Introduction
The best time of the year has arrived, when heroes are forged on the gridiron through hard-hitting action. I am talking about my beloved Pumas of CU, the golden-helmeted and blue-jerseyed heroes representing UNAM in Mexico’s collegiate big-league football season. (Some pedants use the English term “football” to distinguish it from soccer, what nonsense. In Spanish, we call it futbol.)
Personal Connection to CU and the Pumas
I have a deep affection for American football, having been to the Estadio Olímpico Universitario while still in my mother’s womb. The CU parking lot is where I learned to ride a bicycle, tried tacos de guisado for the first time, and discovered Coca-Cola and milanesa tortas. The Pumas of CU are etched in my heart, mirroring the spirit of the Cóndores of CU during my early life.
The Pumas’ fans, the Yarda 50, celebrate every score with the Goya of righteousness and the university’s roar: “The line, the core, the jafs, and the full, for the glory of my team, the spirit shall speak. Mexico, Pumas, University.” Each touchdown is accompanied by a stylish trumpeter playing the March of the Saints. This is a complete tropicalization, as we Mexicans call positions: the quarterback among us is the “core,” a beautiful term that sounds like heart.
Family Tradition and Influence
My father, a boy of the fifties, attended the Olímpico Universitario’s inauguration while still in his mother’s womb. He watched his first American football game at five years old, despite accompanying his family to the Poli (the original clásico of Mexican sports, UNAM vs. the Polytechnic; a game still passionately followed by thousands annually, many exclusively for this match). He fell in love with the distant golden helmets on the field, a love as sincere as childhood infatuation.
My father learned to read with Esto in hand, always tracking American football results. He went to CU alone at eleven, drawn to the sport despite his family’s Poli allegiance. He claims, without exaggeration, that he went to UNAM not to become a lawyer but to secure the Pumas’ core position. An injury and his pragmatism kept him off the field, though he acknowledges he’d never match the greatness of Joaquín Castillo and Hilario Canseco, his contemporaries.
The Upcoming Season and Aging Fans
This year’s season began ominously with a home loss to the Aztecas of the Universidad de las Américas Puebla due to foolish errors. It’s going to be a long season, as long as a canoe ride. My father no longer wishes to attend games, claiming CU has grown too large for him. I’d like to take him in a wheelchair, but his pragmatism intervenes: where do we place the chair at home, how much does renting cost, what about the cold and rain?
We all follow games through Aarón Soriano’s sports journalist YouTube channel, one of the few giving American football coverage. Though the Clásico fills stadiums, regular games receive scant media attention. Local news barely acknowledges them, yet the league survives thanks to devotees like us.
In Monterrey, the Borregos Salvajes of Tec de Monterrey and the UANL Tigers stir intense emotions and garner more media interest. They dominate the league, with the trophy often staying north. Our Poli-UNAM Clásico is like a size five on my ample behind.
NFL and Its Mexican Following
Autumn also brings the World Series of baseball and the NFL season, captivating millions on Mexican television. In our country, according to ESPN and Récord, at least 20 million fans follow the NFL. Thousands of jerseys are sold yearly in Mexico, with specialized stores and sports bars filling up for the Super Bowl.
Fan bases are as diverse as the teams themselves: Steelers, Cowboys, Patriots, or Packers fans. My case is unique as a nineties kid with two jerseys: Steve Young’s from the San Francisco 49ers and Peyton Manning’s from his Indianapolis Colts era. Why do I support the Niners and Manning? First, I’ve loved gold and red since childhood, a legitimate reason like any other for kids approaching sports.
I root for the Niners due to their appealing colors and memorable seasons, including a Super Bowl victory. Each year, I hope for a winning season and playoff appearance. Asking for a Super Bowl seems vain; we’ve been close, and the team has grown recently with star players.
My Manning jersey is more about going against the grain. He was the only player who could challenge the Patriots’ Brady-Belichick duo. Though the Pats usually won, Manning’s command over his team was worth watching. Despite elite coaches, he seemed to play independently, like an artist on the field.
The NFL takes me back to a suburban childhood store where everything was NFL and Halloween. The scent of freshly baked bread, Hut Pizza, and grilled burgers lingers in my memory.
