Being alumni of the college = "real fan"?

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

The "sidewalk fan" is one of the dumber arguments in sports. Am I not allowed to pull for the Miami Marlins or Miami Dolphins because I never worked for them? To me, it's the same concept.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

I am a graduate of Alabama, but I don't feel that I am more of a fan than those who didn't go to school at Alabama. I also believe that despite the perception that non-graduate Alabama fans are the bad apples, there are just as many UA alums that act just as bad of an apple as anyone else.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

CaliforniaTide said:

I am a graduate of Alabama, but I don't feel that I am more of a fan than those who didn't go to school at Alabama. I also believe that despite the perception that non-graduate Alabama fans are the bad apples, there are just as many UA alums that act just as bad of an apple as anyone else.

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The same goes for every sports team ever.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

I have a friend who told me that most Bama fans are just sidewalk alumni and never went to school at Bama and had never been on campus much less a game. I said "Im one of those people you are talking about and Ive been a Bama fan since I could talk" he said but your wife is a Bama alum, Im talking about all the stupid rednecks that call themselves bama fans that didn't even go to the school". He is a huge AUB I asked him if he went to auburn, he just smiled and said no but......Im talking about all of the dumb rednecks yall have that pull for Bama". Again I said if OUR non-alumni fans are dumb rednecks then what are you and your kind? you guessed it, he just walked away. I have actually caught him in another conversation with a circle of aubs and they were spouting the same crap, I stepped into the *********** with them and my aub friend quickly walked away as I began my interrogation.

This post is paid for and approved by a proud non-alumi life time BAMA fan.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

My wife never understands why I'm a huge Bama fan even though I didn't go to school there. She thinks I should be cheering Mizzou instead since we live in St. Louis area :biggrin2:

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

I think I've spent more time at the Tusk than actually on campus, but isn't that true for a lot of grads, too?

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

I went to Bama but did not graduate. I guess that makes ma a half fan.:smile:

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

Harrys too.......love me some Harry's bucket.

scrodz said:

I think I've spent more time at the Tusk than actually on campus, but isn't that true for a lot of grads, too?

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Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

Bamabuzzard said:

Not to derail all the good football discussion but I've got a bone to pick with I guess anyone who believes that if I didn't go to Alabama then I'm somehow not a "real fan" and not eligible to be one. I've "unfriended" a relative on facebook recently because rather than having a good, logical, conversation on how good the SEC West is this season and actually talk about football. He wants to continue to discuss how he "laughs at" those who passionately root for teams like Alabama yet didn't even go to school there. My response, "Who cares? I didn't realize there was an official manual or criteria that said someone cannot be a fan of a team if they didn't attend the college." Why do people hang on this argument? It is about as asinine of an argument as there is out there in college football.

Does anyone else run into this?

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Does he know that some people have been Crimson Tide fans since they were born or at least since they knew what a football was growing up in Alabama or anywhere else.

Growing up a Crimson Tide fan, I could have gone to any university: UGA, the Barn, Tennercee, UF, Ole Sis, Mittittippi Tate, ND, Michigan, any of the OSU's even tOSU or anywhere else, but I would NEVER have given up my allegiance to my first love: the Alabama Crimson Tide.

If someone held a gun to my head and said you must become a Barn fan or a Bulldog fan or I'm pulling this trigger. My only question to him would be, "Why haven't you already pulled the trigger, 'cause that will never happen!" There are some things in life that you take a stand on; this is one of them for me!

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

bamaee04 said:

Growing up in MS and being a Bama fan, I heard it all the time...especially the sidewalk alumni crap. Once I graduated in 2004 that idiotic argument was squashed for good. It really is silly since you can't be an alumnus of a MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL team, but you can be a fan. There are so many fan bases that are jealous of Alabama and always will be. They will come up with any kind of argument imaginable to try and make themselves look good or make us look bad. True fans of the Tide are some of if not the most loyal in any sport. I am proud to be a fan first, alumnus second, and I am happy to call any real fan of the Tide a brother/sister whether they ever stepped foot in Bryant-Denny, went to class in Bidgood Hall, or just listened to Eli and company on the radio for 10 years. RTR!

