The only explanation is that competition is most meaningful and fierce when it is about prideno matter how misplaced.

As many of the players on the American team have expressed, its one thing to lose a tournament and miss that paycheck. But it's quite another to see the Ryder Cup--a 27-inch gold chalice with a tradition that dates back to the famous 1927 match between the "Yanks" and the "Brits"--leave for foreign soil.

And so maybe what we need to here at Harvard to rejuvenate our faltering sports interest is our own Cup. Currently, our sports teams play for division titles and championships. Meaningful endeavors certainly, but nothing that fans can directly relate to.

Instead, we could take a little bit out of that multi-billion dollar nest egg and donate what we could call the Crimson Cup. We'd make it big and shiny. Inscribe on it the names of our undergraduate Houses. Smack that Veritas shield right on it's face. Then put it up for grabs.

Winning the cup would be possible every two years. That's long enough build up hype and distinguish the event from other yearly traditions, but short enough so each class has two shots to bring (or keep) the Cup home.

And, just like the Ryder Cup, the Crimson Cup tournament would be an elitist event. We'd invite only our Ivy League rivals, making snobbery towards our foes not just tolerated but enthusiastically encouraged. Jeering and heckling would be mainstays in the Crimson Cup peanut gallery.

In the end, it doesn't really matter what we'd be competing in. So long as we have something physical onto which we can stake our pride and genuinely believe we are in danger of losing it, students will come out in droves. It could be football, hockey or badminton. Or even a different sport every year.

Just anything but golf.