Editorial: Sports rivalries divide campus

Almost everyone loves the feeling of his or her favorite sports team crushing the competition. It’s second nature to gloat, brag and rub your losing opponent’s face in your superior team’s win because, while most sports fans can certainly dish it, they can’t seem to take it.

At Rider, it’s no different when October rolls around and it’s time for the Major League Baseball post-season playoffs. This is the time of year when the pride everyone has in his or her team of choice surpasses the level of a normal fanatic. Team T-shirts and jerseys are worn, every game is being watched and fans can be heard screaming at their televisions at any given moment.

On this campus, you will notice we’re located between two of the largest and arguably the most obnoxious cities in the country: New York City and Philadelphia. So when it comes to team rivalries, you can certainly look here to find the most proud, loyal and stubborn Yankees and Phillies fans around who will never stop talking smack whether it’s baseball season or not.

While it is sports’ very essence to take such pride in your state and team, it’s not always necessary to react in such extreme ways toward the opposing teams. We all enjoy giving a little jab to the ego of the losing team when your team wins, but there can be a point where the taunting becomes too much and the dispute ends in a fight over a win or loss that no one can control.

As far as the Rider community goes, if the Yankees and Phillies play each other in the World Series, all fans should unite with respect and dignity to see who brings the trophy home.

So no matter who gets to the World Series this year, remember to respect the opposing team’s fans, because if you don’t, it will come back to bite you the next time your team loses.

This weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider News. This week’s editorial was written by the Assistant Opinion Editor, Kristy Grinere.