Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 11
Kansas Sparks Missouri Backlash With Slavery-Themed Rivalry Video Before Sept. 11 Showdown
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 11

Kansas Sparks Missouri Backlash With Slavery-Themed Rivalry Video Before Sept. 11 Showdown

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 11

Summary

  • Kansas drew fresh criticism after a hype video for Friday's game cast Missouri as "evil" and tied the rivalry to the state's slave-era history.
  • The social-media push used Civil War imagery and references to the old "Border War," extending an earlier campaign built around John Brown, Quantrill and Jayhawker symbolism.
  • Critics argued the message went too far by branding a modern team through 160-year-old history, especially with many Missouri players being Black.
  • The flare-up underscores how Kansas-Missouri's 1891 rivalry still leans on violent historical baggage even after the matchup was rebranded from "Border War" to "Border Showdown."

Insights

Will resurrecting the bloody ghosts of Bleeding Kansas give the underdog Jayhawks the edge needed to upset a ranked Missouri team?
How does a violent 19th-century massacre transform into the ultimate psychological hype tool for a modern college football showdown?