The Psycho Post

In this edition of The Late Game, we sit down with “The USC Psycho” to learn more about his incredible streak and some stories from the road. The Psycho has not missed a home or away USC football for over 25 Years. He is pictured above with Heisman Trophy winner, Carson Palmer. I hope you enjoy this post in advance of USC-UCLA on Saturday night. 

TLG:  First off, are you a USC alumni?

USC Psycho: I did graduate from USC, four times. I have a BA in Psychology, MA in Communication Management, MS in Computer Science and a JD. I first graduated in 1994.

 TLG: I understand you’re going on 25 consecutive years without missing a game. Was “the streak” something you planned to do intentionally, or did it just happen naturally the first few years?

USC Psycho: I definitely did not intend to embark on any kind of streak. I was a huge football fan in college and I thought it would be fun to go to all the games my senior year. And it was fun, so I did it again the next year and it just kind of snowballed. I definitely didn’t expect that the last game I missed would be the last game I’d miss for more than 25 years. As a side note, the streak didn’t start my senior year, I went to the last few games my junior year so my streak technically started my junior year.

TLG: I’ve heard a little bit about “PsychoGate”…can you walk us through a typical game day for you at the Coliseum?

USC Psycho: My tailgate starts six hours before kickoff. After we set up it’s a pregame party with food, drinks and tailgate games. It’s a lot like many other tailgates but my tailgate is open to all fans, both USC fans and especially opposing fans. I always go out of my way to be gracious to opposing fans and make them feel welcome at USC. When I go to road games I always appreciate it when the home team fans go out of their way to be hospitable and so I want to be someone who makes opposing fans feel comfortable at USC. When they go back home I want them to love USC fans, but hate our football team.

TLG: Is the term USC Psycho a term you have copyrighted/trademarked?

USC Pyscho: No, I get asked that a lot but there’s not a lot of incentive to do that. It’s just my online username so it’s not worth the hassle and expense. Unless someone is going to clone me, I’m not sure what they’re going to use the name for.

TLG: Surely, you have gotten to know many Pac-12 cities on your road trips following the team. What is your favorite city to travel to for a game? What does an away game weekend look like for you?

USC Psycho: My favorite Pac-12 school to visit is Utah. Their fans are so nice and the tailgating is amazing. It’s really the only Pac-12 road trip I look forward to.

At first, I used to try to make a little vacation out of road games but these days it’s a very utilitarian endeavor. I fly in, go to the game, get out; sometimes I can pull the whole trip off in one day. Before road games I will usually try to do some tailgating and when tailgating isn’t practical we’ll usually go to a local bar before the game. Either way, I always try to connect with other USC fans who are in town.

TLG: What is the best stadium you have been to, outside the Coliseum, to watch a college game?

USC Psycho: To be honest, after a while the venues all kind of blur together. I remember the experience — the fan interaction and the game itself — more than the building. The one exception is AT&T Stadium in Dallas. That is a very impressive venue unlike any other. 

The worst venue is AT&T Park in San Francisco. That is built strictly for baseball and is a terrible place to watch a football game.

TLG: I’m sure there are many Trojan fans that would love to be able to attend the amount of games you do, how are you able to manage your business and get to all the games? 

USC Psycho: It’s really not as difficult as most people imagine, and probably not as expensive either. The commitment to go no matter what is the hardest part because by the end of the season it can feel a little exhausting. And no matter what else might be happening, you have to miss it regardless of how important or enticing. So sometimes you end up disappointing people but that doesn’t happen much anymore because by now everyone in my life understands and accepts that I’m not going to miss a game. Nobody wants to be the reason I break my streak.

25 years sounds like a lot but it’s only about 12 days a year and half of them are in L.A. So there are six regular season road trips which are usually in-state or in an adjacent state. I book my flights early, don’t stay in fancy hotels and make the trips as short as possible. I wouldn’t say going to every game is cheap but if you make a point to be frugal it doesn’t have to be nearly as expensive as a lot of people imagine it to be.
 

As for work conflicts, if you have a Monday – Friday job, conflicts are very rare. Most games are on Saturday so you can always fly out after work on Friday (or even Saturday morning) and be back by Monday.

It’s really not as hard as it sounds to go to every game for a season but doing it over and over again for 25 years without missing a game requires a serious commitment.

TLG: What is the closest you have come to missing a game, and is there a good story behind that?

USC Psycho: My first year of law school, which was just the third full year of this streak, I had so much classwork that I decided I had to miss the Cal game and put an end to the short streak. But the night before the game I was having serious reservations about missing a game. I was freaking out a little bit, I felt like I had to be there. So, I got one of my law school friends (ironically a UCLA graduate) to agree to drive to the game with me Saturday morning. So we drove up, got tickets from a scalper then drove home right after. It was the longest day ever, but that’s when I realized I wanted to keep it going and not break the streak. I never imagined I’d be able to keep it going for this long.

TLG: Out of all your years watching games, what is the worst game you attended? Or worst game day experience and why?

USC Psycho: It’s hard to identify one worst game, there have been quite a few bad experiences. One of the worst was the 2012 Sun Bowl when USC lost badly to Georgia Tech. The game was a disaster and I’m not particularly fond of El Paso so it really stands out as one of the worst experiences.

TLG: On the flip side, if you had to pick one or two games that you will remember above the rest, which would those be?

USC Psycho: The most memorable games are the Bush Push game and, unfortunately, losing the national championship to Texas. Even though that Sun Bowl game was the worst experience, it wasn’t the most painful loss. That damn Rose Bowl game was the most painful loss. I think the 2017 Rose Bowl will make the short list of most memorable games but it’s hard to tell while it is so recent. I’ll know in ten years if that game is in the top tier but I’d be surprised if it isn’t.

TLG: Thanks again for taking the time, any final thoughts for our readers? 

USC Psycho: I’m a huge USC fan but I’m probably not the biggest USC fan you know. There are people that live and breathe USC football 24/7/365. They watch every game over and over, they read every USC blog, column and message board post. They closely follow high school football and can tell you who the top high school prospects are and which ones USC is targeting and all that stuff. I can’t do it all like they do. After the season is over I kind of go into football hibernation because I’m exhausted from the experience. Every week I’m either planning a tailgate or planning a road trip (or both) so I’m always “on”. Even though I absolutely love it by the time the season is over I’m ready for a break. And I’m also a huge LA Kings fan so my attention shifts to them after football season.

I guess the point of that is I consider myself a regular guy with a crazy USC football obsession. I think some people see me as some kind of “super fan” but I’m often impressed by how passionate other USC fans are compared to me. I kind of see myself more of a tailgating ambassador. Whether USC is playing at home or on the road I love that people I’ve never even met reach out to me to ask where the party is. I want to make sure everyone has a good time. Even though I love the game, I think what makes college football special is the camaraderie and friendships and I’m glad I get to help facilitate that.

FIGHT ON & BEAT THE BRUINS