I hate 'Vard. For the same reasons many in this country dislike the Yankees, others hated the Cowboys in the 1990s and people around the world don't like the US, I hate Vard.
I'm referring to Harvard.
Couldn't stand the place when I walked on the campus as a junior in high school. My family and I met Harry Parker and the jerk didn't give me the time of day.
Developed a strong dislike into a healthy, normal collegiate rivalry rowing against them. Wanted to beat Vard more than anything. Not because I knew anybody on their team. The class I was a part of decided we were going to bring an end to the domination of Vard over Yale. That was our mission, above all others.
Vard has all the advantages, the history and the talent. They train hard and row well. Their coach is a legend, and he finally has a decent freshman coach. They win. Constantly. After the class of 99 left Yale, Vard reasserted dominance over the yearly 4 mile race, turning it into a shade of its former glory. Yale's inability to even be competitive has turned the Boat Race into a Vard practice.
Watching Vard tear through the rowing world over the last three years has grated on my nerves and ego. I feel like a Red Sox fan of 7 years ago. You felt that rivalry against the Yankees, but your manager was an idiot and your team headcases. No chance against those late 90s Yankees.
I'm not one for Schadenfreude. I don't want to see Vard slow down or fall into ruin. I want to see other programs, particularly Yale, speed up and beat them. Princeton came close this past weekend, but was caught in the final 500m by Vard. People in this country root for the underdog to rise up, and thus I want to see Vard lose. This weekend, I was a Princeton fan. Hard to fathom, given the healthy dislike between Princeton and Yale during my tenure there.
I'm tired of pictures of Vard on the cover of Rowing News, particularly this month, with their six standing up after winning Eastern Sprints. Sit down, kid. Be a sportsman. There are only certain situations standing and posing like that are acceptable in rowing, and your race wasn't it. Go get your glamour shots somewhere else. I'll bet he's got that cover framed in his room. Worse, I'll bet he planned that little stunt out. Poser.
After a rant like that, I'll still send any of my guys to row at Vard, if I think they can hack it. I have to, that's the business of a coach. It still smarts to think that way, though. Especially when I don't believe in the direction Yale is going nor in the current coach there.
Even though it would be a proud moment to send any of my guys there, I'll always hate Vard.
Categories: Rowing, Personal, Memories, Yale, Tribute
8 comments:
Who was planning on going there?
Over the summer, my sister wants to go see colleges in New England. And while we are there, i am making my parents and sister take me to go see yale. Yes, i am a freshman and some people may think that it is still pretty early, but oh well, i want to go look at yale. "what about harvard?" they say, and all i simply reply is, "screw that!"
I am completely serious about this, i am actually going to go see yale over the summer.
I visited Harvard last summer. Everyone on the tour was Asian except for Wes and me. Hey, Dave's Chinese...
On a different note, Harvard isn't a bad school just because your coach hates it (or at least the crew team). Now, Yale-
Just kidding. I have some relatives that went to grad school at Harvard. Excellent graduate schools there; especially medicine and law. It would be awesome if anybody on the team went there.
Central, anyone?
I do see the corolation Steve-o. I see it as a combination of NA and Central, of course with us hating Central to a much higher degree. But I don't believe Harvard is a group of big crazy tea-baggers..... I don't think.
You never know...
"Developed a strong dislike into a healthy, normal collegiate rivalry rowing against them. Wanted to beat Vard more than anything. Not because I knew anybody on their team. The class I was a part of decided we were going to bring an end to the domination of Vard over Yale. That was our mission, above all others." What ever happened to that Jay... tell us more about your rowing days. I am anxious to see what troubles you faced and triumphs you have made.
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