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This exactly. I`m about as "alumni" as it gets ( undergrad and grad from UA) and I too never consider it to be a prerequisite to be a "fan". That`s just stupid and not worth the time it takes to get upset over it. RTR to ALL my Crimson sisters and brothers!!

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

Al A Bama said:

If someone held a gun to my head and said you must become a Barn fan or a Bulldog fan or I'm pulling this trigger. My only question to him would be, "Why haven't you already pulled the trigger, 'cause that will never happen!" There are some things in life that you take a stand on; this is one of them for me!

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Two guys (a Bama guy & a Tennessee guy) double-cross a mafia guy... he's got them together & is going to shoot them.

Being a nice mafia type, he tells them they each get to make a final wish.

The Tennessee guy says "Play Rocky Top so I can hear it one last time."

The Bama guy says "Shoot me first so I don't have to listen to that awful song again."

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

You all know that I went to OSU, and love OSU. I am also a fan of Alabama. I live in Ohio most of the year and everyone in my family went to OSU. My wife's family is from Alabama. Her father went to Alabama and it is his loving influence in my life that brought me to become an Alabama fan.

I understand that some people roll their eyes at this sort of fan "relationship". I really don't care. Every time I see the Crimson Tide take the field I think of him, and ties like that bind - maybe more so than a degree.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

This subject annoys me every time it comes up. Here is the simple step anyone can take that buries our rivals' jealousy of Bama's fan base:
Go to alumni@ua.edu and join the National Alumni Association. Fans, friends of the University, former students, parents of students, and anyone who loves the Crimson Tide is invited to join. You can join for $40-$65 annually. You will be able to stay informed and receive other membership benefits such as free admission to the Bryant Museum. The additional step of joining the local chapter provides you connections -in state or out of state- to Bama events and news in yor local area. Perhaps most importantly, your membership provides scholarship money to local students to fulfill their dreams of attending the University! This year the NAA provided over $4,000,000 to 2,400 incoming freshmen! No other alumni association comes close to those scholarship awards.
Maybe you didn't graduate from the University for any reason but your NAA membership makes it possible for other worthy students to fulfill their dreams. Next time one of our detractors pops off at you just show them your NAA membership card and tell them how you are supporting student scholarships.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

Card totin member!

Capstone46 said:

This subject annoys me every time it comes up. Here is the simple step anyone can take that buries our rivals' jealousy of Bama's fan base:
Go to alumni@ua.edu and join the National Alumni Association. Fans, friends of the University, former students, parents of students, and anyone who loves the Crimson Tide is invited to join. You can join for $40-$65 annually. You will be able to stay informed and receive other membership benefits such as free admission to the Bryant Museum. The additional step of joining the local chapter provides you connections -in state or out of state- to Bama events and news in yor local area. Perhaps most importantly, your membership provides scholarship money to local students to fulfill their dreams of attending the University! This year the NAA provided over $4,000,000 to 2,400 incoming freshmen! No other alumni association comes close to those scholarship awards.
Maybe you didn't graduate from the University for any reason but your NAA membership makes it possible for other worthy students to fulfill their dreams. Next time one of our detractors pops off at you just show them your NAA membership card and tell them how you are supporting student scholarships.

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Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

Bamabuzzard said:

LOL! Actually the opinion was from a Miss St fan.

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Well there you go. Why would anyone want to be a MSU unless they went to school there and that isn't something to brag about.
I went to Cal State Fullerton but had one uncle play football and three cousins play baseball at Alabama. My mom went to Alabama. Am i wrong for being an Alabama fan? My stepfather is from New Zealand and one of the first people he met when he moved here was Ken Stabler. Is my stepfather not allowed to bea fan of Alabama because he was educated in another country? Stupid argument.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

Capstone46 said:

