On Wednesday afternoon, I received an interesting email from the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Mississippi.
I occasionally receive correspondences as a result of my current enrollment in the Ole Miss Alumni Association.
The messages usually contain holiday or birthday wishes and information about upcoming university events.
Apparently, according to university officials, someone sent a handwritten note threatening to damage the trees and shrubs in the Grove at the University. It was signed “Hail State/Go to Hell TSUN.”
Admittedly, I had to ask Item reporter Dart Spiers what TSUN meant. Apparently, Mississippi State Coach Dan Mullen refers to Ole Miss as “that school up North.”
In my opinion, Mullen should stick to coaching football and give up his hobby of writing catchphrases. It’s not that catchy, nor do I, as an Ole Miss grad, find it insulting enough to worry about.
But I digress. I do believe this is one of the first times I have ever heard of someone threatening to hurt Mother Nature because of a football game.
The letter has now been turned over to the FBI and law enforcement authorities are taking the threat seriously, the email stated.
Now I know there is a huge rivalry between the two schools but there has been no evidence linking anyone from either school to the threatening letter.
It may just be a prank but I am glad the authorities are taking actions to ensure the safety of everyone who attends Saturday’s Egg Bowl in Oxford.
The Grove, which is a beautiful spot, is always full of fans from either team on game day, which includes children.
Yes, it would be terrible to see my college campus damaged, but it would be even more terrible to see innocent people hurt as a result of a school football rivalry.
It’s sometimes good to promote a healthy rivalry, it spurs athletes and academics to strive to be better, but when it involves violence of any kind, then it’s time to take a step back and evaluate what’s really important.