Like any other spirited Berkeley student, I get excited for the big football games — especially the Big Game. I love seeing the rallies and hearing the marching band practice around campus. On the day of, I love walking to the stadium among alumni reliving their glory days, stands with pricey — albeit incredibly delicious — danger dogs and partygoers clad in blue and gold. However, when the game starts and I’m watching from the stands, I can’t help but feel disappointed. 

Why do I go if this keeps happening? Well, I want to take advantage of everything Berkeley has to offer in my last semester on campus, and if I didn’t go, not only would I feel like I’m letting down the excited Berkeley fanatic in me but I bet I’d also regret it in the future.

So I attend the games even though I’m not the biggest football fan — or really any sports fan, to be honest — and it’s about as fun as I’d expect, not to mention crowded or super uncomfortable, depending on the weather. I rarely understand the calls being made, but neither do the majority of the cheering students among me, so why does everyone seem so excited while I’m so bored?

I can’t help but feel jealous of their spirit, but what am I jealous about? We’re all on the same stands watching the same game. All I need is a different attitude. 

My theory is as follows: I’m paying too much attention to the game itself … y’know, at a game. It might sound crazy, but I think that my enjoyment — and likely many of yours — comes from being a part of the excitement and appreciating the chance to come together and root for a common team. When I put too much pressure on myself to watch every minute, I end up getting bored because watching the sports game isn’t the reason I go. Instead, by watching the game too closely, I miss the bigger situation — the community, the festivities, the excitement.

Win or lose, football games won’t be disappointing if you pay attention to what matters, even though the after-parties are a lot more fun if we win. 

In other words, the game is not what makes a game day special. If you want to watch football, it’s available on TV nearly any time, but if you want the experience of a game day — where an entire community comes together to share their common allegiance — there’s no place like Berkeley.