You’ve heard the comments, calling the rush to buy things on Black Friday comes just hours after we all get together with our families and give thanks for the things we have.

There’s another irony to this week.

In addition to it being the week of Thanksgiving, it is also the week where the annual Egg Bowl and the annual Jackson State-Alcorn State games are scheduled. Talk about irony.

The few hours these games will be played Saturday are hours that some family members and friends simply cannot talk to one another. And, if there are words spoken, they are words that usually err on the side of less than pleasant or gracious.

Social media Saturday will be a minefield of comments about the Tigers, the Rebels, the Braves or the Bulldogs — there might even be a few cases where some teams are combined together to really get under someone’s skin.

For some, the next year will be one of joy, holding the bragging rights over their friends, their brother, their cousin or their co-worker. For others, that same year, will be watching the calendar until next year, waiting for their chance to win bragging rights back.

Keep in mind though, for the winner, next year is a Leap Year, meaning they get one extra day to gloat. So, don’t let your team lose this year.

We are a state without a professional sports team. We are a state that cheers for the Saints, the Titans, the Falcons, the Cowboys, etc. We are a state where our college of choice was something checked off on our birth certificate just moments after it was recorded that we were either a boy or girl. It’s important.

There are those in our country who will look at our passion as a negative. They simply do not understand.

While we are divided in the team or teams we cheer for, we are united in our love of the game, love of the schools and love of the experience.

As the college football season draws to an end, we are already looking ahead to next year, the schedules and determining what games we might have the chance to make next year.

Have fun Saturday and best of luck to your team. Remember, a loss comes with 366 days of waiting.