Favila: The football team the rest of the Valley loves to hate

In nearly every sport, there’s a team that everybody loves to hate.

In professional basketball that team is the Los Angeles Lakers, in the NFL it’s the Dallas Cowboys and in pro baseball it’s the New York Yankees.

And when it comes to Valley high school football that team is, without question, the Harlingen Cardinals.

Look at the comments left after every game story or live game blog that runs on RGVSports.com and it won’t take long before you’ll find someone trashing the Cards.

Naturally when the Cardinals have down seasons, such trash talking diminishes — a little. These haters do garner much pleasure from seeing Harlingen suffer and love to kick a team while it’s down.

But when the Cards have an extremely successful year like they are having right now, the hate mongers come out in full force.

And there’s simply no winning with these haters.

Last year when the Cards lost to Edcouch-Elsa, these people immediately blasted HHS for its inability to beat a Class 4A team. But when the tables were reversed earlier this season, these detractors changed their tune and tried to shame the Cards for beating up on a helpless Yellowjacket team.

And the more success the Cards have, the more hate is thrown their way.

After the Cards opened the non-district season with a 3-0 record, detractors dismissed this early success and commented on how things would be different once district play started. But after each league victory, Cardinal haters remained right there to dismiss each win as insignificant.

But this past Friday’s game against PSJA North was supposed to be different. The Raiders were a solid team and Cardinal haters Valleywide were drooling with anticipation of a Red Birds loss.

“The Cards will finally be facing some real competition,” commented one hater on RGVSports.com prior to Friday’s matchup in Pharr.

But to the dismay of Card haters everywhere, Harlingen brushed past PSJA North with complete ease. It was no contest.

And now, as the Cards sit just one game away from a perfect regular season, detractors can only sit and seethe, and hope Harlingen South can somehow pull off an all-time upset in this week’s Bird Bowl.

I don’t know what it is about the Cards that make them such hate magnets. I suppose part of the reason is jealousy. The Cardinals are historically successful and I guess it’s simply human nature to detest success when it’s not your own.

But for some reason, other successful Valley football programs don’t draw the same hate.

For example, look at Port Isabel. The Tarpons have a successful history and yet you don’t hear people talk trash about them.

Or look at Sharyland. The Rattlers, like the Cardinals, are undefeated this season and have the potential to do well in the playoffs.

Yet you don’t hear people looking forward to their postseason demise like you do with the Cards.

If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard people say how the Cards will undoubtedly fall in the third round of the playoffs, I’d be able to retire in style.

For an area that prides itself on being one large community, such hate just seems wrong.

One of the best parts of living in the Valley is knowing that no matter which city you reside, you’re part of a bigger family.

But when you’re the team the Valley loves to hate, consider yourself disowned.

Dave Favila is senior sportswriter for Valley Freedom Newspapers. He can be reached at davidf@valleystar.com or at 956-430-6214