Pell City Tiger is right on this one.
I'm sure some of you all played football before. If you were on the offense, you hated the defense's guts. You thought they had no finesse and were a bunch of stupid ball seeking thugs. If you played on defense you thought the offense was a bunch of pussies who didn't understand the real reason people play football-to hit and be hit.
These feelings are intensified during hot as hell summer practices, with 2 1/2 weeks before the season opener. Stress levels soar, and the players are still trying to prove something. I feel that teams don't truly become a cohesive unit until mid-season, when they know what their attainable goal is based on their win-loss record.
If there were no O vs. D fights and folks not getting injured in this game, then it's not truly football.