Playoff season and the fear of being a traitor

I realized today that I have yet to write anything about sports, which is odd as many of my weekends during football season are devoted to the watching of at least one or two good games. And it's not as if I'm a neutral viewer who has no opinions on the game(s). (For instance, I disagree with the way overtime is played in the NFL and I find it laughable that Division I-A college ball has no playoff system (particularly when a perfectly workable playoff system exists in Division I-AA)). In particular, I've been most concerned with college football rivalries and the fans that perpetuate them. Bill Simmons, ESPN's "Page 2" correspondent, has a good list of general sports rules for fans, but here are my few college-football-centric additions (some of which run contrary to his):

1. It is okay* to root for another team that is in your school's conference.

*Recently, I've had run-ins with "loyal" college football fans who feel utter disdain for the other teams in their conference. While I think this is normally acceptable during the regular season, the playoffs - or bowl seasons - are a different story. For example, if my UM Grizzlies are out of the hunt for a national title and our rival (the Montana State Bobcats) are still in the picture, I will gladly root for them. This is not only because they are in the same conference but because they have yet to win a national title. In addition, if your team is from a conference that doesn't get much respect (e.g. Mountain West, WAC, etc.) then it is almost obligatory to cheer for the team that is generating said respect (provided your own team is done for the season). The good buzz that appears around a winning team is only good for the conference as a whole.

2. An understanding* of the game must precede any rivalry.

*I can't tell you how many times I've had conversations where I present my side of the rivalry debate (see Rule #1) only to discover that the other person doesn't know how many downs there are in a series. Now, I never played football and I personally know it takes some time and energy to understand it - and some misconceptions about overtime rules, names and positions are forgivable - but it is totally asinine for a "fan" to froth at the mouth about their loyalty to team when they don't know how the game is played.

3. Keep your rivalries in perspective*.

*Plain and simple, we are fans of the schools we attended due to the happenstance, fate, or God that put us there. As such, it's good to remember that most of us were a scholarship or acceptance letter away from being fans of a different school. So remember that rivalries are a means for enjoying the game more and not a foundation on which to build your ego.