This one is pissing a lot of people off today. No, I didn't write it. Whoever did, they have a chip on their shoulder for the Tide. The other 9 in the top 10 have sort of farcical, yet somewhat true articles. Alabama's is like a report on the state..although the pictures could have been much, much worse. This article seems to be hitting a bit too close to home for folks in these parts. It literally makes up about 80% of my Facebook feed this morning. http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/t...ses-in-america-1-the-alabama-crimson-tide.php
Why do people write stuff like that? It's one of the dumbest articles I've ever read a few paragraphs of before I couldn't take any more. BTW: He has a series and the Irish are #5 in the dumbest fans list.
I'm well aware that the Irish are #5 on the list. I had mentioned that in my original version of the post that I scrapped. Here's the thing.. it's a silly, stupid suppose to be fun/tongue in cheek kind of thing. The article on Alabama came off hitting too close to home. I was sent that article by someone in their athletic department who agreed with it. This place is so crazy, you can't even type into hyperbole for comic reasons without actually tripping over factual cases. I've watched the little fire storm it has created. For me, I shared it here because quite honestly, if I ever try to talk about life in this state.. it gets dismissed because of some ******** anecdotal story about 'sitting near some really good ones at a football game.' It's frustrating. I can write a 10,000 word article on the supremacy of the WAC over college football since 1978 and most all of you will read every single word. (I'd never do that btw, not about the WAC) I can cite specific examples all day long of how bat **** insane so many of the people in this state are about the Tide, yet no one cares because a Tide fan says it isn't so... or another SEC fan claims they aren't bad. I really wish I could take you on a 30 day guided tour of football season. I really do. I won't have to say a word. Do note, you didn't even finish the article. I'm telling you, I could take worse pictures than that around town every day. I just found it funny because for whatever reason, on this board, we determine what's true and what's not based upon what we want to be real.
If you read the comments in the article, it was funny to see the disparity. Most took it in fun, and oddly most of them seemed to fit into the upper tier category. The ones who seemed to get really butt hurt, well... like I said. When a guy who works for the university and with the football team sends you an article saying that he 'wanted to hate it, but he thought it was funny and mostly true.'. you just gotta share. I have to be careful about posting too much he said because these things get around and it is not hard to figure out who he is at all. If you don't think Tide fans won't turn him in and demand his job, you're kidding yourself. I stopped doubting him after his rant about Ha-Ha. That turned out to be true as well. It's always interesting to hear what adversity and conflicts the team is actually facing vs those speculated on in the media. KP, Have you been following any of the Greek drama on campus?
So let me see if I understand this right. 9/10 are farcical but the Alabama one hits home? I'm with Terry.
Oh no Bill, there's more than a bit of truth to all of those. You're putting words in my mouth and/or extrapolating your own meaning, the latter of which is fine. I've enjoyed this because the reaction here is quite predictable. I've seen this insane denial for decades now. As my own little social experiment, I've shown that article to people here to gauge their reaction to it and weigh that vs. what I see here. When they finish, I ask them 'So how many Tide fans do you feel that describes accurately within say 90% of the items listed.' The reactions have been near unanimous. There was one Tide fan last night who I showed that article to (because I was being a dick, but mostly because he had just uttered the phrase 'Well if evolution is true, then where did the dinosaurs come from?!) who read it and simply said "F*ck you!" The rest of the 20 or so people I've shown that to agree that it's strikingly close to dead on. Most say they couldn't even name how many that the article describes correctly. I think my girlfriend said it best when I showed it to her last night when she said 'It would be easier for me to name those it doesn't describe. I'd need a few pieces of paper and a couple days to name the ones it does accurately describe.' Keep in mind, it does not say ALL Tide fans are like that. He made a very clear distinction. There are those who went there and/or could have gone there (went to college somewhere else). They are actually the minority by a large margin. Then, there's the rest. It's the rest that the article focuses on. As for the ND article, I laughed because I've known or run into plenty of those described in his article as well. I've seen the Irish play in Tallahassee, Los Angeles, and Atlanta as well as South Bend. I was slightly embarrassed a few times in Tallahassee. I've been really embarrassed in Los Angeles more than a few times. Essentially, only the obnoxious band wagon USC fans keep them from stealing the show. It really depends on which group you sit with there. When I was in Atlanta, the ND fans were just God awful. The Tech fans were downright shitty as well, sadly, with them it was students and alumni showing their ass. I really didn't meet 2 ND fans in Atlanta that weren't crappy, obnoxious, totally ignorant to the game and deserving of a punch in the nose. In fact, the thing that I disagreed with the most in his article about Alabama fans was the description of Auburn fans. His suggestion that the vast majority of their fan base has some direct affiliation with the school is just wrong. Not even funny wrong, just wrong. In my opinion, the Auburn fans are worse. There really isn't much difference between the two aside from this raging Napoleon Complex going on with the Tiger fans. That sets them apart. You should try reading the comments in some of these articles btw, it's often more entertaining than the article itself.
