What to Do if Your School's Football Team Sucks

For many of us, there comes a time when we must wholeheartedly accept the fact that our college football team ... well, stinks. Blows. Sucks eggs.

For me, that moment came last fall during a semester abroad in Spain. I came in from the beach and made a beeline for the computer, drooling at the thought of the beat-down UVA probably put on William & Mary -- the David to our Goliath.

Despite these odds, however, we got whupped, losing by 12 points. Fans set buildings on fire and rioted in the streets! Oh, wait. That was when the on-campus Ralph Lauren store closed. My bad …

But back to football. My freshman year was as breathtaking and nerve-racking and incredible as any college football season can be, when UVA won an NCAA record five games by two points or less. But the following year, we seemed to pile up more losses than the stock market. 

So what did we resort to after our team went down the crapper? Friends started attending fencing matches. Took up knitting. Cried. For hours. And hours. 

For me? The situation was so drastic that I left the country and became a fan of another type of football -- soccer. Turns out my cheering for Valencia’s squadron (which included famed striker David Villa) wasn’t entirely in vain. Spain -- spearheaded by Villa's incredible attack game -- ended up conquering the soccer world with a victory in this past summer's World Cup. But even during my time as a traitor to American college ball, I always had a lingering thought in my head. It went something like, “Why the hell am I watching soccer?”

Which is why I was riveted during UVA’s season opener against the University of Richmond, another underdog opponent. Turns out there would be no upset this go-around -- armed with a new head coach and a rejuvenated sense of confidence, we squashed the Spiders. Not bad for my first home football game in about two years.

As for my futbol-watching status? Maybe I’ll tune in every now and again. But fencing? Who am I kidding?