You may have noticed by now that every school has a rival. The bigger the school, the more aggressive the rivalry. Rivalries are genius money making schemes that grow over time and give sports fans something to get worked up about. Sometimes, rivalries are natural and deeply rooted, like Auburn and Alabama. Other rivalries start out as being forced, like UCF and USF, but eventually people go along with it.
School rivalries are vicious, and the insults only get better every year. If you are a person who does not like confrontation, I wouldn’t recommend going to any sort of rivalry game. The comments get personal, middle fingers are thrown, and one side is guaranteed to eat their words when they lose.
Rivalries affect some more strongly than others, though. There are some groups that make friends with the enemy. Last weekend when I attended the UCF v USF football game to perform during halftime, I was a witness to all the unruly behavior previously mentioned. When we walked through the tunnels, USF fans yelled vulgar and insulting things our way. However, while waiting on the sidelines for halftime, the USF Heard of Thunder band was all smiles. They made small talk, wished us good luck, and genuinely cheered us on. Of course when it was USF’s turn to perform, the UCF Marching Knights reciprocated all the kindness. It’s no wonder band kids have a reputation for being nice.
After the game, there was a “battle of the bands” outside the stadium. However, it felt more like show and tell than a competition. Each band played some of their favorite tunes for the other, and every song was met by supportive applause. We respectfully observed each other, and admired the hard work and preperation shown by both bands.
As much as I want to hate USF, some really great people go to that school. The fans might not always be nice, but the performers are extremely friendly and hospitable. When it comes to rivalries, it’s fun to bash the other school and support your team. At the end of the day, though, we can all appreciate the talents and hard work of the other side.