Sorry Corey if I misunderstood. When you said I did take it to mean that you thought that the article about Bama fans was more accurate than the others. Sorry I misunderstood.
Five, including an Iron Bowl, all in Tuscaloosa. As I am sure you're aware, that is 5 more than about 75% of the fan base in this state. I passed up an opportunity to see Alabama-UCLA in Pasadena to attend the Notre Dame-Michigan game years ago. There's an outside shot I'll be at the game this week against LSU. A buddy of mine is trying to work an extra ticket. I have Carson this weekend and we're a package deal. He only had one extra, but he knows the people sitting next to them. It's a long shot, but if they aren't going for some reason, then we'll go. You can correct me if I'm wrong (because this is strictly perception based) but it seems to me that tickets are easier to obtain after the big expansion of the stadium. I turn down offers to see them for almost every home game. (I'd rather stay home, hang out with the boy and watch the Irish, usually.)
That's pretty good and truthfully it surprises me. I don't have many people throwing tickets my way, I usually have to buy them. For someone with such a disdain for Alabama fans, I assume it must be pretty difficult for you to be around 100,000 of them for 4 or 5 hours at a time. I always enjoy it, of course I am one of them. 8)
Not all of them are freebies. I'm good to my friends, they are good to me. At the same time, the Alabama folks I tend to hang out with are more than "10-15%" that the article refers to. We discussed this very same thing Saturday at Blue Pants in Madison. (all Tide grads or people who fit the "15%" description..some USA, UAB) they didn't seem to have much of an issue about it. I love to tell people about you guys here. This incredible base of knowledge and great football discussion that just likes to pretend the SEC doesn't have flaws.. despite all evidence to the contrary. You guys sure do put a lot of words in my mouth. I tell you what.. I hate USC fans... I have a strong disdain for Michigan fans, Bobda being the shining exception. Alabama fans aren't all bad, and it's the '85%' that you guys pretend aren't any different (on here only) who are 100% responsible for my negative opinion about them. One of these days I'll get more free time and post a comprehensive list of the shitty things Tide fans have done to me simply because I'm an ND fan... that all took place BEFORE the title game..sometimes years before. Sooner or later you guys will get it through your head that I am actually a fan of college football. I love damn near everything about it and have a full appreciation for all walks of life. People only ever want to hear the positive though. There's good and bad in everything.
I'm not sure about Corey, but I, for one, can't stand to be around 100,000 fans of any university, including Tennessee, for 4 to 5 hours. Didn't used to be that way. I am sure it is my fault, but it seems to me that crowds are just not as civil as they once were. Cindy has seen that look on my face that tells her my head will explode if this goes on much longer.
