It's not over yet

Commentary

Contrary to popular opinion, the football season is not over in Salukiland.

Though the fat lady is warming up, she's not ready to come out on stage just yet.

There are still two games remaining, and one game that SIU could conceivably win.

Like a landlord who "forgets" to mail your deposit after you move out, Saluki football fans have been conveniently forgetting about their team every November.

You replace your football nightmares with basketball fantasies.

Psychologists know all about this.

"An unconscious mechanism protects the self ... from being overwhelmed by the memories of the traumas by quarantining those experiences from consciousness," says the Australian False Memory Association's website.

This is known as false memory syndrome.

So maybe all of those memories about our football team losing all the time never really happened. All you have to do is convince yourself that we really have one of the best football programs in the nation.

Only about 2,000 fans showed up at the last two home games last season. That's pathetic.

So don't forget about the team. They're playing this Saturday at home.

You say you have some urgent knitting to do? Well drop that and come to the game.

You say this team is no good? Well, Indiana State is not very skilled either.

As an added bonus, a game between two teams with poor records can provide some comic relief for fans.

Things could be worse. The whole team could have simultaneously broken their arms.

Maybe the time zone difference will throw the Sycamores off and they'll be ready for bed by the fourth quarter.

Maybe they'll hire Vanderbilt's bus driver - who got in a wreck on the way to a game this year - and all you tailgaters will get to drink beer in the parking lot without the hassle of having to actually care about the game.

And if that wasn't reason enough to come to the game Saturday, here's another. If you don't come to the game, you'll miss out on some great opportunities.

Saturday's 'Saluki running back for a day" will give you the chance to live out your dream, or nightmare. You'll get to be a college football running back. And after the game, you'll get a brand new cast that's signed by all of the players.

It could be worse for the Salukis. They could've lost all of their games.

They could have lost to South Dakota Tech in a rout, but at least we're not that bad.

This is probably your last opportunity to see the football Salukis win. They have no chance against Western Kentucky. The 'Toppers are on a roll, winning five straight, and they have a week off before coming to Carbondale next week.

Western Kentucky didn't even allow Illinois State to cross midfield in Saturday's game.

And when you're a fan of a losing team, you have to take advantage of the times when your team might win and show up at the game.

We haven't beaten the Sycamores in the last eight tries, so there's another reason to go to the game.

So come to Saturday's game for your chance to break an arm and to show your support for the Salukis.

But if you have a compelling reason not to attend the game, like a hangover, show your Saluki apathy by watching it on TV. Just don't change the channel when the newest Ronco infomercial airs on another station.

Ethan is a senior in journalism. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.