play. They're our soccer team.
Yes, the concept of embracing soccer may feel as natural as professors referencing rap lyrics, yet with all the Bulldogs' excitement, drama, rousing support and powerful atmosphere, it wouldn't be hard for any sports fan to feel right at home cheering on a team that demonstrates what the bond between a school and its fans should always be like.
Even if that team plays soccer? Hey, there's a first time for everything.
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