Drew Kerekes

What has happened to college rivalries? No, this is not a lamentation about how people take them too seriously — they do — but rather, a counterpoint to something I heard recently that left me shaking my head in amazement.

Auburn made the Final Four in men’s basketball, the first time in program history the Tigers have advanced that far in the NCAA Tournament. Anyone who even casually follows the SEC know at least something about the rivalry between Auburn and Alabama. Historically, much of it has been centered around football, but ever since the arrival of Bruce Pearl at Auburn, it seems the men’s basketball rivalry between the two schools have heated up.

This year, it was a one-sided rivalry between the two schools. Auburn beat Alabama both times the two teams squared off this season, and truth be told, it’s clear Auburn has a much better men’s basketball program at this moment. Alabama has never really been able to figure out basketball for much of my lifetime save an Elite 8 run when I was in high school, and Pearl’s success in leading Auburn to a Final Four serves as a reminder of that fact to Alabama fans if they’re being honest. While I do think Alabama’s hiring of Nate Oats was a good one, the school is currently running through men’s basketball coaches every four years on average. 

That’s not the sign of a healthy program, and given what Pearl’s done simultaneously, it adds insult to injury in the eyes of the Alabama faithful, or the ones who aren’t exclusively following the football team by itself. So when I read a tweet from a former Birmingham News columnist — someone whose work I actually respect, to be clear — that said the following, I did a double-take: “I believe everyone who’s invested part of themselves in basketball in Alabama – including great fans of other state schools like you – share in this moment.”

Wait, what? For context, this was in reply to an Alabama fan who absolutely loathed the idea of Auburn getting into the Final Four. The greater point trying to be made here was an appreciation for good basketball in a football state, where good basketball is often seldom to be found. For an impartial observer, I understand the sentiment. But in response to an Alabama die-hard? 

That isn’t how rivalries work. 

Alabama fans aren’t supposed to enjoy Auburn getting into a Final Four. Auburn fans aren’t supposed to enjoy Alabama losing the Iron Bowl and going on to win the national championship anyway. There is a reason the ill-advised “Thanks Rebels” headline in The Clarion-Ledger several years ago caused such an outcry. Fans of Ole Miss and Mississippi State don’t like each other’s school, and they’re not supposed to be happy for each other’s teams.

I say “supposed to,” because I saw or heard at least a couple of former Alabama football players express a rooting interest in Auburn’s Final Four run. A prominent comedian in Alabama who often parodies Alabama fans watching football games declared he was pulling for the Tigers in the tournament — and subsequently got run off Twitter by Alabama fans as a result. While part of me feels bad for the guy, the other part of me wonders what in the world he expected after saying he was rooting for Auburn.

As I said before, I believe fans in general tend to take rivalries too seriously. But there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of healthy hatred in sports. Do you think this Yankees fan liked seeing the Red Sox win it all last year? I’m not much of a trash talker, but being a fan usually means dishing it out against rival fans when your team does well and taking it back when the other team does well. As long as it doesn’t get too personal, it’s all in good fun.

Is there ever a time where it makes sense to pull for a rival team? Let’s examine that aforementioned Clarion-Ledger headline. There was an interesting underlying context to it: The Mississippi State baseball team had won the SEC regular-season championship in 2016. In order to clinch that title, the Bulldogs needed Ole Miss to beat Texas A&M that day prior, which it did. If a rival team winning somehow benefits your team, I can understand pulling for a rival team in that instance. (No, I’m not saying the headline was a good idea — The Clarion-Ledger later apologized for it — I’m just providing context.)

Other than that? Look, I’m not one to question someone’s fandom for their team. One, it’s not my place and, two, I don’t care enough. But call me old-fashioned in saying that pulling for a rival due to “state pride” or “SEC pride” just doesn’t make any sense. It feels too much like Superman pulling for Lex Luthor. It just isn’t supposed to happen.

 

Drew Kerekes is the sports editor of The Meridian Star. He can be reached at dkerekes@themeridianstar.com.