Whatever you say Corey, like Bill I guess I just misunderstood. I didn't think much about the article either. Just another idiot trying to get hits on the internet. But then I saw this: :? And you know I just kind of misunderstood. Of course, I started to take issue with but then I read this: So I figured that yeah the article must be true because I can't compete with 10,000 nor specific examples all day...all I have are anecdotes. I knew then that I was mistaken because there was proof: The final kicker was when I realized that I had lost touch with reality. All of these years, these people, my family, my friends, my colleagues at work they had been just like the article described them and I didn't realize it. I'm probably a lost cause and my children are grown, maybe I can save my grandchildren. This is horrible. :roll:
I'm a bit pressed for time, but I'll give you one example. Before doing so, I'd highly recommend reading the comments section in that article. It can take a good long time, but in it are several personal accounts of just incredible 'Updyke' like behavior. As for mine, this is simply the most recent. I had mentioned this in a post before the bowl game last and year took it down because no one really gives a ****. I had a feeling something like this might come up again, and realizing that, I should have just left the whole thing up. That being said: I go to Sonic and they mess up my order. (right there on 6th Ave since you're familiar with Decatur) I wind up getting out of my car to go to the walkup, which is what you do with screwed up orders there if you want them fixed. No one knows why I'm in line, I'm just there. I'm wearing a bright gold Champion pullover that says 'Notre Dame' across the front in Navy blue. My mom might remember it, as she bought it for me back around 1999. I don't wear it that often, so it still looks good as new. There was a family in front of me. (please do note, family) The husband was a little white dude. He's directly in front of me. His wife and children are in front of him. At one point, he turned around and looked me up and down. He clearly had noticed my jacket. I prepared for the usual harmless 'roll Tide' or 'we're gonna beat that ass' which just come with living here. It didn't come. After his wife completed making the order, he stepped up to pay for it. At the last minute, he added a route 64 something or other that was red. Cherry slushy I think it was. Either way, I didn't care. Didn't make a sound. I just sat there with my bag full of wrong food. His wife gathered their order and he passed all the drinks along to her, except for one. He sent them on to the car and I figured he was going to ask for extra straws or whatever, so I didn't move forward. I just stood there. He turned around with that drink, peeled off the lid and threw that drink right on my chest. It splashed all over me. As the drink hit me, he shouted 'Roll Damn Tide!' You might think such behavior is treated with shock or disgust. No. It was greeted with laughter. One dude sitting with a few others at the little tables out front just let out a slow, laugh stuttered 'Roll Tiiiiiide.' Now, 2 things you need to know about me. 1. I firmly believe it's one of the worst things you can do to embarrass a man in front of his family. 2. I'm more than a little crazy with a violent streak that I've worked my entire life to control. (hug my mom boys, she did a great job) In the moment, point one was eliminated because all I could see or feel was the burning rage to throw this little bastard right through the window of his car. As I stepped up to his smug, smirking face I noticed his kids laughing in the background... and that, ironically, is what saved him. I leaned over and got nose to nose, forehead to forehead with him while grabbing his waist of his pants and told him through gritted teeth that he's going to back away slowly, apologizing loudly enough for his family to hear (they were by then seated in the car) that I would end him and leave an impression on his family about his lack of manhood that they'll never forget. He tried to back away, but couldn't. He tried to move my arm, but couldn't. We stared eye to eye for a few seconds more before he put his hands up and made a loud enough apology for all to hear. I let him go and he went to his car. Of course, he said something smart ass as he was driving off. Now, if anyone is still with me here, I want to make this point abundantly clear. This is not an isolated incident. I have more than a dozen of these stories since moving here. I'm just one guy. I know lots of people with these stories. It's not that there's a random asshole who would do these things that is shocking. It's that each and every instance is accompanied by several people who just stood and laughed, or joined in during other incidents. My experiences in Tuscaloosa have been better, but then I am actually there with that "10 to 15%" who usually act as a ******** buffer when show their ass. It's very toned down if noticeable at all in Tuscaloosa on game day. But when you get away among the 85%, it's a whole different ball game.