The 'true' Sun Devil fan

Column by Nick Prete, ASU News

There is a man, who is all of what it means to be a true Sun Devil fan – growing up on the hallowed ground of ASU, and learning the Sun Devil way since he was a boy. He is the most hardcore Sun Devil fan in the world. He doesn't always go to universities, but when he does it's one of the largest in the nation. This is a list of just some of his accomplishments:

1. He's got a seat in Sun Devil Stadium with his name on it. 

2. His wardrobe is separated into 2 sections, maroon and gold. 

3. Sparky is his best friend, and asks him for tips on how to be more spirited. 

4. He knows not only the star athletes on each team, but the coaches, bench warmers, and past players, but also all of their birthdays. 

5. He's a staunch dog lover because he can't bear the site of anything even resembling a wildcat. 

6. His homepage on every computer he owns is set to gameday.asu.edu, thesundevils.com, or some site affiliated with Arizona State. 

7. He recites the fight song in his sleep, and dreams of little Sparky's dancing through his head. 

8. He was the first man to set all the Sun Devil Athletics records. Even the female ones. 

9. He never has to wait in line to get into a ASU sporting event.

10. He was birthed in the halls of Tempe Normal School. 

11. He has a video library of every sporting event in ASU History. Even the ones before there were video cameras.

12. His face is hidden somewhere on every Sun Devil jersey. 

13. When ESPN needs to know facts about ASU's sports, they call him. 

14 He literally bleeds maroon and gold. Scientist have yet to explain this phenomenon. 

15. His hand print is in the original cement laid down for palm walk, by him. 

16. He is the phantom of the ASU Gammage opera. 

17. There is a secret room in Hayden reserved, just for him. 

18. A baseball team facing the Sun Devils once forfeited after getting just one menacing glance from him. 

19. The blackouts were inspired by him, after he went through a goth phase. 

20. The campus police often question him. Just because they find him interesting. 

21. He was the first person to teach ASU 101. 

22. He came up with the saying, "No Pity for the Kitty." 

23. His foam pitchfork alone has been to more Sun Devil sporting events than this year's entire freshman class combined. 

24. He is listed as President Crow's emergency contact number. 

25. ASU doesn't stand for Arizona State University. Those are actually his initials. 

26. Sun Devil fans make a deal with him, instead of the devil, when they want a championship season. 

27. The bricks in Old Main are actually made from clay, and his saliva. 

28. He was the ASU version of Rudy, except he was actually a beast at football, he just liked watching more than playing. 

29. He was the first person to lead the Devil Walk, and paint the A. 

30. He dated Mona Plummer, and Mary Lou Fulton.

This isn't just about touting how amazing this one man is. The lesson to be learned here is about striving to be the best fan we can be. We all need to attempt to be as legendary a fan as this guy is, and there are quite a few very achievable goals on this list. Like Sparky could totally be your best friend, you can set your homepage to some sort of ASU sporting page, you can come up with a new saying about how we dislike the Wildcats, or who knows, you could even start a tradition here at ASU. No matter what, we can all give a little more, we can all cheer on our Devils harder, we can all attend more Sun Devil sporting events, and support ASU more. So do it! 

Go Devils!