A friend of mine from the Crimson White put up a link to the now infamous screen shot where Auburn was identified as being in Georgia with the caption, "Apparently this was some big news scandal or something... I don't get it. AU is in Georgia. Right?"
And I had the perfect comeback. PERFECT: "And UA is in Birmingham, right? Because that's what a good portion of your fanbase thinks," (because they totally do, I've witnessed this).
But I didn't use it. I have typed it out twice now and decided to erase it before hitting send both times. I can't. I just can't get dragged down into a futile argument. It will only upset me and will do no one any good.
I generally try to keep my negative Alabama comments to a minimum, at least in the public setting. I graduated from the University of Alabama and spent three years there. I know a thing or two about being treated like crap. I wore orange in the student section at the Iron Bowl my freshman year, which was my own choice, but I never expected to be treated the way I was. The spitting and the throwing of minis (which are thankfully plastic now) and the trying to steal my shaker--it was all unreal. And that was just freshman year. I never hid the fact that I was an Auburn fan, again my choice, but I did my best not to start any arguments or cause any trouble about it. Because at the end of the day, I just want to be left alone. Football gets to me. I love Auburn. Love it. I feel the ups and downs of the season in my heart, my gut, and my soul. It runs that deeply. So when Alabama fans with their superiority complex talk trash about the place I love and grew up, it upsets me. When they incessantly scream 36-0 when we aren't even talking about football, I get annoyed. When they call it a cow college, implying that the agricultural contributions Auburn has made to this state are somehow worthless and beneath them, I get angry. And when they think that they are better than us simply by being Alabama fans, I get sad. I willingly admit that Alabama is a great school. It has a beautiful campus, and for what they specialize in, they do extremely well. But Auburn is also a great school, just in different areas. So what does all of this have to do with football?
You tell me.
This rivalry has become about much more than football. It's not just about the game anymore. It's about two schools who play separate but integral roles within their state. It's about two polar opposite fanbases who hate each other intensely during football season. It's about bragging rights. It's about whether or not seasons are considered successes. It's about houses divided.
There is always going to be trash talk, and some say that's what makes it fun, and if you're able to separate yourself from it and not take any of it personally, I'm sure it is. But I can't. I bleed orange and blue. I hate to see awful and unnecessary things written for no purpose other than to be mean and assert supposed superiority. But it's going to happen. So my challenge is not to react. I don't want to say anything I'll regret.
So onto Friday. This gives me comfort: After the game is won or lost, after the players bleed, the tailgates come down, the fans go home, the sportswriters meet their deadlines, and after our hearts break or burst with joy, no matter what the outcome, it's this simple mantra that separates us from them: We believe in Auburn and love it. 
And you think Auburn doesn't have fans who have heckled, insulted, spit on, any number of deplorable things to Alabama fans? You don't think every fanbase has fans like that? You know why we heckle Auburn fans? For 2 main reasons:
ReplyDelete1. You guys had no problem dishing out the hate for 6 years. Soon after we won last season you guys totally switched personalities and began calling us classes just for doing what you had done, for giving you what you had coming. When you lose just take it like a man. Or woman. You get the idea.
2. Auburn fans have a "holier than thou" attitude. You might not admit it but it's true. That's why it's the Auburn "family" because for whatever reason we'll never understand what it's like to be an Auburn fan because it's so vastly different (read: superior) to being a fan from, say, Alabama. Did I mention we're just a bunch of mullet headed dumb rednecks to you? But if we mention the phrase "cow college" we're classless.
It's a two way street that Auburn refuses to acknowledge. Auburn is no better than Alabama or LSU or Georgua or Tennessee or any other university in this country. Sure you can love Auburn all you want. But you're not better than us. That's that.
I never said that we were better. I never said that Auburn didn't have crappy fans. I said I wasn't one of those crappy fans. There is an Auburn family, whether or not you choose to recognize it. There are classless fans in every fanbase. My point in bringing up how I was treated is that I didn't enjoy it and wouldn't do that to anyone else. You missed my entire point.
ReplyDeleteYou also never bothered to also state Auburn has it's fair share of crappy fans. Auburn fans never do. They'll always comment on how bad our fans are and then simply won't mention their own. Whether or not you admit you have them is not the point as you obviously realize it. The problem is you never admit it. It makes you come off as, again, holier than thou. You don't preface or end with, "And I know every team has it's share of bad fans..." You just say, "Here's my story of being mistreated by some rival fans..." and that's that. No, there isn't an Auburn "family". It's some delusional word you guys use to somehow try to convince the nation that attending AU is somehow better than attending another university. I'm sure the students their have a great time. However the friendships I've made at Alabama, the experiences I've had, the atmosphere at a whole is just as good as it is at AU in it's own way. Just as it is for LSU students. And UGA students. And Tennessee students. All equally good in their own ways to their own students. I didn't miss your point and mine still stands: Auburn fans think they're better than everyone else. That's why we heckle you.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I'm doing this. You're going to read what you want to read, but this is me saying that I don't want to treat people like crap because I've been treated like crap and didn't like it:
ReplyDelete"I generally try to keep my negative Alabama comments to a minimum, at least in the public setting. I graduated from the University of Alabama and spent three years there. I know a thing or two about being treated like crap."
And this is me acknowledging that we both love our schools:
"And it's about loving your team, whichever one that is."
And you're right, I didn't qualify every single statement I made with "I know there are terrible fans everywhere, but..." but I don't think I have to. Everyone knows there are terrible fans everywhere. You went into this thinking I was attacking Alabama, so that's what you see. Maybe I am attacking Alabama, but mostly I'm attacking the trashtalk that goes on (on both sides) and refusing to participate and explaining why. It was a personal blog made entirely of my own opinion. I'm not pretending to represent the rest of the Auburn fanbase. This entire blog is about why I refuse to engage in conversations like this one and here I am having one. Fail.
Auburn class: calling a dead man a philander and drunk because while he was living he spanked their asses like a daddy does his disobedient child.
ReplyDeleteAlabama class: Bringing up irrelevant points on a personal blog.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'm a classy fan simply because I'm an Auburn fan, but I am a classy Auburn fan because I don't trash talk and I try to treat people with respect and not make remarks like yours. So you're not going to get under my skin. I at least have respect for Aaron. You? Not so much.