Rivalry Week

Ah, Rivalry Week. . . strike up the band, wear your favorite team’s colors, and lose every ounce of moral judgment that you have. People treat rivalry week like they are in Las Vegas. What happens during rivalry week stays in rivalry week. Want to go throw a bucket of paint on a statue at your rival’s campus? Fifty-one weeks a year this would be considered vandalism, but during rivalry week it is just considered harmless fun. Want to throw snowballs at your rival’s cheerleaders. Go ahead! How dare they cheer for their team? All in all, any inhibition you might have during the rest of the year can be set aside, because it is rivalry week.

I can’t point a finger at others without pointing one at myself. I could use a few sessions at rivalry week anonymous. “My name is Mike and I lose all self-respect during rivalry week.” I knew I had a problem and needed help four years ago. My beloved BYU Cougars were stuck in the miserable Crowton regime, while the hated Utah Utes were being coached by the Urban legend (or myth, I still haven’t decided). When it became clear that the Utes were going to hold on to their 3-0 victory, I became enraged. As I stomped down the stadium stairs cursing Crowton and the pathetic team he had fielded, a Ute fan got in my face. Now to be clear, if I had traveled up to Salt Lake City, I would expect to be taunted by the fans. However, when I am in Provo at Edwards stadium, I don’t want to hear anything from the opposing fans. My anger boiled over and I shared a few kind words with this Ute fan. An old lady standing next to me reacted as if her ears were burning, having never heard such foul words. I wasn’t in the mood to have BYU security get involved, so I shared one more kind word and continued out of the stadium. As I neared the exits I heard someone above call me a name that would surely have had the Honor Code office scrambling. I looked up and saw my new friend, still basking in the victory. I carefully pulled off my gloves, put them in my pocket, and raised two of my fingers in a salute that Wyoming Coach Joe Glenn would have been proud of. Yes, it was at that point that I knew I needed help.

To be fair, I didn’t create the hatefulness that exists in the BYU / Utah rivalry, I just live in it. During the 1980’s the use of the word rivalry would have elicited some laughs. Both teams have to be competitive for it to be a rivalry, and Utah certainly wasn’t. However, in 1993 Utah began a stretch of three consecutive victories and the rivalry was reborn. The media also gave the rivalry a new name, “The Holy War.” This is, in my opinion, where the rivalry went wrong. A group of priests and nuns playing a flag football could be called a holy war. You may even get away with calling a game between BYU and Notre Dame a holy war. However, to call the BYU / Utah rivalry a “Holy War” makes no sense. BYU is a private university funded by the LDS Church, while Utah has zero religious affiliations (confirmed by the behavior of some of its fans). By using the term “Holy War,” the media is using religious beliefs and differences to create hatred. I not only have to defend the Cougar football team, but also my religious beliefs at the annual rivalry game. In a nation that cries for the separation of church and state, I cry for the separation of church and football.

By adding the element of religion the BYU / Utah rivalry is now tainted. Football is, after all, just a game. Sports and competition are great. They add an element of fun to our mostly monotonous lives. A rivalry is even better. It adds an extra bit of drama and excitement to the sport. However, when a rivalry reaches the point that opposing fans not only dislike each other but also despise and hate each other, there is a problem. It stops being a game and starts being personal. Not only are you told that your team sucks or your quarterback sucks, but you suck as well. . .and so does your mom! The focus shifts away from the game and onto the war between the opposing fans. What’s sad is when you consider the fact that none of us are actually playing the game. Neither head coach is going to call anyone of us out of the stands to suit-up. I can wear my lucky socks and all the blue that I want to, but in the end, I cannot affect the outcome of the game.

I left Edwards stadium four years ago and felt like a complete fool and a jerk. I let the rivalry go beyond just a game. So I took a step back and realized that the loss really didn’t matter much. The opposing fans would gloat for a day or two and life would continue forward. My behavior was inexcusable. Add to this that I now have a two-month old daughter and I can’t help but wonder what she would think of me if she had seen the way I behaved that day. It kind of puts it into perspective. Cheer hard and have fun, but remember that it is not you versus me or you versus my religion. It is simply BYU versus Utah. GO COUGARS!!!!