Rivalry-How Great Thou Art

With both football teams in MS playing so well this season there seems to be more back and forth with each other than ever before. You cannot post ONE thing related to football without offending someone. This is my perspective on it all.

MSU and TSUN are rivals; have always been and will always be. Now you can be rivals without losing that hospitality we all grew up with here in MS, but I can guarantee you that you will never see me cheering on or high-fiving a TSUN team after a victory.

I have caught so much heat lately about this. One question I’d like to ask some of you is: Where were you back when these MS teams weren’t doing so well?? I can’t help but notice a lot of the ones annoyed by this rivalry are ones I didn’t even know were football fans just a few years ago.

But for the ones of you that have always been a fan and are still annoyed by me not praising the other team remember this: As much as you believe in your team, I believe in my team…

I believe my team is the best or at least can be the best.

I believe that my school’s history is greater to any other out there.

I believe that the cowbell is the absolute, most perfect thing there is and the history to it is unbeatable.

I believe we have the best fans.

I believe we have the best atmosphere, hands down.

I believe we have the nicest people on our campus.

I believe we have the most passionate people.

I believe we can do whatever we set our minds to.

Those are just a few things I believe in when it comes to MSU. Now I’d like to go over a few of my favorite and most memorable moments at MSU; in no certain order or timeline

·       My first friends I made at MSU

·       The Delta Chi house and all of the guys there (some are still my good friends today). From toga parties to Wet-N-Wild it was a great time during college.

·       I can’t forget about my ATO’s either.

·       Basketball games with Darnell

·       Rick’s

·       Ladies night at State Theater

·       Ladies night at State Theater….it was that much fun, just ask Darnell

·       Little London

·       The Veranda

·       Riding back roads

·       The Anthony Johnson end zone interception…103 yard touchdown run against Alabama which eventually led to us upsetting them for two years straight. I will never forget the atmosphere and sound of those cowbells under the stadium as we were leaving that game.

·       Being 1 yard away from beating LSU for the first time in yeaaaars and not making it over that line………………...

·       Finally beating LSU in 2014…Man that was nice!

·       Losing to Auburn 3-2. I’m still a little scared to mention this game around Davis & Darnell.

·       Tabs

·       McCool Hall

·       Baseball has my heart and there are several special memories I hold from Dudy Noble over the years, but Super Bulldog Weekend 2014 tops the cake. Though we lost the series; I will never forget the electricity of that Saturday come from behind win in extra innings against TSUN. It was explosive! We were jumping around so much on the rig that we were knocking food off of it. Insane, amazing memory to cherish.

·       Going to every home football game in 2006 and only having a 3-9 season. Those Croom days though…

·       Walking past the drill field every day.

·       The ‘We Believe’ movement in 2012.

·       Jarvis Varnado, The King of Swat

·       Jack Cristil-We were at a friend’s cabin the night of Jack’s final broadcast and a group of us listened from a car instead of watching it inside on the TV, just to hear him one last time. And he got to say those famous words on that last broadcast…"Wrap it in Maroon and White"

·       How passionate we are at MSU

·       Waiting in line with Kayla to get Liberty Bowl tickets. We thought we were amazing that year reaching our first bowl game in over 7 years.

·       Crying when Hunter Renfroe got drafted and knowing Wes Rea was losing his best friend on the team.

·       Crying when Johnathan Holder got drafted. I was mentally not ready to lose him or to not hearing Walk the Line at games.

·       The 2013 run to the College World Series. Those few weeks are unforgettable from watching Wes Rea kill a ball into a forest, us sneaking to TV’s to watch games while Orientation was going on, the ball Renfroe caught that we all thought was going over the wall, to the very last moment when we became #2 in the nation. I loved seeing MSU’s brand out there so much during all that, especially with baseball.

·       Watching in person, Elijah Bailey’s injury with Brandon, Grant and Darnell. Ouch!

·       Decorating my own cowbell & buying cowbells for my nephew and nieces even if their momma is a TSUN fan ;)

·       Crying my eyes out over the passing of Jack Cristil. It was like he was a part of my family. Such a sad day for the Bulldog family…

·       Watching the SEC Tournament with Kayla and thinking an earthquake was happening in Atlanta. In all actuality it was a tornado…those blonde moments…  

This list could go for days if I would let it. These things are all memories and experiences I had at MSU. They are things I will always cherish. They make me love my university like no other.

So for all of you fans of other teams out there I’m sure you have your own list. And when making your list if you don’t shed a tear then you might want to find another calling or team in your life. I’m sure you think your list trumps my list. I’m here to tell you no matter how bad we are, no matter how mad you get at me for praising my team and pointing out the faults in yours, no matter how much you hate our traditions aka cowbells; I don’t care.

The passion I love and fight for my team with is what makes the Bulldog nation what it is today; after all these years. We bleed maroon and white, we are family and we are #1.

Snarl your nose in disgust for me not praising your team and thinking my team is superior, for having pride and unconditional love for my team. The same pride and love I hope you have for your team.

Some people will never understand this; they will never understand the passion I have for MSU. That passion makes Starkville, MS my home and MSU my family. And we all know you don’t mess with someone’s family!

From College World Series runs to National Championship runs we will cherish the moments all the same. We will take in every second of the national spotlight being shinned on our team and school. We will boast about all the awards, front page covers and rankings we get. Down in these parts these moments don’t happen often, but when they do it just makes it that much sweeter!

Hail State!!