I sat in the nosebleeds of the parents' section at Homewood Field this weekend, watching what I consider to be one the greatest rivalries in the sport of college lacrosse: Hopkins vs. Maryland. The stands were packed on both sides, and the fences surrounding the field were lined with fans of both schools, peering over the side to catch each moment. TV cameras zoomed in on the field. The roar of chants, shouts, insults and pounding boom sticks permeated the air. It was a scene that made me proud to go to Hopkins, one of the rare moments when late-night library sessions and academic pressures seemed to take a backseat.
One of my good friends from home, another avid lacrosse fan, made the trip from Towson just to catch the game. As we sat among the screaming toddlers with painted blue faces, we started talking about the great rivalry between the Blue Jays and the Terrapins. And, as most of our discussions tend to do, our friendly conversation quickly escalated to a vehement argument over the greatest rivalry of all time.
He'd lived in Maryland his entire life, and I was born in Massachusetts, living there for the first 10 years of my life, so of course, our sports loyalties often clash. His vote went to the recent, but still intense, rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I sided with the easy pick: the age-old nemeses of the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
I'm still fully convinced that I'm right, and recent news supports me. Last summer Gino Castignoli, a construction worker and dedicated BoSox fan, was working on the construction of the New York Yankees' new stadium when he decided to leave behind a little relic of his favorite team. Castignoli buried a David Ortiz (Red Sox DH) jersey under the private seating section of the developing stadium with the hope that its constant presence in the home of Boston's rivals would leave some sort of curse upon the Yanks. This week, an anonymous caller alerted the Yankees' head office and after five hours of searching, officials found the fateful jersey. The Yankees plan on spinning the prank in their favor by auctioning it off and giving the proceeds to charity.
Castignoli's action proves just how crazy the Sox-Yanks rivalry can get and what great lengths the two teams' loyal followers will go to gain an edge. The Castignoli plot is only the most recent chapter in a long history of curses, superstitions, all-out brawls and intense competition that has thrived between the two teams since the early origins of the game.
The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has stood the test of time; however, many other rivalries tend to fizzle out over the course of the game. Growing up in New England, I was raised as a New England Patriots fan. As part of the uniform, I quickly grew a deep hatred for the New York Jets. However, as the Patriots have developed as a team, gone through numerous victories and upsetting defeats, the conference-rivalry with the Jets seems to have diminished.
The competitive dynamic between quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning seem to have fueled a new rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts. Last season's massive upset at the Super Bowl (I still haven't quite recovered, by the way) will inevitably fuel yet another intense rivalry with the New York Giants, fueled, of course, by Boston's contempt for New York sports.
I think that Hopkins lacrosse is no different. As of now, Maryland is the team's ultimate rival. With stadiums merely 40 minutes away in a state that thrives on the game of lacrosse, the intense rivalry has created a polarization of fans between the two schools. However, the sport is developing. New teams are finding massive success in the game. Through my experience watching lacrosse, I've seen the origins of what could be a very intense rivalry emerge between Hopkins and the recently-emerged powerhouse of Duke. Combining last year's nail-biting National Championship game with this season's blowout at Durham, both teams seem to have it out for each other.
A similar rivalry could emerge with Syracuse. Hopkins and Syracuse are tied for the most National Championship wins with nine each, and the struggle to emerge on top could make for some heated competition.
One thing is for sure: These intense rivalries definitely make the game more interesting. As my hatred for the Manning brothers gets stronger and stronger each day, I anticipate the upcoming NFL matchups more and more. It makes the game exciting and more fun to watch. As of now, the extent of my personal fan-dom doesn't go much farther than watching the games and arguing with my friends, but as the pressure builds, who knows? Maybe someday I'll find myself in the middle of Giants stadium with a Brady jersey slung over my shoulder and a shovel in my hand.
