Finally, Hens will meet Hornets

Finally, Hens will meet Hornets

By Michael Robinson

GOD, Destiny, Fate, or whatever you believe in, has intervened to insure the University of Delaware, (UD) will finally play Delaware State University (DSU) in football. The Blue Hens vs. The Hornets, Newark vs. Dover, Rich vs. Poor the haves vs. the have not's. You may ask what’s the big deal? Why all the excitement? (See Jeff Perlman’s; article (September 24th the Insider page of ESPN.Com). Perlman, a University of Delaware Graduate and Sports Writer believes race and class are the main reason behind the continual refusal of UD to play DSU in football. As Perlman states, “This is a natural rivalry, two schools are separated by only 50 miles”, but it might as well be 500.
Even the cites are different, Newark, UD’s location is home to the Dupont’s, and the business hub of the state while Dover, DSU’S home is located in the rural working class area of Delaware. UD is about 6% African American while DSU is overwhelmingly African –American. In fact DSU’s existence is predominately a by-product of racism, the School, founded in 1891, as a “ Separate but Equal” facility, when the state’s leaders decided that they did not want blacks attending their precious University. But as we know separate does not constitute equal. DSU has always had less resources, lower pay for their teachers and inferior facilities, both academic and athletic than their distant cousin, UD.
Despite these inequities, DSU has survived for 106 years, and has served as an opportunity for young African- American in the region to attend an institution of Higher Education. As for the football game, race may not be the only reason the two schools have not played each other for decades, but obviously in our society race is always an issue. Otherwise how can you explain the difficulty in scheduling the game? But now fate has stepped in and as both teams have made the (Bowl Subdivision), formerly IAA playoffs, they are destined to meet for the first time on Friday November 23rd. There is most likely elation and vindication in Dover and nervous apprehension in Newark.
I hope that no matter the outcome of the score, there will be two victories for each team; Hope and Fairness, and also two losers; Fear and Ignorance.
Also, thank the football gods for getting it right, when the Athletic Department of UD could not. To paraphrase what Humphrey Bogart told Claude Rains in the movie Casablanca. This could be the beginning of a beautiful rivalry.