Friars-Rhody Rivalry: A Young Fan’s Perspective

The most obvious thing to point to as to what makes this annual game a rivalry is the geography. Providence College and the University of Rhode Island are located in the same state. That seems to make sense to me as to why this game is considered a rivalry game. If you read stories like Craig Leighton’s well written article at FriarBasketball.com you get some perspective from a more seasoned fan as to what truly makes this a rivalry game. Perspective is always a good thing in my opinion.

From my perspective as a fan of Providence College basketball only since 2005-06 the “Saga of Sly Williams” as Leighton puts it is not something that is on my radar. I can read about it and maybe it angers me to some extent but because I wasn’t there to experience the vitriol back then I have a hard time using that as a motivating factor today. For me as a 2010 graduate of PC and a 27 year old my motivation for why this is a big game really is just because of the geography. I also happen to be a person that attended PC from out of state so I also lack the perspective of growing up around the rivalry and maybe, like some who did, having friends and even family that attended both schools.

One thing I never really understood about this rivalry is that some Providence fans, seemingly mostly those that live in the state of Rhode Island, root for Rhode Island to be good and win all of their other games except the one against Providence each year. That thought process perplexes me. I can understand from a bigger picture thinking that it makes a win against Rhode Island that much better if they are good but to me a rival is someone who you absolutely despise and can’t stand. Sports have a way of making even the most level-headed and rational people into irrational hate-filled fans. So to some degree I can relate to hating Rhode Island and relishing in a victory over them like Leighton describes in his article. But for me as a younger fan it’s not because of what went on with Sly Williams back in the summer and fall of 1976. It’s because that’s what a rivarly game means to me.

I grew up on Long Island as a Mets, Jets, Knicks and Islanders fan. You can send your condolences via email. That means that I grew up hating the Yankees, Giants and Rangers (the Knicks and Nets wasn’t really much of a rivalry back when the Nets played in New Jersey). I can’t imagine rooting for those teams to win any games and maybe that’s because I’m throwing reason and logic out the window but that’s what makes sports rivalries so fun. You hate your rival, well, because. Because that’s what you do as a fan of team X. You are taught to hate team Y.

So as the annual rivalry game approaches at the Dunk tonight remember that you are supposed to hate the Rhode Island Rams. If you forget just wait until the first shot of Ram coach Danny Hurley screaming and whining on the URI sideline and you’ll be reminded. Whether you hate Rhody because of the geography or Sly Williams or Danny Hurley or just because, relish in this game as it only happens once a year.

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Mike Hopkins

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