Name of the game shows principle

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The football rivalry between Kansas and Missouri is a long-standing one, but the name of the game has changed.

What once was referred to as “The Border War” is now known as “The Border Showdown,” a change that came about in 2004 at the beginning of the war in Iraq.

“When it comes to sports, ‘showdown’ is a much better way to display showing our skills versus theirs,” Beth Newton, Hutchison junior, said.

Some worried that the use of the word “war” was disrespectful.

“It was really indifference to the men and women of our armed forces,” Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said. “The men and women of our armed forces are fighting a real war and this is acknowledgement that an athletics test, in all reality, is not comparable to what our armed forces are going through.”

Both the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri decided to change the name of the rivalry. The original name, “Border War,” was in recognition of the combat between the two states before the Civil War.

“The word ‘war’ has such a negative connotation in this time period — ‘showdown’ just sounds friendlier,” Newton said.

However, not all students agree with Newton that the name change is a positive thing.

“It’s sort of a bad remembrance,” Tyler Bierwirth, Lenexa freshman, said. “I don’t think that it’s necessary. It’s not even related at all.”

Bierwirth said he thought the rivalry could return to its former name.

“If people started complaining about it enough, and if it was petitioned, I’m sure it would be,” Bierwirth said.

Despite differing points of view, Marchiony said he did not foresee “The Border Showdown” encountering any name changes in the future.

“There are opinions on both sides, but in the end, we do what we think is best,” Marchiony said of the renaming. “It’s really not on the radar.”

— Edited by Amanda Thompson

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