I can't think of the right word. But there is a pecking order? I follow in my decision to root for teams. I always want UTEP to win always. Every time. No matter what. My wife and my mother graduated from Oklahoma State, so I root for them unless they are playing UTEP. It doesn't hurt that Haskins played for Mr. Iba. Then it gets complicated. I hate the traitors that have ditched us over the years. And the list is growing. There are now teams that are leaving but haven't that I root for for the current conference's sake, but hate as traitors. Unless they are playing cusa teams staying in cusa. Then it is friendly versus enemy, soon to be hated enemy. But now it is really complicated because I am also including teams to be conference mates in my rooting for column but with some qualifications. Like the new teams playing basketball when playing current cusa teams. Hated about to be enemies playing about to be conference mates. The about to be is the problem. Reserve the hate for now or look to the future. I already hate my conference mates that have thrown us under the bus. But I have to look at for the good of the conference now and future, too. Oh, WKU and MTU are special. Wanted to be traitors but were turned back? C'mon. So, they will be in a special limbo section.
Today Jackson St plays LA Tech so I will be for Tech because they are non traitors. Sam plays Nebraska so Go Sam! There is also an almost universal root for the lower conference against the big cartels(of which I hope we some day can join but hate now) but that is subject to change as teams move up or not. Dang! It used to be so easy.
It is getting really complicated. Like Rice playing Houston. Houston is hated, and Rice is already on the hated waiting list. And so it goes.
