Which is a better rivalry? Bedlam or the Red River Showdown?

By Patrick Osborne

With the college football season rapidly approaching, it seems like the perfect time to talk about what is the better rivalry, the Red River Showdown or Bedlam?

Bedlam, the annual matchup of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, wins this battle. Although Bedlam does not have the same pageantry or tradition as Oklahoma and Texas, it is the better rivalry all around.

As an Oklahoma fan who attends Oklahoma State, I’ve seen both sides of this great rivalry. I’ve experienced the heartbreak of defeat and the joy of victory in both crimson and cream and orange and black.

I’ve been to the Red River Showdown and I’ve been to Bedlam, I’ll take Bedlam any day of the week. Unlike the other rivalry, Bedlam leaves all the lasting memories on each respected school’s campus.

The Dallas experience for OU and Texas is one of a kind, but nothing beats making the drive to Stillwater or Norman in hopes of seeing your school get the big win in the other school’s house. Neutral sites will never compare to on-campus matchups.

Location isn’t the only thing that makes a rivalry great, and it isn’t the only factor that defines this one. No matter what sport, Bedlam is always fun.

Who can forget Bedlam football? The Ice Bowl round two was amazing, or heartbreaking, depending on which color you wear.

I was there for Bedlam basketball in Gallahger Iba Arena. After the big win, shouts of Boomer Sooner could be heard during the singing of the alma mater by the OSU students. The response was simple – sing louder. So, of course, naturally the shouts returned louder as well.

My first experience of Bedlam wrestling, the sport that gave the rivalry its name, came this past year during my first year at OSU. GIA was rocking, crimson and cream and orange and black combining to make an unforgettable atmosphere and experience. It was pure Bedlam at its purest state.

I can go on and on about my Bedlam experiences as a Sooner and Cowboy, but that would just lead me to the same point. It’s different than OU and Texas, but there is just as much hatred in this rivalry.

OU is that annoying big brother who always thinks they are always better than you and finds a way to get a win on a lucky break. OSU is that increasingly growing little brother who is tired of being pushed around and wants everyone to know it.

At the end of the day they are still brothers of the state of Oklahoma, but when it’s go time neither wants to lose to their brother. They hate their brother so much during the fight because they know losing means a year of hanging their head when they see the other brother.

That’s what makes this rivalry so special. We know the other guy. We work with that Cowboy. We are married to that Sooner. There’s nowhere to hide after a loss and plenty of places to gloat with a victory.

Bedlam is defined as a place or situation of noisy uproar and confusion, and anytime these two schools meet you can plan on plenty of uproar and confusion. Bedlam is bedlam.