In response to Maryann Portone's condescending letter, "Syracuse will remain a rival after Big East domination" (Sept. 16), Ms. Portone, maybe you're, "too old to know about this," but a rivalry doesn't exist between two teams that haven't played each other in 18 years. Rivalries thrive from three primary factors: familiarity, competitiveness, and proximity. The former two no longer exist in the PSU-Syracuse matchup.

You then laughably try to fabricate history by suggesting that Eagles fans booed Donovan McNabb at the NFL draft because he played for Syracuse. In reality, a local radio station encouraged fans to swarm the draft and boo any pick whose name was not Ricky Williams. Do you really think pro football fans care what school a player comes from as long as he's going to help them win? So a bulletin to snooty "old-timers" like Ms. Portone whose Penn State egos are over-inflated with visions of 1970: Jack Ham has been graduated, and your AARP membership has been renewed.

Dave Brensinger

Class of 2004