Rivalries...

 Ever since we were little we have had rivalries slammed into our brains.   Some of us have sibling rivalries, some sports related, drink related, music, those that we learn about in school, and on reality television.  Since, I am 100% football mindset I am going to be talking about the sport rivalries I have learned to live with growing up in the south and or have seen growing up since I was a child.   But since we were children we were always told to do better then the others we were playing against or with and that is where I think this rivalry mentality comes to us as a society.

I have always been a huge sports fan.  My whole family are huge sports fans.  I grew up in Chicago in what you would call a house divided.  My mom grew up being a Chicago White Sox fan and my dad a Chicago Cubs fan.  I remember hearing my dad’s family and mom’s family pick on each other every time they had a chance.  But in the end knowing that they were family they were always able to get along and I am sure that they all have a mutual hate for the Green Bay Packers when it comes to football season (once again another sports rivalry)! 

But when I think rivalry I am thinking and love good ole fashion hate.  Like a Lauren and Heidi rivalry on the Hills (yes I just compared the hills to football).  Knowing what I know and what I have talked to my friends about the one rivalry that always comes out of peoples mouth’s is Georgia vs Florida or Auburn vs Alabama.  Both games have been played for years against each other.  I have been able to go to each other these games, in Jacksonville for UGA vs UF and I have been to Tuscaloosa for AU vs Bama.  All I can say is that both of these games are intense and the good, bad, and ugly come out in their fans.  If you ever have a chance to ever go to either one of these games DO IT!  You will not forget the raw emotion you will see in the players, coaches and extreme fan’s eyes when the ball is intercepted on the other team’s goal line or the perfect touchdown pass is thrown.  It brings goose bumps just thinking about it.  

 

There are some people that take the rivalry thing way too far.  I know that people have a passion for their team and their sport and that is great.  But why does someone get mad when a “friend” wants to go watching another in state team play football or watch another team on the TV when your “team” is not playing or has finished up with their game.  These are the “fans” that I hope that I never become.  Yes, do not get me wrong if Georgia Southern is playing a home game at 1:00 on a Saturday and UGA is playing at 5, I do not have a problem watching or listening to the game.  I am going to cheer for UGA as long as they are not playing Georgia Southern it’s because they play and live in the state that I live in.  But some people cannot take remove football while watching their team to sitting down and watching a “good game”. 

 It blows my mind that people cannot separate their hate for another team to sit-down and watch another game. These are the same people that follow these late teen early 20-somethings players on twitter and wither praise them when they do good for their school and or bash the hell out of them when they miss a catch or drop a handoff.  They are college age men!  They do not deserve what some of these fans say to them!   

Tomorrow starts the final countdown to college football.  Many teams are in the “x amount of hours until their game starts,” me I am still 1 day and 4 hours.  But we have been celebrating and chatting about college football all day today.  I hope that everyone enjoys their teams game this week and can sit-down, relax and watch another “good game” that is not their teams and appreciate what these players, coached and staff all go through to get ready to entertain us.  

GATA EAGLES!!  CAN’T WAIT UNTIL 6pm Saturday!

Laura