Rivalry: The Remedy for Razorback Rut As March Madness approaches, the Hogs are again a bubble team and must most likely win the SEC tourney to punch a ticket to the Dance. They have a little momentum, having beat Mississippi State and Vandy on the road to end the regular season and start their "streak." During the road to the tourneys, we fans in Hog Nation have had to endure a 'soap opera like' atmosphere with all of the uneasiness lately on the hill. Football coaches and players leaving with and without comment, derogatory e-mails circulating from coaches families slandering players performances, and talk of Stan Heath loosing his job if he doesn't make the NCAA tourney. Heck, even our womens basketball coach resigned. None of this is what I want to read in my daily sports section. I have an answer to help us get past the papparazzi's we've become; and its not just winning because we won the SEC West in football with a 10 win season. We need a Rival. You know, like Alabama-Auburn, N.C-Duke, Ohio St.-Michigan. The Razorbacks have no one. Its us against the world. We currently have nano within the confines of our state's borders with whom we can arm wrestle and trash talk year round for bragging rights. Thus our water cooler talk gets boiled down to "who's calling the plays" and "when will F.B. ever retire." We only have 2 other schools in the state that would qualify as a D-1 rival; ASU and UCA. UCA is not even playing true D-1 status yet. On one hand its good to be the premier school in the state that everyone can rally around and support. On the other hand, a rival school would make the coaches recruit harder and smarter and the players practice and play harder in anticipation of the "big game." ASU would be our immediate rival, although their teams have historically been known as the whipping child of many big name schools. I say, schedule it for a 4 year home and away series and see what happens. If the Hogs have the program they think they have, they shouldn't be worried about being embarrassed. I would rather read print leading up to that game than read about what the Springdale recruits may be doing on Spring Break! How fun would it be to be part of an "Ironbowl", or "Tobacco Road" or "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." It works everywhere else in the country. Why are we any different? Maybe the new A.D. can help us with that one.  ¶ 7:01 PM