First off, what happened to your tree is shitty and sad. Fuck that guy.
Second, can we all agree to stop prefacing everything with, "I like some Bama fans, but..." or "there are some good Auburn fans, but..."? We hate the other team. It's what we've been taught our entire lives. It's in our DNA. Of course we like individuals from the other side. We recognize that there are good people on both sides. We still hate everything about the opposing team. Bama fans are always going to suck the dick of a dead coach and Auburn fans are always going to be Jan Brady crying because the other sister gets all the attention. I think it's pretty well understood that when we say, "Auburn/Alabama fans are blah blah blah," it's a generalization. But anyone who says, "I'm happy [your team] won the championship," is a liar or a shit-dick. We all wish it were us.
Now, let's be honest. Auburn fans are no different than any other fans of any other program anywhere. You are not "God's chosen people," you are not "martyrs fighting the good fight," you are not "beautiful snowflakes," you are not "special," and you are not "going to grow up and be anything you want to be." Anyone born in Alabama has about the same probability of being an Auburn fan as I had of being a Bama fan, Mr. Orange had of being Baptist, and The Dude had of being Catholic.
I don't know where the idea that Auburn fans are so educated and Bama fans are all knuckle-dragging cousin fuckers, but you're stupid if you buy into/preach that. Numerically, UA has more graduates (granted, UA has been around longer), but somehow Auburn fans have convinced themselves that everyone who cheers for AU is a college graduate that got their degree at Auburn University. How many of your parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. that are AU fans actually went to the university (or any university at all)? I guess they are the exception to the wife-beating gas station attendant rule. That goes for any team. Our generation has more college graduates than previous generations, but AU graduates assume that since they went to school at AU and were surrounded by AU students in school, every AU fan must have gone to school and they cannot be as stupid as the other team's fans. Be realistic. That's like saying UAB fans or Troy fans are more educated than Auburn fans because they have a higher percentage of actual students/graduates that are fans than AU. The fewer fans any school has, the more likely those fans are to have gone to that school. They aren't any smarter for it. The truth of the matter is: it's football. It's not chess or a spelling bee. You don't have to be smart to play it, and you don't have to be smart to watch it. The team with the most fans is going to have the most retarded fans too. Either way, I've never heard of a program that didn't want as many fans as they could get.
Although I respect the fact the His Eminence is a transplant and has become an AU fan, his opinion is still biased. I hope I'm not assuming too much, but I would bet my thumbs that (if he had no prior opinions about schools) if he ended up at UA, UT, or UF and met normal, intelligent people who are passionate about their team, like the rest of you, he could just as easily become a fan of that team and he would see AU fans as the booger eaters that other teams claim they are. That statement is not to knock H.E. at all. It is more of a response to Tidwell's comment on his previous post.
Bottom line, stop thinking you are any more special than any other team's fans. Hating each other is fine. It's a rivalry. It's what we are supposed to do. But you're no better or worse than anyone else.
Very well said. I think this should end right here. I don't want us getting pissed at each other over this.
ReplyDeleteWolf, I agree with everything you stated above, but I still can't get over how some bama fans have reacted to this. I actually had a conversation with a student of mine who is going to bama next year. The student actually said we deserved it after being "classless" when we beat bammer in the Iron Bowl this year. Really?! We talked shit about beating our number one rival so we deserved to have one of our biggest landmarks destroyed? I honestly believe that the vast vast majority of bammers think this was an outrageous act, but the reaction by some of them has made it to where I honestly want to pull a Chris Rock and shake the shit out of them. Maybe by reaction is just as irrational since I am so caught up in the emotion of the recent event; I have disliked Alabama since I went to Auburn (keep in mind I was a bama fan before I went to AU), and that dislike turned to hate as more time passed since being a bama fan, but I REALLY hate alabama after this. Again, it is probably irrational to feel this way, but right now it is simply how I feel.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's irrational to hate the guy that did it or anyone else that treats him like a hero. In my opinion, vandalism is a disgusting crime. The only things worse are murder, rape, and stealing. That's without even considering the emotions and memories attached to that tree. What he did was beyond the typical rival bullshit, and I hope they make an example out of him.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's easy to argue that y'all putting a cam jersey on the statue and singing rammer jammer after the iron bowl were classless acts, any honest fan would tell you that we are not above doing something equally classless..like playing "Take the Money and Run" and "Son of a Preacher Man." I even made a big poster with the V CAMandments making fun of his scandals. Most of it is good natured mean fun. That's what rivals do. Class just doesn't apply to rivals. Crime, on the other hand, has no place.
"good natured mean fun"
ReplyDeleteA major point that I believe to be categorically wrong………and at the root of the misunderstanding
ReplyDeleteYou say “anyone born in Alabama has about the same probability of being an Auburn fan as I had of being a Bama fan” That’s just false. Bama has many more fans than Auburn and most people choose their allegiance based on family tradition. This is not an insult. As you pointed out it’s a good thing to have a lot of fans as it is the main point of the school having a football program (to raise money). And Bama’s success has gained them a lot of fans. But as I tried to convey in my response to Tidwell…….this fact about your larger fan base is a double edged sword.
