The Border War never mattered more

MSNBC: The Border War never mattered more

Kansas City, where thousands of Jayhawks and Tigers manage to co-exist, is ground zero for one of the most passionate rivalries in sports. Fitting then, that the biggest football game in the history of the Border War — Saturday's primetime clash between No. 2 Kansas (11-0) and No. 3 Missouri (10-1) — will be at Arrowhead Stadium, a split crowd that expects to be as loud as a jet.

It's setting up to be a glorious chapter in the history of the two schools. One team will be soaring in happiness when it's all done. The other will be crushed.

In case you've missed it, the University of Kansas Jayhawks square off against the University of Missouri Tigers this Saturday in Kansas City, MO, in an annual game "affectionately" known as "The Border War." Neither of these teams has been that outstanding for most of their pasts, and the intense rivalry has mainly been a regional affair. But with their #2 and #4 rankings, they're going primetime.

For those unfamiliar with Kansas City geography and history, the Border War refers to events in the 1850s leading up to the American Civil War. Missouri was a slave state, while the neighboring territory of Kansas attempted to enter the union as a free state. Missourians would flood into Kansas to vote against free state status in Kansas elections. Vigilante groups sprung up on both sides of the state line to launch attacks on each other and defend their home turf. Unlike in the East, where formal armies were marching against each other on battlefields, this was true guerilla warfare with neighbor fighting neighbor and families dividing against each other.

The Kansas City metropolitan area is split in half by the state line running north and south through the city. KU is about fifty miles west of Arrowhead Stadium (home to the NFL Chiefs) in Kansas City, MO, on Interstate 70. A little more than 100 miles to the east is MU, also on I-70. The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium this year, and the stadium is sold out.

Now I'm not a big fan of either of these schools. I live .4 miles from the state line on the Missouri side. However, I attended graduate school at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS. My dad and brother have graduate degrees from KU. My brother-in-law went to KU. My niece is a freshman there now. KU fanatics surround me. It is my sworn duty as a Silo Tech (KSU) member to do all in my power to ensure that Snob Hill (KU) doesn't win. Therefore, I've had a born-again experience of becoming a MU Tiger fan (at least for this week). If KU wins and goes on to win the BCS Championship game, their fans will be insufferable. I'm counting on MU to put an end to this nonsense. If they fail, there is still one more chance to knock off KU at the Big 12 Championship game. But let's get it done now!

Go Tigers!!!

Update: Also check out this article in the Wall Street Journal, The New Powers In College Football Carry Old Baggage

Comments

[Astounded]

I agree with the writer. It's almost like the football game is a by-product of a stupid hatred that has been festering forever. Unfortunately, it is no longer festering. It's boiling over. The talk shows are filled with nuts from both sides that don't even know the history of the region. There were atrocities on both sides of the state line. Does "Bloody Bill" Anderson deserve sainthood because he was a Jayhawker? No, he and his band did just as much a William Quantrill.
The race card about Kansas being against slavery shouldn't be played. (Kansas forgets that Wilt Chamberlain refused for two decades to return to the KU campus because of the way that he and other black players were treated.)
I will be cheering for the Tigers just because of campaign tactics being used off the field. (Mostly by KU "fans" that will be attending their first KU football game when they use their corporate suites at Arrowhead.)

[HailtooldKU]

Actually, "Bloody Bill" Anderson never did anything as atrocious as William Quantrill and his raiders. The sacking of Lawrence is considered by many historians as the worst civilian massacre in US history.
As far as Wilt Chamberlain refusing to return to the KU campus, it actually has little to do with race. In fact, he's celebrated here not only for his astounding basketball accomplishments, but also for his efforts to reform civil rights. The reason, and this has been said by many former KU basketball players that knew him, was that he was dissapointed in himself for failing to bring home a national championship.
As far as tactics off the field, how about the "Scoreboard" shirts many MU fans are wearing depicting the sacking of Lawrence? Comparing death tolls as a score and that they are the winners is quite frankly despicable.

[jayhawkmizzouhome]

Oh for goodness sakes, IT REALLY IS JUST A FLIPPING FOOTBALL GAME! Get a life - in today's world. Spend your energies on something that actually matters.

[Dave Ayers]

I'm severly conflicted. I was born in Kansas, went to KSU, live in Illinois, went to school in St. Louis area.

Hmmmm. Oh, well. GO JAYHAWKS.

[Michael W. Kruse]

"IT REALLY IS JUST A FLIPPING FOOTBALL GAME!"

Bingo! I'm gonna have fun whoever wins. It does amaze me how much emotion this thing stirs up.

[Michael W. Kruse]

Dave, easy for you to say. You don't have to live with the consequences. :)

[Pamela]

It would be nice if we could all "get along" but unfortunately humans don't work like that. I was in England once when the news was filled with stories about fears of violent confrontations over a March in Ireland. When I asked an Englishman what was so significant about the man whom they were marching in honor of he told me the man represented Irish independence from England. When I asked how long ago this man lived he said 400 years! Slights stay around , it seems, forever.
Now, Kansas fought for the right issues (anti slavery)and we alums are proud of that. Incidentally, Wilt Chamberlain did not come back to KU not because of racism. Walt said "Dr.Phog Allen's son was attorney general(of Kansas). He told me, 'Anyone who refuses to serve me ... we'll close the restaurant.' I think most were forewarned if they didn't serve me they'd be in trouble. This is as negative as it got for me. There's no other school I could have attended where I wouldn't have had some of the same problems." The reason it took so long(and reenforce poster above) came right form Wilt's mouth at his jersey retirement ceremony January 1998. "A little over 40 years ago, I lost the toughest battle in sports in losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels by one point in triple overtime," Chamberlain said. "It was a devastating thing to me because I thought I let the University of Kansas down and my teammates down." This loss he thought the fans held against him. Quite the contrary.

Anyway, both KU and MU are literally identical in all stats in Big 12 play except for two. MU causes more off sides penalties for the opposing team, probably because the other team is nervous about getting the better of MU's lineman. KU has the better stat in takeaways being +17 to Mu's +11. No one can call the outcome of this game, which is why it is so compelling.

[Seth]

Bill Anderson rode with Quantrill dorks. he was not a jayhawker.

[brad brisco]

Wow what passion. It really is crazy around here, eventhough it is only a game, it is going to be lots of fun. Like Michael I live in KC, but on the KS side. I am also invovled in helping a guy in planting a church in Lawrence so am there often. I am pulling for KU but think the Tigers will probably win. Thanks for the post Michael.

[Peter]

Michael,

I found your blog from a link at Jesus Creed.

Thanks for doing this!! My experience is that many Christians who reflect on economic matters do not think through how economies actually work. I am not so much troubled by whether they lean right or left. I am simply troubled by proposals that seem to ignore or be ignorant of the way things work on the ground.

Again, thanks for writing up this blog and giving a fresh perspective on these matters.

Peace.

[Michael W. Kruse]

Thanks for the encouragement Peter!