Oh, THAT Civil War....

A note to Oregonian sports fans:

All this talk about the 150th anniversary of The Civil War must seem confusing.

It may come as a surprise, but the press attention to The Civil War is not to the intra-state rivalry between Oregon State and the University of Oregon.

There was this other Civil War. It was an actual WAR. You can read about it here.

More than half million Americans died in The Civil War. There were no "bragging rights" in front of TV cameras. No trophy to display. There was nothing to brag about.

Brothers butchered brothers.

There were no coaches and so-called "scholar-athletes" seeking fame and multi-million dollar NFL and NBA contracts; just generals and soldiers set upon slaughtering each other.

The Civil War now getting fleeting attention was, in fact, a blood-drenched, body-breaking national tragedy.

Oregonians (and sports writers and editors) who trivialize the carnage and destruction by naming petty and passing sports rivalries "The Civil War" dishonor this nation's history and horror.

That this good state's citizenry can't end the disrespect astounds me.