Editorial: Rivalry should focus on fun, not violence

Football is a violent and emotional sport. For three hours
Saturday, members of the UCLA and USC football teams managed to
play a rough game at full speed and intensity ““ smashing each
other play after play ““ without the game deteriorating into
ugly, extracurricular fighting.

It’s too bad a group of people hanging out at Universal
CityWalk early Friday morning ““ in what one would assume
would be a more relaxed atmosphere ““ didn’t handle
themselves as well.

A large fight at a rivalry week party outside the Hard Rock Cafe
left a Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy beaten and hospitalized.
Two people were arrested.

The party, open to the public, was hosted by the USC and UCLA
Latino Business Associations. A Web site advertising the party said
it was open to all of “L.A.’s distinguished party
people and fans.” Police Sunday would not comment about
whether the two arrested were students.

But in some ways it doesn’t really matter if they were.
Whether they were or weren’t, both universities are cast in a
negative light when any kind of rivalry event becomes violent.

Unlike those who engaged in the fight, the vast majority of
people celebrate the city championship in a healthy way. For Bruins
and Trojans alike, the annual football game is one of the most
exciting days of the year. In general, college sports rivalries are
fun and beneficial. They boost school spirit, bring alumni back,
and generate huge sums of cash.

But occasionally, they get ugly.

And, sadly, Friday morning’s incident is not the first
““ or last ““ of its kind.

Over the years, fights at UCLA-USC football games have become
all too common. A mixture of school spirit, loud crowds and
probably some booze proves combustible.

Because of past incidents, Chancellor Albert Carnesale, together
with USC President Stephen Sample, wrote a letter published in the
Daily Trojan on Friday asking fans to be on good behavior
Saturday.

But Saturday night turned ugly as well. The Daily Trojan
reported Monday that L.A. police arrested three people for throwing
bottles at police outside of post-game parties near USC. The report
added that both police and partygoers characterized the atmosphere
as chaotic.

The rivalry doesn’t need to be this way.

Years of pranks and parties prove it is possible to have fun
without threatening people’s personal safety. In 1941, a
Victory Bell was stolen from UCLA by USC students ““ this bell
was later returned and used as a trophy for the victor of the
annual game. In 1958, a UCLA group reportedly rented a helicopter
and dumped manure on Tommy Trojan. And in 1989, USC students
released crickets into UCLA’s Powell Library.

These actions cannot be called constructive, but at least they
did not result in injuries or assaults. And that’s an
important distinction ““ a rivalry can be intense without
being out of control.

When people view what happened in 2003, it’s not just
dejected Bruin football fans who will be upset. Fans of both teams,
or either university, will regret incidents that marred an
otherwise healthy and fun rivalry.