Tuesday, November 17, 2009
I grew up in southern Illinois, far from the intensity of the Border Showdown between the University and Mizzou. My family has a mix of both MU and KU alumni, but my relatives only ever mentioned the rivalry in an I’m-sort-of-joking-but-not-really way that adults adopt to keep conversation lighthearted. However, I learned about the true depth of the rivalry on my very first visit to campus when I was a junior in high school.
My dad, a KU alumnus, had taken me to his alma mater to show me everything it had to offer. After our tour, I knew it was the place for me. During our journey home we stopped for a barbecue lunch — in Columbia, Mo.
I was wearing my new “Rock Chalk Jayhawk” shirt proudly. A few snide comments later and a meal I’m sure was spit in, I fully understood the intensity of the rivalry between the Border States.
In that moment, I learned that by wearing a KU shirt, I was pledging my allegiance to the University. Once I began college I became an official part of the rivalry — a tradition that dates back to the Civil War. Back then, rebels from Missouri ran across the border, nearly burning down all of Lawrence and killing many Kansans. Though Missouri is no longer a slave state, Kansans haven’t forgotten about the history between the two. Missourians haven’t forgotten the rebels from Kansas who attacked their towns, either.
Most Jayhawks have stories of bitter moments with Missouri fans. I have certainly had my fair share. Though my relatives have never caused any big issues, over the last three-plus years, I’ve heard a lot from others. A retail employee in a suburban St. Louis mall called me a moron after noticing my KU T-shirt. At the Border Showdown at Arrowhead Stadium I saw a Missouri fan burn a KU flag in the middle of a Jayhawk tailgate. Let’s just say that it didn’t go over well.
Most of my friends from home attend Missouri universities. When I visit them, it is worse — there’s absolutely no chance the rivalry can go unmentioned. When a Jayhawk fan is attacked, he or she has the advantage of being able to point out our rich school traditions, all the times we have destroyed the Tigers in sports and our overall superiority. I certainly do — I’d be a wimp if I didn’t. However, on the fluke occasion that we don’t defeat Missouri in a sport, I can count on harassing phone calls, texts and messages from everyone across the border.
After years of participation in this age-old rivalry, I can appreciate how the competition adds to school spirit. It’s a way for students to unite against a common cause. There is no feeling like the rush of adrenaline when you stand up to a Tiger fan talking trash on the University at a Border Showdown in Allen Fieldhouse. It is all part of the college experience, even down to rooting against MU when we aren’t even playing them. Don’t feel bad about it, Hawks, because I know Tiger fans feel the same way about us.
— Edited by Brenna M. T. Daldorph
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