re: Why are State fans mad about the Rebel Rags lawsuit?

I'm not a fan of OM or State, but the lawsuit seems venal and vindictive. Some businessman is using a kid as a surrogate for the rival football program and is forcing that kid to defend himself in a "friendly" OM venue, where the kid will be at a disadvantage in every meaningful way. it just seems shameful and spiteful.
A lawyer advising R. Rags would have surely told his client that the adverse publicity arising solely from the litigation would do more harm to it than anything Lewis et al said about it,
Yet, a decision was made to prosecute the case.
Other than pure spite, why?