Sophie Gilchrist
Sports Editor

Looking back on my 12 years of living in San Francisco, I have come to realize that I have not always been a dedicated San Franciscan. Although I love San Francisco as a city, sports-wise I’m not as loyal.

I am a rabid the Golden State Warriors, but because most of my family lives in New York, I’d rather support Eli Manning and the New York Giants than the 49ers — a team that plays less than 15 minutes away via Highway 101 from my home. To be honest, I cannot even tell you the name of the Niners’ quarterback.

As March approaches and I am waiting to hear back from colleges, I find myself looking on Facebook at pictures of Convent alumnae who attend the colleges and universities to which I applied.

Through my “Facebook stalking” — in the least-creepy sense of the word — I’ve seen pictures of girls attending professional sports games in the cities where they go to college, but wearing San Francisco teams’ apparel. Recently, I came across an album where alumnae attended a Dodgers game wearing Giants shirts, repping the city they come from.

While academics should be the main focus of my college experience, a part of me cannot wait to wear my San Francisco gear — especially if I go to a college outside of the Bay Area. I cannot wait to show my SF Pride.

Some may call me a fake fan for not appreciating and supporting the Niners or Giants while I live in the city. It may seem strange that being away from San Francisco will bring me closer to home, especially through sports. But in reality other than parents and friends flying in to visit, there is no other better way to have San Francisco to come to you.

I guess I will have to stop by Big Five or Sports Authority and pick up a 49er jersey before I leave at the end of the summer so that I can rep the 415 to the fullest when I am away in the hope that it will make me less homesick, but also remind me of the great city I come from.