Vicksburg-Warren Central rivalry is in need of a name

Published 11:49 am Thursday, November 4, 2010

Every great rivalry football game has to have a name.

College football has some great ones. They give fans an instant identifier for the best rivalries, a calling card for grudge matches that fans clamor to see.

There’s the Egg Bowl in this state pitting Mississippi State and Ole Miss. The Iron Bowl in Alabama pits the Crimson Tide against Auburn.

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There’s the Civil War (Oregon vs. Oregon State) in Oregon. The Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Ax (Minnesota vs. Wisconsin), which once was fought for a trophy called the Slab of Bacon, which was made of wood, not pork. The Border War (Missouri-Kansas). The Red River Rivalry (Oklahoma vs. Texas). Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate (Georgia vs. Georgia Tech).

Now Elizabeth Duran Swinford, superintendent of the Vicksburg Warren School District, wants a name for the county’s rivalry game, Vicksburg vs. Warren Central.

The district will take suggestions for a name for the annual rivalry game through Dec. 15. Some obvious names come to mind. River City Rumble. River City Bowl.

It’s an idea whose time has come. To most here, it’s just the big game. A name could be an identifier for fans and could also be a rallying cry.

Mud Bowl. Gateway Bowl. Riverboat Rumble. Steamboat Stampede.

A name will help, but a trophy is the next step.

Maybe a travelling trophy, preferably distinct and hopefully odd, would be next on the agenda. It would sit in the trophy case of the winning team for a year as a mark of excellence. Kind of like the Apple Cup (Washington vs. Washington State), the Keg of Nails (Louisville vs. Cincinnati), the Old Oaken Bucket (Indiana vs. Purdue) or the Chancellor’s Spurs (Texas vs. Texas Tech). Or better yet, the Jeweled Shillelagh (Notre Dame vs. USC), which is a Gaelic war club, or the Little Brown Jug (Michigan vs. Minnesota), which is a small, brown jug. It wouldn’t have to be expensive and hopefully, it’d be donated by someone in the community. The trophy would just need to be reflective of the town and its history and something that could be carried off the field of victory in a pinch.

Maybe a small cannon. Perhaps a model of a steamboat. Or a stuffed catfish would work in a pinch. Or how about an oar with a brass plaque?

Catfish Bowl. Big Muddy Bowl. Rumble on the River.

Send the district your suggestions via e-mail to namethegame@vwsd.k12.ms.us. You could be a part of history.

Or at least the answer to a local trivia question.

Steve Wilson is sports editor of The Vicksburg Post. You can follow him on Twitter at vpsportseditor. He can be reached at 601-636-4545, ext. 142 or at swilson@vicksburgpost.com.