Jamie Samuelsen, co-host of the “Jamie and Wojo” show at 6 p.m. weekdays on WXYT-FM (97.1), blogs for freep.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. You can reach him at jamsam22@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter @jamiesamuelsen and read more of his opinions at freep.com/jamie.

What do you make of Ohio State’s subtle shots at U-M (“Team Up North,” etc.)?

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then the beauty in rivalries can exist only in the eyes of the combatants.

In other words – if it’s not your school, and it’s not your team, mind your own business.

Other than the corruption, the cheating, the scandals and the off-field arrests, college sports remain one of the purest forms of competition in mainstream athletics. Alums spend thousands upon thousands of dollars so they can park in the best spots, buy the best seats and watch their alma maters play teams like Jacksonville State to pad their record so that they can ultimately go to a bowl game and lose money. It’s really a beautiful tradition.

Rivalries remain though, as one of the cool, untarnished parts of sports and trying to challenge them or debunk them is fruitless and honestly, a tad disingenuous.

Example 1: Former Michigan coach Brady Hoke removed the red practice jersey last season from QB Devin Gardner and instead had him wear an orange one. The obvious reason why – Ohio State wears red and that color can’t exist in a practice at Schembechler Hall.

Ridiculous right? Quarterbacks have been wearing red jerseys for years to stand out in practice and avoid getting hit during scrimmages. Switching to orange isn’t a safety issue or a rules issue, but it’s basically telling Ohio State that Michigan is thinking about you even during practice in September. I mocked this on the radio and was immediately shouted down by Michigan fans that loved what Hoke did and loved what it represented. You know, if Michigan fans loved it, who am I to say otherwise? It’s not my rivalry.

Example 2: Michigan State has painted the blue lines green on the ice at Munn Arena. This technically violates NCAA hockey rules although you have to assume that they received permission before slapping on the paint.

The first question is what took MSU so long. This seems like a no-brainer. I don’t know if the motivation is more to put green on the ice or to keep blue off the ice, but it’s kind of a cool trick. There will be those who hate the move. After all, Duncan Keith was a “blue liner” at MSU, not a “green liner.” But where’s the harm? I doubt that a team will go offsides or be unable to keep the puck in simply because the lines are green instead of blue. Don’t like it? Tough. It’s not your rivalry. If you don’t like it because you’re a Michigan fan then guess what — it worked. It irritates you. (If this line stays green, look for Michigan to make its red line maize or blue in the not-too-distant future.)

Example 3: Ohio State wins the national championship and lists Michigan as TUN (Team Up North) on its championship trophy.

First of all, it’s a bad abbreviation. I always thought that Buckeyes called Michigan “That School Up North”. But I suppose TSUN doesn’t have the same ring to it as TUN does.

Again, I think this is just stupid. Ohio State is the name of the school in Columbus (Not Ohio). Michigan is the name of the school in Ann Arbor. If Ron Artest wants to be known as Metta World Peace, that’s his right. Same goes for Chad Johnson going to Chad Ochocinco then going back to Chad Johnson. If you want to change your name, change it. If you want to be known by a name, then everyone else should call you by that name. That’s kind of your right.

But then I refer back to the previous example and reach the following conclusion. If anyone in Ann Arbor is annoyed by the TUN reference, then it worked. If Buckeye fans were flummoxed by being called “Ohio” for all those years by Hoke and then by John Beilein – it worked.

No crimes are being committed. No feelings should be getting hurt (unless we all have unimaginably thin skin, which based on the way the world is these days, may be true.) These are big time, big boy rivalries. Sometimes rivalries cause even the wisest of people to do sophomoric things. That’s what makes something a rivalry. That’s what makes college sports great.