Ole Miss Football: Grove Grinder, Try To Be Good At The Egg Bowl

Ole Miss football will be back in action Thanksgiving night so this Grove Grinder is dedicated to those who might want to show out at the Egg Bowl.

Thanksgiving night will mark the 115th meeting between Ole Miss football and the Miss State Bulldogs. The Rebels enter the Thursday night game with a 5-6 record and are looking for their 6th win. Miss State will enter the game with a 7-4 record and a postseason bowl birth. The Bulldogs also enter the matchup as an 11 point favorite.

This hasn’t been an easy season for the Rebels. We have seen the Rebels claw and fight only to lose games they clearly should have won. This season was frustrating for Ole Miss fans who have been split over what the problems are and the solutions which some fans believe need to happen. There has been an unusual amount of criticism and nobody has been immune. Just remember you may even become more frustrated Thursday night.

It Hasn’t Been Pretty

Ole Miss Rebels

Miss State fans can be really difficult to deal with on Thanksgiving and it really doesn’t matter if you go to the game or join friends to watch on TV. If there is a Bulldog present there will be cowbells and they will ring them constantly.

I’ve seen fights break out because of cowbells being rung in a Rebels ear among other things. There is no doubt the Egg Bowl rivalry has become very toxic. There have been numerous occasions where we have seen fights break out among fans and players.

Some of you older Rebels fans can remember the 1997 Egg Bowl which resulted in a pregame fight which marred the matchup and looked terrible for both schools despite the Rebels picking up the win. Many of us have family and friends who are divided by the Egg Bowl and it can create havoc around the holidays.

We think of the rivalry and it revolves around the football game but however it has certainly spilled over into the other sports like baseball and basketball. We all love the opportunity to one-up our competition regardless of whether it is football, basketball, baseball or softball. Naturally the Bulldogs fans feel the same way but sometimes we carry it a little too far.

Rivalries are a natural part of sports and it is great for the schools, teams, players and fans involved. However, there should be a degree of respect which has often been overlooked. Do I like State? No but I do have family and friends who are Bulldogs and I really appreciate them for what they are to me and I respect them for their passion for their team.

They Point And Laugh…So What

I’m sure over the past couple of years every Rebels fan has heard plenty from Bulldogs about the shape the Ole Miss football program is in. It hasn’t been pretty and it has actually been quite ugly at times and the Bullies have pointed at us an laughed and it has been tough to endure.

While Bulldogs bombard us with words like NCAA sanctions, probation and bowl bans they do make a pretty good point. They will be playing a bowl this postseason and we will have to watch the bowl games from home without having a team to cheer for. Like I said it isn’t very pretty but yet we do have a 20 game lead in the series.

So this Thursday will there be player handshakes? Probably not but maybe. Will there be Rebels and Mutts with too much alcohol? Absolutely. Will there be fights? Yes, because sadly we have buttheads in both fanbases. But this Thanksgiving we should really try to make this rivalry better by learning to ignore or even tolerate fans from both fanbases.

The Egg Bowl rivalry is one of the longest in the nation and we should try to save it from where it has been in recent years. Let’s honor her by making her less toxic from both sides. If it takes biting your tongue or looking the other way then just do it. It will be worth it in the end. Still good luck to coach Matt Luke and the Rebels! Hotty Toddy!