Chelsea Brobst: Don't Come Home If You Don't Wear Red

Chelsea Brobst walks into the room wearing a plain pink shirt and jeans and sits down calmly.  She can fit her entire body into an office chair, but she says she loves contact sports.  She likes the intensity and excitement of lacrosse, which she comes by honestly being from Maryland, an area with a large fan base for the sport.  She also enjoys watching hockey for a very simple reason.

"I just like watching people get hit," Brobst said.

Brobst says she chose to attend Syracuse University for the Television, Radio and Film graduate school program instead of the University of Maryland because of the Sports Communication Emphasis offered at Syracuse, in addition to a few other factors.

"The reputation, the classes, the professors, the alumni, things like that all played into my decision," Brobst said.

But when allegiances as a fan collide, where does Brobst stand?  Syracuse and Maryland met this past season in the women's lacrosse national semifinals.  Brobst says she was at the game rooting for the Terrapins.  She went home happy that day as Maryland narrowly won 11-10.

If Syracuse and Maryland meet again, she says the decision is out of her hands.  Her father has warned her against wearing opposing colors if the Terps come to town.

"When he comes up here for the Syracuse-Maryland basketball or if he watches on TV, I better be the one little dot of red in a sea of orange," Brobst explained.  "And, apparently, I will not be welcomed home if I do not do that."

While she sits and wears pink, Brobst talks about being unable to wear Orange - at least not when her father is watching.

Chelsea Brobst Interview Full Transcript

Jordan: Hello, I’m Jordan Greer for Newhouse Sports.  We have a very special guest.  Chelsea Brobst is here today.  Chelsea, thank you for joining us.

Chelsea: Hello.

Jordan: We just want to talk to you a little bit today.  You are a TRF and SCE major.  Television, Radio and Film and you have the Sports Communication Emphasis.  Now, Chelsea, what brought you here to Newhouse and what role did the sports program play in that decision?

Chelsea: Well, obviously the reputation of Newhouse, being such a great program for TRF.  It was actually between TRF and BDJ and I flipped a coin.  Gonna be honest, picked it based on that because I couldn’t decide.  And then when I found out about their sports communications program that obviously bumped it a little bit ahead of my other choice which was Maryland.  So, the reputation, the classes, the professors, the alumni, things like that all played into my decision.

Jordan: You grew up in the Baltimore-DC area which is a big sports hotbed.  A lot of teams there, a lot of different sports.  What did you play growing up?

Chelsea: I played soccer in elementary school.  I was pretty good.  I started at goalie and then I got hit in the face so I decided I didn’t want to play where I was getting shot at any more.  So, I switched to defense.  Didn’t like that either, so I quit soccer after elementary school.  I played tennis throughout elementary school, middle school, and then some in high school, but I kind of burned out from that because I played basically Monday through Friday during the summer and then over the weekends during the fall and winter.  So, after a few years, I clearly didn’t have the dedication to that sport to continue playing.  I played lacrosse sixth and seventh grade.  I liked that a lot, but then decided to go play the flute, so, again, didn’t have the dedication.  Whoops.  And then cheerleading ninth through eleventh grade, fall and winter.

Jordan: You have told me that watching lacrosse is your favorite sport.  What do you like about lacrosse?

Chelsea: Well, out of the sports I played, lacrosse is my favorite to watch.  Out of every sport, it’s probably hockey or figure skating.  But the ones I played, lacrosse just because I like the intensity.  A lot of people are like “Well, women’s lacrosse is boring.  It’s like watching paint dry.”  But if you actually watch it in person and know what’s going on, it’s actually pretty interesting.  I went to the Maryland-Syracuse game this past year for the NCAA tournament in Philly, and I watched that, and Maryland won.  Sorry, but yay.  And then I went to the national championship game where they played North Carolina.  It went to triple overtime, and it’s just very intense watching them shoot and if they’re gonna make a stop, which obviously you could say for a lot of sports.  But it’s just very exciting to watch and because I’m from Maryland obviously lacrosse is such a huge deal there.  And then hockey I just like watching people get hit.  I can’t skate which is really weird that I like figure skating and hockey, but I do like the whole hands up, butt out thing, so if I fall, it’s not as bad.

Jordan: Now, if there is a Maryland-Syracuse rematch being that you’re now in the Newhouse program, where are your affiliations going to lie there?

Chelsea: Well, I’ve already had this problem.  My father has basically threatened to disown me if I show up to the Maryland-Syracuse game in Syracuse colors.  He’s already told me, cause he has Maryland football season tickets, if I come to the Maryland-Syracuse game, which I don’t have a choice, I have to be in Maryland gear.  He doesn’t care what else is happening.  When he comes up here for the Maryland-Syracuse basketball or if he watches on TV, I better be the one little dot of red in a sea of orange.  And, apparently, I will not be welcomed home if I do not do that.

Jordan: So, it’s fair to say that the hometown team is what’s gonna keep you safe at home?

Chelsea: Yeah, well, what’s weird is my dad’s family; they’re all Maryland fans, Maryland state, University of Maryland, everything like that.  And my mom’s family hates Maryland.  Everything about it.  They call it “The Garbage Land.”  So, they’re all really big Virginia fans.  I could probably get along with my mom’s family a lot more if I started rooting for Syracuse a little bit more, but, you know, I don’t have an option.

Jordan: I see.  Well, shifting gears here into the program that you’re currently in… now, it’s a year intensive program, and you’re going to be faced with a career decision soon.  What would you like to do after you’re done with your year here at Newhouse?  What would you aspire to be? 

Chelsea: I’d really like to end up some day, if we’re doing like a few years down the road, working with the Olympics.  But really there’s so many sporting teams, events, everything like that in the DC area that I think I’d probably like to go home and work for something down there, like whether it’s the Chesapeake Bayhawks or something.  I’m not gonna get overly ambitious and say the Redskins, yet.  Fingers crossed, one day.  But it’d be nice to go home and do something there, but I realize I probably might have to move.  So, we’ll see, but anything in radio or TV. 

Jordan: Ok, well Chelsea we thank you very much for taking the time to spend with us today and talk to us a little bit about some of your favorite sports and what you like to do here. 

Chelsea: Thanks!

Jordan: Alright, I’m Jordan Greer for Newhouse Sports.