Why Rivalry Can End Badly

Let me disclaimer this by saying I am not a sports fan in any way. I've also lived in both Lawrence and Columbia, the homes of both schools.

Every sports franchise has a rival. I'm sure that the Cleveland Curling Cactuses really really hate the Pittsburgh Curling Camels as much as KU and MU hate each other.

But at what point does it become silly and offensive? Quite quickly.

KU and MU just had their traditional "Border Showdown" on November 28 (which KU lost), and with it came a disturbing amount of facebook messages from my former classmates and alumni, declaring their "hatred" for "those stupid Mizzou fans." People threw things, talked trash, swore at, and ridiculed the other side, simply for being a part of the other school. Accusations of low intelligence, inbreeding, snootiness, and every other kind of inequities were traded with astonishingly low regard for decency.

All because of a football game.

Seriously. You need to knock it off.

I get it. I'm not a sports fan, but I know about rivals. A team that, for whatever reason, represents a weird sort of enemy. Most of the time it's a fun change of pace for the season, adding a time where you can have a little more school spirit and root a little harder for your team.

But really? Calling people from Missouri stupid and inbred hicks? Calling Kansans snooty farmers or whatever? At what point, dear sports fans, does it become okay to just categorically slander an entire state because you want your team to win? It makes absolutely no sense.

Sure, you can shake your head all you want (I have a few heads in mind that I know will be doing this), but it's childish and silly, really.

I've confronted a good friend about this before, and he assured me many times it was just for fun. Right after he said this, however, he went on to say, each time I brought this up, that Missouri was just a stupid state, and it didn't matter anyway. A few times I lost my cool and told him to knock it off, but he went back to ridiculing Missouri in the same breath. This attitude, which I've noticed more and more, makes me think that people are actually convincing themselves that people from the other state are dumber than them.

It's a weird sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. By convincing yourself the other side is way worse than you, you become a nasty, hasty-acting fan, which the other side (having convinced itself you are stupid), notices and points to as proof of their beliefs. They become nasty, giving you the proof you need.

And round and round it goes.

What, oh sports fans, does this gain you? Do you feel better about yourself in the same way a schoolyard bully who happens to have three more hairs on his arm than the smaller boy he's beating up?

Rivalry is not always bad. Heck, the athletic departments of both school love it. Their revenue goes through the roof, both in ticket sales and merchandise (it took me three seconds to find that picture above).

But when rivalry ends with you believing that the other side is inherently stupid, it's not okay.

It's childish, it's not "all in good fun," and leads to deeper problems. Knock it off.