Recently, my husband and I took a trip with my parents and my friend to go to the PAC-12 Men's Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas. Both my husband and I graduated from the University of Arizona, and we're all big Wildcat fans.
The very first night, the couple on right in the picture above came and sat next to us wearing gear for our arch rivals - the Arizona State Sun Devils. All of us inwardly groaned thinking about four straight days of basketball sitting side by side with our 'enemy'. But we couldn't have been more wrong!
We found out that they're a house divided with her rooting for ASU and him rooting for the U of A. We were shocked that they could make such an arrangement work. They both cheer for the other's team until they play each other - then it's every man/woman for themselves.
Our teams did end up playing against each other during the tournament. I always try to be a considerate fan to those around me, knowing how much I hate when others are mean-spirited to opposing fans, but getting to know them made me be extra careful about how I cheered on my team. Both of us have bad stories of the other team's fans being rude, and it was so refreshing to be able to sit side by side in companionship even during an intense rivalry game.
They come to the tournament every year, and shared their knowledge with us. Before the championship game, she told us that they sell the shirts that they give the winning team right after the game, but if you don't get down there quickly, they sell out. She then offered to go down with two minutes left in the game if it looked like the Wildcats would win and get the shirts for all of us, so that we could enjoy the celebration afterwards. True to her word, even though the game was a close one, she left with two minutes left to be first in line and watched the rest of the game on the televisions in the walkways. Because she didn't have a strong allegiance to either team in the championship game, it wasn't a big deal for her to miss out on the last couple minutes, but it meant the world to us. In the picture above, we're all wearing the shirts that she graciously got for us.
After the arena emptied, we walked through crowds of celebrating Wildcat fans. Everywhere we went we got asked where we got our shirts. We felt like celebrities and joked that we were going to make the story of how we got our shirts our 'fish' story that grew to exponential proportions every time we told it.
Rivalries in sports can be heated, but it can also be an area where friendships grow - and can be a way to show the love of God to others. It made me think of how we often create rivalries where none need to exist. We compare ourselves to that other mom who seems to have it all together and they become our rival. Or we compare our ministry to somebody else's and feel like they get more accolades for their service. In our jobs, we can definitely feel competitive with others as they get promoted or recognized. For me, it would be easy to see writers that I met at a conference get publishing contracts, and feel some jealousy.
It doesn't need to be this way though. God puts us where we are, gifts us in the way He determines, and has a plan for each of us that is unlike anybody else. Our new friends showed me that rivals can be respectful and friendly while working together to accomplish a goal. If it works this well in something as simple as being kind spectators at a sporting event, how much more could it work if we practiced it in everyday life?
