Which team do you cheer for?

I typically like college football. But there are two weeks in Iowa that are two of my least favorite Saturday's of football. It is the two weekends of Iowa teams playing each other for bragging rights or something along those lines.

I was born and raised an Iowa Hawkeye. My dad was an avid Hawk fan and I'm sure he is still cheering for them. I looked at all three state colleges and was accepted to all three but a deciding factor for not choosing two (actually three, Loras College in Dubuque also qualified) was the comment my mom made one day to me regarding she and my dad stopping by if I was in college in Iowa City, Cedar Falls or Dubuque-because they were close! Yes that was one of the deciding factors in choosing a college. I knew I needed to be far enough from home not to run home every weekend (or have my parents stopping by!).

I honestly feel an allegiance to all three state colleges for a variety of reasons, and not just because everyone else is on some kind of band wagon or some other ridiculous reason.

When I was in school I attended events at both Iowa and UNI so I grew up at and am comfortable with both. My dad, as I mentioned, was an avid Iowa fan. He was especially fond of men's basketball purely for the reason it was a winter sport and he had time to watch and attend games. Football was harvest time and he didn't have the time to watch or attend. His passion for the Hawks still warms my heart, he loved to watch them.

Iowa State is another favorite because of family and the Cyclones at times remind me of the Chicago Cubs before last year's World Series. ISU is at times the lovable losers. They are either up or down, it seems there is seldom an in-between!

UNI is a quiet force that always takes a backseat to all the hype Iowa and ISU seem to get and probably has to do with size as well. They are kind of like the forgotten little sister-you forget they are there at times.

Regardless of who is playing who I am pulling for the team from Iowa, except for the Saturday's when UNI plays ISU and Iowa plays ISU. Can't everyone win?! I do not like the crappy banter some fans post or say during these weeks of play-both before and after play. Some fans are really crappy losers. And I'm not going to bash or side with one team's fans or another. All teams have their share of crappy fans. BUT there seems to be more dip-s$@% fans for one team than the other two.teams. Regardless it is all just a game. It has notaffect on world peace nor is the cure for cancer or ends wars. We are all Iowan's, living in the same great state. It is just that, a sport, a college sport and it gives one-third of the state bragging rights for 12 months until next year.

So regardless of the outcome of last week's game or this week's game I'm still rooting for all three teams. And if you say that's not being a fan then you need to open your eyes, broaden your perspective, get a life...it's just a sport. It's just a GAME. Look that up....game-noun-1.  a form of play or sport....