With the Egg Bowl, the annual contest between No. 4 Mississippi State and No. 19 Ole Miss, set for Saturday in Oxford, someone appears to be taking the rivalry too far. An anonymous letter sent to the University of Mississippi warns of damage inflicted to The Grove, the school’s famous tailgating mecca, per The Clarion-Ledger.
Anonymous letter threatens damage to The Grove on Ole Miss’ campus
The letter, sent to the University of Mississippi, is signed as if it is from a Mississippi State fan.
“What’s going to happen to y’all on the field Saturday Aint nothing compared to what’s going to happen on your beautiful campus. You won’t be one of the most pretty campus’s Next year. A lot of shrubs and trees are going to die; especially in the grove. Can’t stop us.” (SIGNED) “Hail State go to hell TSUN [That School Up North]”
If the sign off is genuine, the letter is from a Mississippi State fan.
Ole Miss announced in a press release that the university police department has sent the letter to the FBI office in Jackson. University police chief Calvin Sellers said the threat is being taken seriously and advised fans to watch for suspicious behavior.
“This longtime football rivalry has separated families and friends for generations, but while it’s spirited, our attention has been focused mostly on the football field,” Sellers said. “We encourage everyone to remember that this is a game, after all, not a time for hate. We are hopeful that passions have not escalated to the point that someone is prepared to do damage to a landmark for which all Mississippians take great pride.”
It’s not the first threat of fan-on-nature violence in SEC history. Following Auburn’s 28-27 comeback win over Alabama in 2010, Crimson Tide fan Harvey Updyke poisoned the decades-old oak trees at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn, bragging about the act on Paul Finebaum’s radio show, which led to their eventual removal. Auburn is planning to plant new oak trees at the site in February.
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