I’m not from Stark County. I didn’t attend Massillon or McKinley, and I have no allegiance to either school. Maybe that makes this easier to see from the outside: Massillon-McKinley isn’t really a rivalry anymore.
Historically, absolutely. Today? No.
A rivalry requires two sides, and for more than a decade this has looked more like big brother beating up little brother. McKinley fans still talk about the history and what this game is supposed to mean. Massillon just keeps winning.
McKinley fans remind me of Nebraska or Tennessee football fans: passionate supporters of a proud program who haven’t completely accepted that yesterday’s success doesn’t guarantee tomorrow’s.
And I’m not convinced McKinley will ever return to what it once was.
The bigger issue goes beyond football. A high school football program is ultimately a reflection of the school and community around it. Canton City Schools faces serious problems, and until the district itself becomes stronger and more attractive to families, expecting McKinley football to permanently return to its glory days seems unrealistic.
None of that erases McKinley’s history. But history and rivalry aren’t the same thing.
Massillon has become the program McKinley still believes itself to be.
Until McKinley can consistently compete with and beat Massillon, call the game historic. Call it important. Call it one of Stark County’s greatest traditions.
Just stop pretending it’s still a rivalry.
C. Tate Blankenship, Canton
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Massillon-McKinley isn’t really a rivalry anymore | Letter
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