Kansas is absolutely throwing down the gauntlet against No. 23 Missouri tonight, and they are doing it with a pregame hype video that dives deep into the Civil War roots of this rivalry, framing the whole thing as “heroes vs. villains.” Seriously, you gotta see this thing, narrated by former NFL defensive lineman Gilbert Brown, who makes it clear the Jayhawks are the good guys.
This Isn’t Your Grandpa’s Rivalry, It’s History
Brown pulls no punches, saying this rivalry is “fueled by hatred passed down through generations.” He’s talking about roots that reach back to the Civil War, where “blood was spilled over what you believed in and which side you stood on.” He flat out states, “There are heroes and villains. Only allegiance decides their legacy. There’s right and wrong. There’s Kansas and Missouri.” Talk about setting the stage! If you’re scratching your head, wondering if this is a little much, you probably aren’t familiar with the 150-plus years of bad blood these two have. Both team nicknames actually come from the Civil War. The “Jayhawker” term goes back to the 1850s, describing anti-slavery Kansas settlers and even groups of robbers. Charles Jennison rocked the name for his Union unit, recruiting Kansas residents to fight. Missouri’s “Fighting Tigers of Columbia”? That was a group of Union guards who protected their city from Confederate guerrillas back in 1864. So yeah, this isn’t some manufactured rivalry, it’s baked in.
Bleeding Kansas and the Birth of a Feud
The fighting between these two goes way back, even before Kansas officially became a state. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 let those territories vote on whether they’d be free or slave states, and that decision lit a fire along the border, sparking what they called “Bleeding Kansas.” Lawrence, where KU is located, was founded by anti-slavery settlers, and in 1856, pro-slavery advocates from Missouri attacked the town. The Kansas hype video features abolitionist John Brown as a hero; he was a major player in the Bleeding Kansas movement, leading anti-slavery fighters. He was later executed for treason after a failed raid in Virginia. On the flip side, William Quantrill, the villain in Kansas’s video, led the brutal Lawrence Massacre in 1863, where his Confederate militia raided the town, burned buildings, and killed over 100 men and boys. This isn’t just football; it’s a historical grudge match.
So tonight, when Kansas rolls out against the No. 23 Tigers, know that it’s more than just a game. This is generations of rivalry, deep-seated history, and a whole lot of bad blood playing out on the field. You can bet both sides will be looking to write the next chapter of “heroes vs. villains.” Let’s see who comes out on top.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply