Friday, November 21, 1997
‘Rivalry Weekend’ promises undying, fanatical support
RIVALRIES: Winning the ‘big game’ can instantly turn poor season
into success
By Brent Boyd
Daily Bruin Staff
Not every weekend will you find old ladies sitting in the
stands, dressed in blue and gold, chanting, "Fuck ‘SC."
Or college students in Tucson and Tempe, Ariz., hiking up hills
in enemy territory to deface a big A that overlooks the campuses of
the two main universities in the desert.
Nor is it too common to see an entire student section attack its
opponents’ mascot and take a piece of it back with them to their
dorms and fraternities.
But at this time of year, around the campuses of the Pac-10
conference, it would only seem strange if these things were not
happening.
This Saturday is known around college football as "Rivalry
Weekend," but the Pac-10 takes it to an extreme.
Due to its unique geographic dispersal, every Pac-10 school has
a distinct rival, and all will battle this weekend (with the
exception of Arizona and Arizona State who will play Nov. 28).
The mere mention of Big Games (Stanford vs California), Apple
Cups (Washington vs Washington State) or Civil Wars (Oregon vs
Oregon State) may not elicit much reaction from fans nationwide,
but for fans and players of the teams involved, there is nothing
more important on the sports calendar than the day when their team
can turn a worthless season into an instant success.
Each rivalry has its own distinct features and traditions,
whether or not the game "means" anything.
For instance, in 49 states the result of the annual Civil War in
Oregon is about as significant as the local peewee Pop Warner
score. But, for those in the Evergreen State, a victory means
automatic bragging rights for a year.
"In general, the feeling of the rivalry is that we understand
that our football team is not one that wins a lot of games, but if
we beat the Ducks it’s a great year," said John Londokken, editor
of Oregon State’s school paper, The Barometer.
In fact, students at Oregon State guard the Beaver statue on
campus overnight during Civil War week to protect it from Ducks
down the highway in Eugene.
At the Arizona schools, students traditionally trek up and down
Interstate 10 to watch ASU and Arizona battle.
In last year’s game, Arizona State clinched an undefeated
regular season on enemy soil in Tucson, and fans of ASU charged the
field and attempted to take down the goal posts. A rivalry that was
already one of the nastiest in the West became absolutely
hostile.
"We hate each other," Lori Haro, a student at ASU said. "It’s
bad, when you’re sitting in the student section, there’s no way you
can mix … you can’t mix because people would try to kick their
ass."
Up in Washington, the rivalry takes on a little bit more of a
significance than past years. Washington State has traditionally
been the Huskies’ whipping boy, but this year, WSU has a chance to
go into Seattle and clinch a Rose Bowl berth for the first time in
67 years.
Not since 1981 have the Cougars even had a shot at the Rose Bowl
heading into the Washington contest. And they lost that one
23-10.
Then-head coach Jim Walden summed it up for the people from
Pullman.
"I was devastated for the kids and fans," he said. "The
significance of going to the Rose Bowl was beyond comprehension, we
were so close."
Up in the Bay Area, there will be another big game,
literally.
California will travel to Palo Alto to take on Stanford in the
100th rendition of the Big Game.
But, as history would dictate, the game means absolutely nothing
in terms of postseason play – both teams are eliminated from any
bowl possibilities.
But you know the drill … you can throw the records out in a
rivalry like this.
"Going into the game, it doesn’t matter if there’s a bowl on the
line, or rings or watches or whatever it might be," current Cal
head coach Tom Holmoe said. "There’s going to be two teams out
there fighting for their teams, their schools, for each other, for
what they want to accomplish during the season and maybe didn’t get
a chance to do."
Last year, the Cal student section attacked the Stanford Tree,
in retaliation for the Tree’s apparent contribution to the 42-21
Stanford victory.
The fact that the two schools are ranked high academically and
that they are located less than an hour from one another only
inflames the rivalry.
One of the most unique rivalries in all of college football
rivalries is the USC-UCLA annual battle for the city
championship.
With the teams located in the same city, the loser of this
contest can not escape the constant reminders.
"When you lose, it’s a 365-day deal," UCLA head coach Bob Toledo
said. "You live together, you play together, and you work
together."
To put the rivalry in perspective Toledo claims that last
season’s 48-41 victory over USC was the most important win he’s
ever had, despite the fact that it only left the Bruins with a 5-6
record.
Though varying immensely in national importance and traditions,
there is one thing that will forever remain in common between these
five rivalries.
For all involved, it is the most important game of the
season.
Perhaps Cal linebacker Andre Rhodes summed it up best.
"It’s a respect thing," he said.
Bruin wire services contributed to this report.