UNLV just might need UNR to inspire school spirit
I read in a book one time that a man can only achieve his utmost potential if he has an opponent. It may be a little unnerving to exist knowing there is someone working to undo everything you are, but it also presses you to work harder and more diligently.
So it is with UNLV and UNR and battle for the Fremont Cannon, which promises to be one of the most emotionally-charged games of the season.
It may not be USC vs. Notre Dame, but the rivalry is an intense one nonetheless. UNR will be hosting the game and will be taking measures to ensure the safety and well-being of attendants, even those visiting rebel fans.
Security is getting bolstered and alcohol purchases will be limited to one beer per person at a time. The game will also be held in the early hours of the afternoon instead of in the evening, when the setting sun and alcohol could embolden rash decisions.
The rivalry may be all in good fun, but there have been a few low blows along the way. A Few years back, the UNLV student paper, The Rebel Yell, once dedicated an entire issue denouncing our northern cousins. I can’t say for sure if UNR’s Sagebrush ever did retaliate, but it did manage to come up with a column that looked like a tamed, watered-down rehash of the Yell’s own “Ask Jubert.”
But that is neither here nor there.
Low blows and immature behavior aside, the rivalry is excellent for school spirit. The student attendance for a recent forum at UNLV regarding the university’s long-term plans was dismal. And while the game itself may not be enough to get students more involved with the school, it will certainly be enough to taste what school spirit should be.
As for the game itself? UNR has won the last two games, but UNLV just shut out Utah last week.
I’m a rebel, through and through, and I’d like to see the cannon back in Las Vegas.
