Bedford V. BG
Brionne Frazier '16
“Where’s your Bible?” a group of teens, from a town that is in fact approximately 30% Catholic and a majority belonging to some denomination of Christianity, clad in black and red taunt at the other side of the arena. Once the buzzer sounds, the BHS student section, erupts in celebration as Bedford High School’s hockey team officially becomes the DI 2015-2016 state champions.
However, not every game ends quite like this. In fact, most don’t. But what good would a rivalry be without a couple losses to avenge?
The Bedford versus Bishop Guertin competition, what some on twitter have dubbed “The best rivalry in sports”, grows in intensity with every passing season. It grew when the Bishop Guertin boys’ lacrosse team broke the BHS 72 game* consecutive win streak, and it grew when they edged out our girls’ basketball team at the DI championship last weekend. Of course it hurts to lose, but what happens when we win?
Twitter fights, apparently.
What originally started as a taunt against the 2016 runner ups, turned into a battle of profanity fought with insults regarding physical appearance, wealth, and pride. With students from both schools sending tweet after tweet laced with obscenities and gloats about previous championships and success, it became almost comical. One statement from a student would poke fun at needing to “pay for a lesser education” but later argue, satirically, that “my daddy could buy BG”.
All cyber fighting aside, it’s more interesting to look at the actual basis of this infighting because many of the accusations are baseless. Can Bedford students, residents of one of the most affluent towns in New Hampshire, really attack another school for the way they earn or spend their money? And can Bishop Guertin students really assess the skill level of a player based on his “dental issues”?
The short answer: no.
Not just because both arguments are, at best, illogical, but because that just isn’t the real source. A Bishop Guertin student agrees that none of the comments are personal, but it’s just “the hype of the game”.
Rivalries, at their core, are based in pride. No two teams become rivals because they win (or lose) every time. Bedford and BG are rivals because neither school has enough evidence to honestly claim the title of being the best, so every game and every meet matters. The outcome can tip the scales for either team, giving them more legitimacy and forcing the others to catch up. That’s why some of these games between rivals are the best- school pride is at risk.
I know for a fact that I definitely take part in this rival culture as well. When BHS Varsity Field Hockey beat Bishop Guertin in overtime, I charged the cage with the rest of the team to jump into a massive group hug that ended in the entire goal cage being knocked over-on BG’s senior night. However, I also experienced the flip side of this euphoria when we walked off of the Stellos Stadium field for the last time after losing the quarter-final game, our heads bowed in defeat.
What I’m getting at is this: there’s nothing wrong with a little competition. A picture posted of a bulldog with a cardinal in its mouth might just be the thing to get your team hyped up before the big game. Nothing makes you run faster, hit harder, or stand taller like a game against your rival. Who doesn’t want to leave a game with, not just a feeling, but rather the uncontested knowledge that your school is better?
Rivalries aren’t always about being the best, because it’s not as simple as that. If the same game were played 100 times, I hate to say it Bedford, but we would not win all 100 times. And I don’t say this out of pessimism, I say this because it’s happened. We win, or we lose, then we arrive at the next season ready to fight again.
See you in the spring BG, the Bulldogs have a title to defend.
*Fact Corrected from originally published "69-0" 3/24/16 10:00 PM
However, not every game ends quite like this. In fact, most don’t. But what good would a rivalry be without a couple losses to avenge?
The Bedford versus Bishop Guertin competition, what some on twitter have dubbed “The best rivalry in sports”, grows in intensity with every passing season. It grew when the Bishop Guertin boys’ lacrosse team broke the BHS 72 game* consecutive win streak, and it grew when they edged out our girls’ basketball team at the DI championship last weekend. Of course it hurts to lose, but what happens when we win?
Twitter fights, apparently.
What originally started as a taunt against the 2016 runner ups, turned into a battle of profanity fought with insults regarding physical appearance, wealth, and pride. With students from both schools sending tweet after tweet laced with obscenities and gloats about previous championships and success, it became almost comical. One statement from a student would poke fun at needing to “pay for a lesser education” but later argue, satirically, that “my daddy could buy BG”.
All cyber fighting aside, it’s more interesting to look at the actual basis of this infighting because many of the accusations are baseless. Can Bedford students, residents of one of the most affluent towns in New Hampshire, really attack another school for the way they earn or spend their money? And can Bishop Guertin students really assess the skill level of a player based on his “dental issues”?
The short answer: no.
Not just because both arguments are, at best, illogical, but because that just isn’t the real source. A Bishop Guertin student agrees that none of the comments are personal, but it’s just “the hype of the game”.
Rivalries, at their core, are based in pride. No two teams become rivals because they win (or lose) every time. Bedford and BG are rivals because neither school has enough evidence to honestly claim the title of being the best, so every game and every meet matters. The outcome can tip the scales for either team, giving them more legitimacy and forcing the others to catch up. That’s why some of these games between rivals are the best- school pride is at risk.
I know for a fact that I definitely take part in this rival culture as well. When BHS Varsity Field Hockey beat Bishop Guertin in overtime, I charged the cage with the rest of the team to jump into a massive group hug that ended in the entire goal cage being knocked over-on BG’s senior night. However, I also experienced the flip side of this euphoria when we walked off of the Stellos Stadium field for the last time after losing the quarter-final game, our heads bowed in defeat.
What I’m getting at is this: there’s nothing wrong with a little competition. A picture posted of a bulldog with a cardinal in its mouth might just be the thing to get your team hyped up before the big game. Nothing makes you run faster, hit harder, or stand taller like a game against your rival. Who doesn’t want to leave a game with, not just a feeling, but rather the uncontested knowledge that your school is better?
Rivalries aren’t always about being the best, because it’s not as simple as that. If the same game were played 100 times, I hate to say it Bedford, but we would not win all 100 times. And I don’t say this out of pessimism, I say this because it’s happened. We win, or we lose, then we arrive at the next season ready to fight again.
See you in the spring BG, the Bulldogs have a title to defend.
*Fact Corrected from originally published "69-0" 3/24/16 10:00 PM