A healthy sports rivalry to win annual bragging rights for the largest rivalry trophy in all of college sports between the Nevada Wolf Pack and UNLV Runnin’ Rebels.
If you have navigated the pages of Windy Pinwheel, you probably know by now that we are Nevada Proud and Battle Born for the Wolf Pack. Please notice that we are the correct Wolf Pack spelled with two words and not the North Carolina State Wolfpack; besides their colors are backwards. Who puts the color red/scarlet on a wolf mascot? It is just plain wrong.
This Saturday is the annual battle for the Fremont Cannon, college football’s largest and most expensive “trophy”. “Today’s cannon is a replica of a gun that accompanied Captain John C. Fremont on his expedition through Oregon, Nevada and California in 1843-44… reconstructed in 1970 as the gift of the Nevada Mines Division of Kennecott Copper Corporation to the students of the two campuses of the University of Nevada.” Each year the Nevada Wolf Pack and the UNLV Rebels “battle” it out on one of the two turf fields that exist in Nevada to play college football. According to NevadaWolfPack.com, “The [Nevada] Wolf Pack won the first game between the universities in 1969, but the Rebels were the first team to capture the cannon in 1970 by a score of 42-20.” Ever since, the Nevada Wolf Pack have fought to keep the cannon blue. “Overall, UNR Nevada Wolf Pack leads UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 22-15.” writes Las Vegas Weekly on October 10, 2012 and Nevada won in 2012, making the total 23-15.
Respecting the Fremont Cannon
One bit of history you may not know, if you are not familiar with the Fremont Cannon, is that in 2000, when UNLV won the game, students stormed the field after UNLV won back the Fremont Cannon after several years and in the excitement, the cannon fell out of the hands of the students and broke into pieces shortly after it was spray painted red (Source: Las Vegas Weekly). This was the period in which I was enrolled at the University of Nevada, from 1999 through 2003. I was terribly disappointed in what had happened and hope that it doesn’t happen ever again.
We have a cannon to defend. We must keep it blue and in the hands of the Nevada Wolf Pack. I am not suggesting that we are more responsible with this majestic and iconic symbol of what it means to be a Nevada college student. However, what I am suggesting is that we need to defend the Fremont Cannon with all of the heart and passion we can muster each and every year and devoted fans of the Wolf Pack.
It’s truly an honor for the Wolf Pack to play for such a great college sports trophy. It is an enduring symbol of what it means to go to and be an alumnus of Nevada.
Go Pack!
Here’s a great video to get you pumped up about the game this weekend showcasing the The Governor’s Series from YouTube. Enjoy.
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