Stranglehold

All Images Courtesy of CavalierQuest.com

Having a stranglehold on a rivalry can be REALLY fun. Some might say it makes things boring and some might say that the former “rival” has had put up such little competition that they may not even be a rival anymore. However, when a team has fans that dedicate an ENTIRE season, blog, and WRISTBANDS to finally delivering a win against their arch rival…THEN you know you’ve gotten under their skin. Today I stumbled across this little article in the Charlottesville news, explaining that a Cavalier Fan Group that calls themselves Cavalier Quest has made bracelets to “motivate the Cavs to defeat Virginia Tech in 2009 and gain redemption,” (editors note: these bracelets are supporting cancer research so it IS supporting a great cause). So it’s come to this. Something to get those ascot-wearing, brie-cheese-eating fans all riled up. I would guess that all 119 (or is it 120 now with WKU?) FBS teams wear some Livestrong-esque wrist band for inspiration each season. Hell, even our Hokies do, but this is laughable. Cavalier Quest was started by a single UVA fan that just can’t take the losing anymore. I’d try and recap some of the funnier things that you can come across on the site, but let me just give you a little excerpt:

After defeat against Va Tech last year, I was left with a feeling of extreme emptiness in my stomach. Yes, we had talent. Yes, we could win the Coastal Division. Yes, we could win the ACC. Yes, we will and I don't want to miss it. In an upcoming year where the expectations for UVa Football are minimimal, I have this feeling this year will be something special. Therefore, I will be there at each and every game. Home and away. My journey or quest will live in infamy.....so much so that I will put pen to paper and make my quest history.

-JW of Cavalier Quest

Not that it needs analysis, and not that everything I write is completely accurate BUT…

1. UVA was NOT capable of winning the Coastal Division last year, let alone going bowling.

2. UVA has about as much of a chance to win the ACC as Duke this year.

3. I believe their expectations are probably minimal, not minimimal. Hold on, I need to go eat a bananana (thanks Demetri Martin!).

4. Not to get picky or anything, but I don’t think you’re putting pen to paper, per se. More like manicured finger to keyboard.

You forgot to pop your collar, JW!

Ok, ok…I’m just kidding around, but it was just too easy to pass up. The guy has also started a blog for his cause, but doesn’t seem to understand how to update it. I might be wrong, but I'm just considering that the first post was on May 13^th, and he’s managed to comment on his own original post about, oh, 10 times or so. Anyway, I thought you all might appreciate hearing about this, and I BET that JWUVa would love to hear what you might have to say about this year’s contest at Scott Stadium. Let’s all go over and give him a resounding “Hokie Hi” in his comments section, shall we? See you over there!

On Rivalries

Okay, so I've let you down again. I really haven't had an opportunity to write my receivers' preview, but I listened to something today that made me want to post. I have been a Redskins fan since I was five, and a Cowboy hater just as long. On my way home from work today, I was listening to the guys on ESPN 980 broadcasting from Ashburn, and they had Malcolm Kelly on the show. The crew asked Kelly the standard questions for a rookie wide receiver (i.e. where do you fit into the lineup, what's different about the pros, did they make you sing your fight song, etc.). The interesting point of this interview was when Kelly was asked about his Texas roots and his loyalties. Malcolm replied with "I USED to be a Cowboy fan." Impressive. The guy's only been around 3 months and he knows what to say. I wouldn't expect anything less from a true Redskin, and it's nice to know that The Rivalry lives on.

This leads me to the point of posting. I disagree with people that say rivalries aren't possible in the modern NFL. I believe the Redskins and Cowboys still hate each others guts, and there will always be events in the rivalry that will pass the hatred on for generations. Even in rivalries that turn one-sided (of which I've been a part of both ends), the rivalry continues to burn on both sides. Here are my two examples:

As a Redskins fan in the 90s and early 00s, Dallas had our number for a long time, but by beating them more in the last 3 years, it just makes me hate them more and the victories that much sweeter.

As a recent Virginia Tech grad, while it's become almost a given that we beat UVA every year, I still love rubbing their stuck-up Wahoo faces in every loss we deal them.

I think that the importance and intensity of a rivalry comes from its history, and the Redskins and Cowboys have that. I'm sick and tired of hearing Eagles fans talk about how they are a part of the "real" NFC East rivalries. I have a little note for Eagles fans: No One Cares About Your Team. You still haven't won a Super Bowl, and losers speak in Division Championships. The reasons the Redskins and Cowboys have a legitimate, classic rivalry is because they've played for the aforementioned championships (a la the 1982 "We Want Dallas" episode), and have been relevant in the football world (whether or not they're good) for decades. The Eagles are important in their own minds and to their own fans, and beyond that no one cares. While I HATE Dallas, I know that I have to respect that they have five Lombardi Trophies. The NFC East now combines for 11 total, of which the Eagles have none. That says enough. The ONLY, and I mean only reason I hate the Eagles is because I hate the city of Philadelphia and the way their fans carry on. Beyond that, I could care less whether they were in the NFC East or the Big East.