By consequence of its large fanbase; the Alabama fanbase also consists of a much larger majority of a very common, unsavory type of individual native to this part of the country. And the type of individual that I am referring to is the stereotypical uneducated redneck.
But I don’t believe bama just has a large population of this type of individual due to its size ……..I believe you also have a higher percentage of that type of person in comparison to the Auburn fanbase.
The reason for this is because I accept these truths: 1.) the state of Alabama had a historically poor education system that resulted in a high congregation of uneducated people. 2.) Most of the people in Alabama who did not attend any college or school aligned themselves as a Bama fan due to the fact that UA was the most prominent football program in the area. 3.) Historically, most people who are Auburn fans are that way not because someone in their family tree liked their football program but because someone in their family tree attended the school.
Now of course things have changed in the last couple of decades. And in the past couple decades Auburn has been every bit as successful (actually more successful if you consider only our lifetimes) as Bama. And this is resulting in us picking up more of these bandwagon fans. And maybe one day it will be 50/50. But right now you can walk into any store, bar, or office in Alabama and take a poll and you will find an overwhelming majority of bama fans and you will also find that most of them didn’t go there (amazingly this is even true in the office environment). So I think it is important to make a distinction between Bama fans who went to Bama and those that did not. No one is saying Auburn is such a better school and we are “beautifull snowflakes”. We are just saying that your “trashy” fans are a whole lot more prevalent than our “trashy” fans.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/TideforToomers
ReplyDeleteDude, there is also a group called "free harvey updyke"
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else noticed this new Radiohead album thing? Totally weird right?
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with most everything you said, I think it should also be noted that it's a lot easier to point out the retards on the other side than on your own. I'm not saying the ratio is the same, but it's probably a little closer than anyone would want to admit.
ReplyDeleteI would be willing to bet that a great deal of AU fans are fans due to their proximity to the shchool, not just because a family member went there. That same proximity leads the people to attend that school over another. It's a chicken/egg argument that probably can't be proven, but I think it's arguable on both sides and worth considering.
My statement about the probability of being one fan vs. another is admittedly based on my experience in the Birmingham area, and not representative of the entire population. I think that staement is fairly accurate around Birmingham, but my intention was only to make the point about being born into it.
I also think the term "bandwagon fan" is a little insulting. While many UA fans are indeed bandwagon fans, I feel like a majority are genuine fans who cheer for Bama whether it's a winning season or not. Also, I think it is just easier for residents in other states to like UA because we have had a historically good football program. Not to mention the fact that most Americans could point out Alabama on an United States map and most Alabamians couldn't even point out Auburn on an Alabama map.
I've enjoyed this discussion and I'm glad the post didn't come across as malicious. I was a little worried that my tone would be misinterpreted.
I work with HGreen and went to UGA, so I really have no dawg in this fight. But here are a few observations.
ReplyDelete1. There are far more Alabama fans than Auburn fans. However, there seems to be way more literate Auburn fans than Alabama fans.
2. If I was an Auburn fan, I would be pissed as hell. Its like someone killed UGA or destroyed the hedges. To assume the "vast majority" of Alabama fans condemn the acts, is wishful thinking. I would say the majority of Alabama fans think the killing of the trees is hilarious. They won't say it in public, but I bet they think what the "Al from Dadeville" was just mean fun.
3. So right now, If I am an Alabama fan, I am admitting what that guy did is wrong, even if I am kinda enjoying it, not saying shit about how auburn fans are acting...You killed their damn tree, give them a week to be pissed.
4. I really feel bad for auburn. 2011 will be a terrible year. They will lose all their trophies and their trees. I feel bad.
5. I hate that the tree had to die, but I am enjoying the fact that Alabama has become the Middle East, a powder keg waiting to explode. I just hope no one loses a life over this shit.
Roll Damn Tide and War Cam Eagle
At least we have a trophy to lose. What do you have, the Liberty Bowl Trophy? Oh wait...
ReplyDeleteFirst I just want to say that my earlier post was not meant to be malicious...so I truly truly hope it was not taken that way*** Seriously though, Wolf, you came at this in a very civil way...I didn't take it as you being malicious.
ReplyDeleteIn short..I disagree...I think your average person with no affiliation is much more likely to be an Alabama fan than an Auburn fan. I can't prove it...it's just my life experiences lead me to feel strongly that I am correct in saying that. I don't think there are more Intelligent, non redneck, logical etc...(however you want to term it) Auburn fans than Bama fans. I just think thier are a lot more dumb, redneck illogical bama fans. As for why I think that...see HE's explanation above.
I almost just didn't respond b/c I don't want to have "mean spirited argument" with my friends. But I dont think that is what this is....I think it is just a "spirited argument" among friends.