THE NATIONAL PASTIME? CERTAINLY THE STATE

Whatever the Territorial Cup is, Arizona State won it yesterday with a convincing 28-14 win over the University of Arizona. It secured a third consecutive bowl game for ASU, although it might not have been enough to save Coach Koetter's job. One of the best coaching jobs he's done this season, he found ways to exploit the Wildcat defense and get his players off the field after the game.

It's a heated rivalry. When I asked loyalist Sun Devil fan Bob Peach (He's only missed 3 home games in 36 years) if he was going to make the trek to Tucson, he replied," I'm too old to fight." It's that kind of rivalry.

Before Thursday's practice, ASU found a blue painted Wildcats' logo on the field. In the background of A Mountain was another painted logo "Bear Down"--the motto of U of A football team. As a undergrad in the late nineties, my daughter was one of several who camped out on the mountain to prevent the dastards (well, dastardly is a word) from U of A from painting the gold A on the mountain blue. She and the others succeeded back then.

Back to the coach getting his players off the field. One of the team's doctors was hit in the head with a bottle. Several players had sodas thrown on them. And these incidents were the ones reported in the paper. I haven't been on the message board to read of other incidents.

While I can appreciate the paintings--to me that's good natured--I don't think fans have any right to do anything to an opponent other than yell. Well, unless it's ASU fans.