Wow. It’s hard to believe I’ve finally reached the end of my college career. After 25 columns, I’ve finally arrived at the finale of my career at The Daily Free Press.

This year, maybe more than any other year, was the perfect opportunity to be a columnist. When I think about all the sports issues that have transpired at this school in the past year — with everything from Sweargate to the up-and-down season for the men’s hockey team — I never ran out of things to talk about.

Clearly, as a sports fan, I’ll probably never love Terrier sports as much as I do now. Being a columnist gives you the nice bridge between writing as both a journalist and a fan, and I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity to print what’s been on my mind.

I feel as if I leave BU sports in a state much better than when I came here. And although the men’s basketball team fell faster from grace than the Yankees have this season, the men’s hockey team has put together two great back-to-back seasons.

Attending BU has allowed me to appreciate more the subtle nuances of sports. It takes a certain love of sports to become a rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth Terrier aficionado.

There’s no tailgating at hockey games. BU doesn’t have a 70,000-seat stadium to sneak into for the second half as you pretend you’ve been there the whole time.

Basically, your sports experience at BU is up to you. You choose your own involvement.

And I’ll be honest with you: I didn’t really get this at first. I thought being a BU fan would come naturally and it would be something everyone was interested in.

However, the truth is, a lot of people at BU can live without the sports scene. I guess when you come to a university without a football team you devalue that whole aspect.

But to be fair, there are quite a few of y’all Terrier fans who do read the Free Press and have opinions — strong opinions — about what’s printed here. I have tons and tons of hate mail to prove it.

So at BU there’s a bit of a sports dichotomy, if you will. There are some who think the Terriers are the lifeblood of the school. Others care less.

In some ways, this is the beauty of going to BU. In others, it’s the annoying part that drives you crazy as a sports fan.

As I’ve said before, I’ll always be disappointed I didn’t get to see a Frozen Four appearance here as a student. Obviously, as others have relentlessly pointed out, that’s probably not a realistic desire.

But I think that’s what makes a great team. The kind of group that always expects a championship, who wants a championship and will only be happy with that final result. I believe our school thinks the men’s hockey program could win the national championship every year.

And for that reason, I’m proud to have attended this university, even considering the lack of football team and large number of those with apathy for BU sports.

I’d also like to address that some people have felt I’ve been a fair-weather fan. Certainly, I think this happens to everyone who goes to college. Obviously, before I went to BU, I was never much of a hockey fan.

But realistically, I guess that’s one of the things I received the most from my time here. Well, that and the fact I got to show off the “party pose” — created by Nick Williams and I — in the paper every week.

I never had fully appreciated how great hockey was until I came here. I now understand and enjoy hockey much more than I ever thought I could. Becoming a fan and expecting our team to live up to its reputation was only natural.

With my final 200 words, I suppose I’d like to thank my readers. It’s enough that my roommates have to listen to me blather on about nothing for hours, but to know a lot of you have taken your time to read my columns is truly awesome.

Whether you’ve liked what I’ve written or not, I still have appreciated all the feedback I’ve gotten this past year. Whether my column was about the school creating an “ice band” to entertain the crowd during intermission or comparing the Beanpot to Rocky II, I still received reactions from at least a few people.

You never really know what your legacy as a columnist will be. You write as many interesting and entertaining things as you possibly can and just hope at some point that people find you captivating.

As I walk out the door for the final time here at the university, I’ll have to appreciate the many levels upon which I grew as a sports fan here in Boston. It’s a time I’ll never forget.

Bring on the hate mail (or in some cases, the positive feedback). I’m just happy that you’ve been reading.

Anthony Flum, a senior in the College of Communication, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].