CC vs Rice: Another Great Rivalry

CC vs. Rice: Another Great Rivalry

Brendan Nordstrom ‘21 Staff Writer

It is hard to imagine our society without light bulbs, the internet, and even America.

These innovations would not be possible without the presence of rivalries. The definition of rivalry is “a competition for the same objective or for superiority in a certain field,” yet it is so much more than just the aforementioned competition.

A rivalry is one set of beliefs and morals pinned up against another. The thing that fuels these is not just the desire to win but rather the willingness to work the hardest to push the bounds in the name of what one believes in.

Ultimately, they bring out the best in all sides as it fuels advancement and pushes teams, companies, and even countries to fight, manipulate, and outplay the other.

Without this competition, the world we all know today would be far less advanced and far less intelligent. A common misconception about rivalries is that they promote hostility when cooperation would be more beneficial. This can be disputed in many cases as competition forces people to push their limits and results in the strongest and most resilient group on top.

Three prime examples of this are the American Revolution, Tesla versus Edison, and the Cold War.

The colonists were untrained, unprepared men going up against one of the strongest and most successful armies in the world. When the British threatened their way of living, they took it upon themselves to be liberated from this dark presence overshadowing them. If it weren’t for these colonists’ passion for freedom and enmity towards Britain and their policies, America would never have existed and grown to the prowess we know today.

Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison are known as two of the greatest minds in history, and, unsurprisingly, they were bitter rivals with separate and very different beliefs. While it is still undetermined who “won,” the true winner was society as the feud resulted in many historic inventions, such as the lightbulb, the phonograph, the moving picture, and other major advancements in the study of electricity.

At the conclusion of the Second World War, the growing dissent between the US and the Soviet Union finally broke out into the Cold War. The Cold War is the epitome of rivalries as it led to enormous advancements rooted in the ideals of capitalism versus communism. Throughout its 34-year tenure, the Cold War brought the world the intense 1952 Olympics, the infamous space race, and the advancement of atomic weapons. None of these monumental achievements would have developed if not for the two sides propelling each other to achieve dominance over the other in the name of their beliefs.

The chief rivalry at Catholic Central is, of course, against the Warriors of Brother Rice.

While this rivalry might not be a matter of life or death, it is a major part of what makes Catholic Central the school it is to this day.

The rivalry gives all teams across the school a common adversary and a goal for which to strive.

It is no coincidence that the weeks leading up to matchups against the Warriors constantly reach new heights of energy and passion amongst our students and alumni.

Just mentioning Brother Rice can trigger memories of decimated pumpkins on the gym floor, scoldings for wearing a hint of range, and Rice Krispies raining down in the cafeteria.

Whether it is out-sprinting their top runner, winning the match point in tennis, trading off lacrosse state championships, or reaching victory formation in the Boys’ Bowl, this rivalry is deeply ingrained in Catholic Central tradition and motivates all students to compete and cheer as hard as possible for not only their own pride, but also the highly esteemed reputation of the school.

A historic rivalry lives on today.

Photo from archives