???If you were dying and you needed a liver to survive, under what circumstances would you refuse one from a donor?
???This question arose in my mind during a lecture in my COM 231 class. During class, my teacher showed us how mass media can be used to persuade people to do things such as becoming an organ donor.
???To prove her point, she showed a commercial to our class. Its purpose was to show how organ donations could bring people of different ages, races and beliefs together by saving a life.
???The commercial went on to say that even Chicago Cubs fans and Chicago White Sox fans could help each other out. This statement instantly altered my view of organ donation.
???When the teacher asked for our opinion on the matter, I explained that I agreed with the message until mentioning how fans of rival sports teams can assist one another.
???I'm neither a Cubs fan nor a Sox fan-I am a Buffalo Bills fan. If I ever needed any organ, I would refuse a donation from a Dolphins fan.
???When I said this, a woman turned around and started to yell at me in disbelief.
???While I was somewhat kidding when I said this because I know my life is more important than any football rivalry, it made me wonder if people really felt this strongly about their favorite sports teams.
???Is it possible that Yankees and Red Sox fans, Giants and Eagles fans, or Ohio State and Michigan fans hate one another that much?
???I asked a few people if they would turn down a vital organ from a rival fan. I received mixed results. For some people, these rivals are only meant to make the games more exciting. To others, these rivalries are their life.
???That's what makes rivalries so exciting. The fact that a football game or any other sports team can affect aspects of your life that are unrelated to it is astounding.
???Look at my situation as an example.
???With this being my senior year here at UB, I'm in the process of looking for graduate schools to attend in the fall. One school that has the program that I'm interested in happens to be the University of Florida.
???What's the dilemma?
???Well, in addition to being a huge Buffalo Bulls fan, I am also an avid Florida State Seminoles fan. For those who know anything about the rivalry between Florida State and the University of Florida, they know that it is impossible to love one school without hating the other.
???As ridiculous as this might seem, there is no way that I could attend Florida and still feel good about myself.
???For those of you who make life decisions contingent on a rivalry, don't let people try to tell you that you are foolish. Instead, embrace your healthy hatred for others and enjoy your lives.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
