Bosco is a senior English and secondary education double major and can be contacted at [email protected]
The Super Bowl is just a few days away, and Drake intramurals is preparing to celebrate its undocumented holiday. All staff and athletes are asked to take the day off this Sunday to honor one of the greatest contests that professional sports has to offer. This is a self-facilitated holiday, as past years have shown a palpable absence of almost every team on the night of the Super Bowl. The faceoff between the New England Patriots and New York Giants may present just an average amount of excitement, but it leaves a significant opening for students to create their own. In light of the big game, I would like to offer a list of a few of our favorite long-standing intramural match-ups that may exceed the moderate enthusiasm of this Sunday’s showdown.
SigEp vs. FIJI
The most recent meeting of the two fraternities was this past Sunday in the competitive basketball league. The 40-minute thriller left SigEp with a close victory over FIJI, but the buzz of the fan sections could have told the story either way. The teams typically draw a major crowd in the event of their match-up during any sport. The Greek Street rivalry seems to date back several years and has enough potential for significant staying power. The question remains: can we ever harness the pride and bragging rights of the victories into any actual prize?
Carpenter United vs. Off Constantly
These seasoned teams are mostly well known for their activity in the indoor and outdoor soccer leagues. Carpenter United was created close to a decade ago when a group of Carpenter Hall boys got together to represent a pseudo-professional team name. I have not seen any amount of skill match that of Carpenter United’s peak a few years ago. As most have graduated, the team remains with a few aged players, a few rookies and the same old hard work. Off Constantly is assumed to have been created by someone with a sense of humor; they tend to have fun when explaining how they chose their name. They have been around for a few years and are seen on multiple playing fields. The team is typically dressed in all red, a few cut-off shorts and T-shirts, and it will give any soccer team a free track practice. Their speed is what allows them to keep up with the finesse of Carpenter United. The indoor season is right around the corner, and this game will be the one to watch.
Old guys vs. Young guys
One of the fortunes of intramurals is the rule that allows anyone affiliated with Drake University to play. Students, staff and employees of the university are all welcome to join or create any team for any league. Students righteously occupy the majority of intramural teams, but a considerable amount of Drake’s staff often participates for some outstanding competition. When a contest brings a group of young, fresh and quick athletes up against a squad of unassuming professors and random Drake personnel, don’t be so quick to predict an outcome. Most of the veterans have been tried and tested over the years and probably have a few seasons of their own intramurals under their belts.
The Firm vs. anybody
The Firm is notorious throughout intramurals for its aggressive and experienced play. The squad consists of players from the law school, and the name on any schedule is sufficiently intimidating. Enough of them must have read my columns to think of changing it. One alternative the program has seen is Attorneys at Ball, and I believe one year the team just capitalized its name to THE FIRM instead. Any other team names resembling law, court or a beast could possibly be players originating from The Firm.
The notoriety of intramurals teams gives our program character, and we wouldn’t have much to talk about without your spirit and enthusiasm. I like to think that this year’s Super Bowl pales in comparison to some of our favorite intramural contests. Whether the rivalry is old or new, Drake intramurals loves a good competition.
