We're alive! And we've moved! But I'm going to make you wait to hear about that, since it's what you'd really like to know about. Instead, I'm going to rant about a topic that's been on my mind lately: sports rivalries.
I'm no stranger to rivalries. I had an Accelerated Reader rival in 7th grade. We competed fiercely to get the most points and be named the top accelerated reader in the school. I went so far as to spy on his reading binder to figure out how many points he had so I'd know whether or not I was ahead of him.
In high school, we had a "rival" high school. I say "rival" because it didn't mean much besides the fact that kids at our school would do stupid things like throw tortillas on the court when we played our rivals and get the whole student section kicked out of the game. Or, they'd do even stupider things like our own football players burning the initials of the rival school into our own football field and trying to blame it on the opposing team but getting caught anyway. I was in the marching band or the pep band, so I barely knew who we were playing, much less the score.
But once you get to college, rivalry takes on a whole new meaning. It's something akin to religion. The rivalry between my alma mater, BYU, and its rival, the University of Utah, is literally known as "The Holy War." The vitriol between teams and fans is astounding. I grew up hearing my dad repeat his mantra, "I root for BYU and whoever's playing the U!" And that's mild compared to how many others feel. The statues on BYU campus get wrapped with saran wrap during the week preceding the BYU/U of U football game to prevent U fans from coating the statues with red paint. U fans have been known to dump beer on BYU fans when the game is held at the U's stadium. This year, even though BYU and the U aren't playing each other in football, I've seen U fans on Facebook posting pictures of themselves wearing t-shirts of the team playing BYU that week, declaring them their "favorite team." When BYU players or former players make mistakes in their personal lives (e.g. Brandon Davies or Max Hall), they have their mistakes ridiculed and screamed at them from the opposing student section. I'm sure similar acts of "rivalry fever" have led BYU fans to do mean and/or stupid things to U fans.
But why?
When it comes down to it, does it matter which team is better? And when we start extending our hatred toward the school, students, religion, and lifestyle, haven't we taken things way too far? What is it about the label "sports rivalry" that makes attacking others in such a manner okay?
If it actually were fun and games, with a jovial attitude, I might understand. But people are really passionate with their hatred and generalizations, and that's scary. Though I don't believe it would go this far, these kinds of attitudes have started wars in the past.
And it's not only between BYU and the U, it also extends to another in-state university, Utah State. As far as I'm concerned, all of these schools are good schools where you can get a quality education, and I don't care that one is a religious, private institution while the others are state schools. At least half of the students that attend the state schools share the same religion as most of the students at BYU. Why does going to BYU get someone labeled as a stuck-up, self-righteous prude while going to the U or Utah State get someone labeled as an apostate sinner?
Aren't most of the people that attend (or work at, or are fans of) BYU, Utah, and Utah State generally good people who are trying to balance school, work, family, friends, and everything else? If this is the case, why all the hate? They may support different institutions, but in so many much more important ways, they're the same.
I just with the rivalries weren't so heated and personal.
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