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THE RIVALRY
Name of the game shows principle
BY LISA ANDERSEN landersen@kansan.com
The football rivalry between Kansas and Missouri is a long-standing one, but the name of the game has changed.
What once was referred to as "The Border War" is now known as "The Border Showdown," a change that came about in 2004 at the beginning of the war in Iraq.
"When it comes to sports, 'showdown' is a much better way to display showing our skills versus theirs," Beth Newton, Hutchison junior, said.
Some worried that the use of the word "war" was disrespectful.
"It was really indifference to the men and women of our armed forces." Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said. "The men and women of our armed forces are fighting a real war and this is acknowledgement that an athletics test, in all reality, is not comparable to what our armed forces are going through."
Both the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri decided to change the name of the rivalry. The original name, "Border War," was in recognition of the combat between the two states before the Civil War.
just sounds friendlier" Newton said.
However, not all students agree with Newton that the name change is a positive thing.
"The word 'war' has such a negative connotation in this time period — 'showdown'
"It's sort of a bad remembrance," Tyler Bierwirth, Lenexa freshman, said. "I don't think that it's necessary. It's not even related at all."
Bierwirth said he thought the rivalry could return to its former name.
"If people started complaining about it enough, and if it was petitioned, I'm sure it would be," Bierwirth said.
Despite differing points of view, Marchiony said he did not foresee "The Border Showdown" encountering any name
changes in the future.
"There are opinions on both sides,but in the end, we do what we think is best." Marchiony said of the renaming. "It's really not on the radar."
Edited by Amanda Thompson
Winner of Showdown determined by points
BY SARAH PLAKE splake@kansan.com
The Border Showdown is one of the main components of the Kansas-Missouri rivalry. Created in 2002, the Showdown collects the rivalry into one continuous competition throughout the year, allowing each school to show its competitiveness and spirit.
Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director, said the two schools got together and decided to put on the competition, sponsored by M&I Bank.
"It is a point system put in place for the sports under the Athletics Department," Marchiony said. "Any time we play MU we are awarded points toward the Border Showdown, and at the end of the year the team with the most points is crowned the winner."
However, the Border Showdown has much more behind it than some may think.
In the 1850s, Kansas and Missouri frontier towns were involved in violent conflicts over the slavery debate and whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state. The violence escalated and peaked with the 1863 Lawrence Massacre, when William Quantrill's Confederate guerillas burned the city.
The current "hate" between Kansas and Missouri is a little less radical than what
it was back in the 1850s. Now, the athletic programs of the two universities duke it out all year long.
While it was originally coined as the Border War, in 2004 the name was changed to the Border Showdown. Curtis Marsh director of KU Info said, "After 9/11 there was a decision made to limit the compari
son between actual military battle and the athletic events."
To get points, the team either Kansas or Missouri must win the game. Point values awarded differ depending on the sport.
The KU teams competing in the Border Showdown are volleyball soccer, swimming and
"To have the immense satisfaction of beating your arch rival, that's what's at stake here."
Kalynd Carson, a member of the women's golf team, said that while the Border Showdown is not as stressed in golf, there is still a definite rivalry with Missouri.
diving, women's cross country, women's basketball, women's outdoor and indoor track and field, women's golf, softball, football, men's basketball, men's outdoor and indoor track and field, baseball and men's golf. The kickoff to this year's Showdown was the Sept. 16 KU-MU volleyball game held in Columbia, Mo. The roster of games and points can be viewed on the KU Athletics Web site.
"You want to be ranked first before Missouri to bring in a recruit,"she said. "But it's not like football with that competitiveness."
JIM MARCHIONY
Associate Athletics
Director
At the end of the year, the winner will be awarded a trophy given by M&I Bank. The location of the trophy display if Kansas wins is yet to be determined.
The award will be presented at the Kansas City Sports Commission dinner in the spring, the date and time of which are still to be announced.
Last year the Tigers defeated the Jayhawks in the Showdown, winning 24 to 15. Missouri won the previous year and two other times since 2003. Kansas has won two of
the six showdowns, the first one in 2003-04 and the second in 2005-06.
Other than scoring a trophy, what does it mean to have the most points?
"To have the immense satisfaction of beating your arch rival, that's what's at stake here," Marchiony said.
In case of a tie, the school that won the majority of the head-to-head games in the regular season will be the Border Showdown winner.
Edited by Betsy Cutcliff
NUMBER OF BORDER SHOWDOWN POINTS AVAILABLE PER SPORT
Baseball 3
Women's basketball 3
Men's basketball 3
Cross country 2
Football 3
Men's golf 3
Women's golf 3
Softball 3
Soccer 3
Swimming and diving 3
Tennis 3
Track and field 4
Volleyball 3
Total 39
There are also seven bonus points available.
PAST RESULTS
2007-08 Missouri 24, Kansas 15
2006-07 Missouri 25, Kansas 14
2005-06 Kansas 22, Missouri 17
2004-05 Missouri 22.5, Kansas 17.5
2003-04 Kansas 21.5, Missouri 18.5
2002-03 Missouri 32, Kansas 8.5
TH
A upc min
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16.2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN