A lot of people aren’t going to agree with this column. A
lot of people are going to think I am miles from correct, but I am
going to say it anyway.
Intramural sports are far inferior in nearly every way to
Inter-Fraternity sports. Fans, teamwork, motivation, talent; you
name it, the Inter-Fraternity Council beats IM sports.
For people outside the Greek system, frat boys are usually
nothing more than alcoholics who party too much. What people who
belong to houses at UCLA know, what I know, is that nothing could
be further from the truth. Between the sidelines we can turn your
world upside down. Here’s why.
Fraternity teams display better teamwork. The best houses on
Gayley are strong because of brotherhood. The same bond that binds
brothers of each house makes them seamless when playing sports.
These guys live together, hang out together, study together, party
together. Brothers of a good house know each other better than most
people will ever know themselves.
Because of this bond, they display dazzling teamwork when
playing IFC athletics. There is no way that some guys you randomly
meet on your dorm floor can play together as well as the brothers
of a fraternity.
Fraternity teams also have more talented athletes. During rush,
fraternities seek potential members who fit into their respective
houses.
For the majority of the 19 houses on campus, that means
intelligent, athletic men who understand the concept of brotherhood
and teamwork. More often than not, the guys who get bids are guys
who gained these virtues as high school athletes. Some of the most
talented athletes never to suit up for UCLA end up seeking the
camaraderie they found playing team sports in high school. More
often than not, they find that friendship in the Greek system.
IFC athletes are more motivated than IM athletes. Each year,
based on a point system, the top athletic house is determined and
awarded the coveted IFC Trophy. Points are given for victories both
in IM and IFC tournament competition, though IFC victories usually
yield double the points of IM victories.
Every strong house on the row competes diligently for the
trophy. The pride and honor attached to the three-foot statue
outweighs any desire to win an IM league championship T-shirt. IFC
games are more intense because every game has something important
riding on it.
The fans at IFC events also create a much more competitive
atmosphere.
There is an easy comparison to make between IFC and IM
athletics. Usually, entire houses of nearly 100 rowdy spectators
show up to cheer and heckle at IFC events while IM teams are lucky
to get pine jockeys from their own squad to be vocal. The athletes
in IFC games seldom need to open their mouths because the crowds of
brothers on the sidelines have it covered. The electric sidelines
make IFC games much more entertaining than IM contests.
There are intense rivalries between fraternities that make IFC
sports more entertaining than IM sports. The reason the ALCS was
fun to watch this year is that the Yankees and the Red Sox
didn’t just want to beat each other; they hated each other.
Some rivalries between houses on Gayley make UCLA-USC games look
tame.
Great rivalries make great sporting events. IM sports simply do
not ever have the intense atmosphere that comes with rivalry
games.
Misconceptions about the Greek system at UCLA lead many
outsiders to look straight past the vast spectrum of positive
aspects of Greek life. We are about more than parties; we are about
more than alcohol; we are about more than hooking up with sorority
girls.
Meet us between the sidelines, and we will show you.
Graham-Caso is a brother in Sigma Phi Epsilon. E-mail him at
dgrahamcaso@media.ucla.edu.