The Process
November 14, 2008
Many people in this area have no clue what being a football fan means. Sure, plenty of people are “fans” of their college team and even more are “fans” of some pro team, and usually not even the local one. Wth? How can you be from DC and be a Dallas fan? Or a Steelers fan? It makes no sense to me. I’m admittedly not a pro sports fan, and find it VERY difficult to cheer for the ‘Skins since their QB is a Barner. Only because Shaun signed for a year can I be ok with cheering for them.
So, what does it mean to be a fan for me? Well, most of you know I’m a die-heard to the blood (and arm) fan of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. I live it, breathe it, and am always thinking about it. I even have a crimson colored arm thanks to my massive Port-Wine Stain birthmark (as I tell people, God made me a Bama fan). I was born and raised an Alabama fan. I listened to stories from my Papaw about Coach Bryant, remember hearing my father scream at the television while playing outside, and even the first play I remember watching on television myself. When I got my first car it was red, and had a Bama sticker, and a custom collegiate tag.
When I went to college, I started at UA. Knowing that there was a bastion of hellions and football atheists in our own state I made it my mission to go into the backwards depths of tarnation itself and bring as many people to the light as I could. Preach the Word that is Alabama Football. I transferred to Auburn. And as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I left a bigger Bama fan than when I arrived.
I moved to DC and found that there are fans of various schools all around. It’s a mixing bowl that has large concentrations of Vtech, UVA, PSU, and OSU. Of course, there are Bama fans as well and we claim the largest UA Alumni Assoc. in the nation. I have fallen into my new home well and also have my daily habits to keep up with UA news and everything Alabama. Here is a glimpse into my normal week in the fall…and most every day of the year…
Daily:
Check AL.com for Bama news.
Check ESPN, SI, CBS, and FoxSports for Bama news (and general CF analysis).
Read all twitter messages from Ian Rappaport of the Birmingham News about UA news.
Listen to ESPN CF Podcast.
Fly UA flag on truck.
Chat with BamaGrad about team news.
Check my Bama Blogs & CF RSS feeds: EDSBS, Alabama Gameday, Capstone Report, Roll Bama Roll, Tide Druid, Third Saturday in Blogtober, Gump for Heisman, Tower of Bammer, Pollspeak, & Poon of the SEC.
Surf forums: TideFans.com & AuNation Rivals Forum
Weekly:
Thursdayish - Read National Capitol Chapter Emails.
Friday - Listen to “The Ultimate Bama CD” play-list on iPod to and from work.
Friday - Wear Bama shirt.
Saturday - Watch “Tradition” video.
Saturday - Wear Bama shirt.
Saturday - Travel into DC 2.5-3hrs prior to kickoff to obtain priority seating at Old Dominion Brew Pub.
Saturday - Text bro, Dad, and Matt game updates from other games if they are in stadium, official review opinions, and other nonsense.
Saturday - ALWAYS play halftime raffle.
Sunday - Check polls as soon as they are released. Text standings to Dad, bro, Matt, etc.
Sunday - Harass AU friends via Twitter and Facebook status messages.
I think that’s about it. This may seem insane to people outside of Alabama, but I assure you this is why I basically have little or no knowledge of most other sports. What quirks or traditions do you have for sports teams?
November 14, 2008 at 4:17 pm
This is very similar to how my days are laid out. I rely heavily on AL.com now that I’m in enemy territory. I subscribed to bamaonline yesterday and I could not be more excited.
Your gameday text messages are greatly appreciated.
November 14, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Haha, I always like watching the games, because I know that just a few seconds after the win I’ll get a text. I’m not quite as hardcore a fan, but nobody comes before Bama, and hasn’t since birth. It really is a hereditary thing, and people from other states claim their rivalry is more important, but it simply doesn’t match the tenacity of Alabama fans. If the last decade happened anywhere else, they simply wouldn’t be left with much of a fan base. But we stick through the tough times, knowing we’ll get another season like this one, and the next 4 at least.
November 14, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Ok, first off you have to remember that not many people are actually “from” this area. They all migrated here for work. So, it makes sense to me that many are just supporting the sucky professional teams here or like teams that make absolutely no sense according to geographic location.
Secondly, if you didn’t have friends and went out on dates, I’d say you didn’t have a life. lol
Lastly, Alabama’s love for football is no surprise. It’s quite a trend you see in the South. Just like your disdain for basketball. Those who can’t compete during football season have kickass basketball teams. lol. Prime example – The ACC.
August 30, 2009 at 7:58 pm
[...] you want to see what football means to me and most people in the South then please refer to this previous post for an idea… Yes, I am [...]