Good read here and one I totally agree with its premise.
It’ll be talked about all week in classrooms and at the water cooler, fretted about on message boards and dictate some lives for the next 96 hours.
Yep, it’s Alabama week.
The annual Southeastern Conference Western division matchup that’s determined national champions, created legacies and begged the question “Where is Jarrett Lee?” staked its claim as the premier matchup in college football the last three seasons.
On a primetime national stage, it’s delivered the top players from the best conference playing a sensational football game.
It’s must-see TV. The game that can actually keep Tiger Stadium filled to capacity until the game clock reads 0:00. And a glaring example of why SEC football is and will continue to be the toughest conference in America.
But please don’t call it a rivalry.
I’m a Baton Rouge native and can proudly say I’ve attended LSU games since 1999, when the Tigers were so dreadful they had no right to call anyone but Tulane a rival.
Suddenly, 14 years and two supposed “rivals” later, LSU’s finally content with a “rival” and its game against Alabama has drawn comparisons to Ohio State and Michigan.
The proud Michigan man he is, Les Miles sidestepped the notion on Monday, only willing to “suspect some similarities there.”
I won’t suspect anything, Les. I’ll flat out say, there are no comparisons necessary. Not just to Ohio State and Michigan, but any true rivalry in college football.
For an LSU program that tried to latch on to a rivalry with David Greene and Georgia in four meetings from 2003-05, then moved on to Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow’s Florida Gators from 2006-09, it’s a familiar script.
Find a team with a nationally known figure, play it to a few close games, win once or twice, give away free rally towels at one home game and call the opponent a rival.
Except in this instance, Tiger nation relates too closely to the national figure.
Read the rest of his editorial here...
It’ll be talked about all week in classrooms and at the water cooler, fretted about on message boards and dictate some lives for the next 96 hours.
Yep, it’s Alabama week.
The annual Southeastern Conference Western division matchup that’s determined national champions, created legacies and begged the question “Where is Jarrett Lee?” staked its claim as the premier matchup in college football the last three seasons.
On a primetime national stage, it’s delivered the top players from the best conference playing a sensational football game.
It’s must-see TV. The game that can actually keep Tiger Stadium filled to capacity until the game clock reads 0:00. And a glaring example of why SEC football is and will continue to be the toughest conference in America.
But please don’t call it a rivalry.
I’m a Baton Rouge native and can proudly say I’ve attended LSU games since 1999, when the Tigers were so dreadful they had no right to call anyone but Tulane a rival.
Suddenly, 14 years and two supposed “rivals” later, LSU’s finally content with a “rival” and its game against Alabama has drawn comparisons to Ohio State and Michigan.
The proud Michigan man he is, Les Miles sidestepped the notion on Monday, only willing to “suspect some similarities there.”
I won’t suspect anything, Les. I’ll flat out say, there are no comparisons necessary. Not just to Ohio State and Michigan, but any true rivalry in college football.
For an LSU program that tried to latch on to a rivalry with David Greene and Georgia in four meetings from 2003-05, then moved on to Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow’s Florida Gators from 2006-09, it’s a familiar script.
Find a team with a nationally known figure, play it to a few close games, win once or twice, give away free rally towels at one home game and call the opponent a rival.
Except in this instance, Tiger nation relates too closely to the national figure.
Read the rest of his editorial here...