This subject annoys me every time it comes up. Here is the simple step anyone can take that buries our rivals' jealousy of Bama's fan base:
Go to alumni@ua.edu and join the National Alumni Association. Fans, friends of the University, former students, parents of students, and anyone who loves the Crimson Tide is invited to join. You can join for $40-$65 annually. You will be able to stay informed and receive other membership benefits such as free admission to the Bryant Museum. The additional step of joining the local chapter provides you connections -in state or out of state- to Bama events and news in yor local area. Perhaps most importantly, your membership provides scholarship money to local students to fulfill their dreams of attending the University! This year the NAA provided over $4,000,000 to 2,400 incoming freshmen! No other alumni association comes close to those scholarship awards.
Maybe you didn't graduate from the University for any reason but your NAA membership makes it possible for other worthy students to fulfill their dreams. Next time one of our detractors pops off at you just show them your NAA membership card and tell them how you are supporting student scholarships.

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Well played, sir!

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

What about this one. My wife is an alum. I am not. My son attends the barn and will graduate with a degree in soils and agronomy from Aubrun (sic). He will be an Aub alum. his girl friend is an Aub. He is a huge BAMA fan. What do the barners say about that?
I also know of a couple of local attorneys that graduated from bama but are huge aubs. Im not crying about those guys and could care less who they pull for.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

Bamabuzzard said:

Not to derail all the good football discussion but I've got a bone to pick with I guess anyone who believes that if I didn't go to Alabama then I'm somehow not a "real fan" and not eligible to be one. I've "unfriended" a relative on facebook recently because rather than having a good, logical, conversation on how good the SEC West is this season and actually talk about football. He wants to continue to discuss how he "laughs at" those who passionately root for teams like Alabama yet didn't even go to school there. My response, "Who cares? I didn't realize there was an official manual or criteria that said someone cannot be a fan of a team if they didn't attend the college." Why do people hang on this argument? It is about as asinine of an argument as there is out there in college football.

Does anyone else run into this?

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People end up going to whatever college they feel is best for them or maybe they don't feel the need for a college education at all. I went to Alabama but I know many people who were big Bama fans before they went off to a different college and they're just as passionate about Bama as they ever were.

When I was at Alabama there were quite a few international students from all over the world. I remember a Japanese student coming up to me in the main library trying to communicate about something he needed but it was just gibberish to me. I can't imagine many of those folks having much of a clue what Bama football was all about. They were too busy trying to get an education in a truly foreign place to them.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

gumptider said:

I grew up a Bama fan, but accepted an academic scholarship to Southern Miss. My brother was actually at UA at the time, but I couldn't turn down a free education with my family situation. Now I have to hear it left and right about how I don't cheer for my alma mater. I've tried my best to explain that it's more like cheering for an NFL team. You know, you grow up pulling for Bama whether you intend to ever go to school there or not.

I would say it doesn't bother me, but I get irritated by the lack of understanding.

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Gump, I hear it NON-STOP living in H'burg. Over the 25 years we've lived here (& we love it here!), I've developed 3 trump answers that I hold back unless pushed hard:

1) I know I've been a Bama fan since Joe Namath was QB for the Tide; I'm unsure of my allegiances before I was 5 years old. But I also know I sat in BDS & watched every home game the first time in my lifetime we had a losing record. And I know I still wore my Tide-wear proudly when we went 3-9 a few years back.

2) I have three degrees from UA & am proud of them. But they no more entitle me to call myself a "fan" than my beloved late Dad who never went to college at all. (He was a little busy in the Pacific in the Army Air Corps after he graduated HS in 1945.)

3) $9 million. <they'll stare back like a calf at a new gate> That's the figure I saw a couple of years back that UA earned just from licensing merchandise. <Then, to finish them off...> Wonder if, say, USM could stand a $9 million paycheck every year from large #s of "sidewalk alums" or "Walmart alums"...(note to all: USM's athletic budget is VERY tight these days, partly because they're paying Auburn's DC.)

Bonus trump answer: "I hear what you're saying. Does that mean I should burn all of my USM attire & stop attending home games? I'd hate to dilute the purity of the Golden Eagle fanbase, since I've never attended there..."

To all who didn't actually attend UA, Roll Tide! Thanks!
To all who didn't, but cheer for the Tide, Roll Tide! Thanks!

p.s. - I'm also a "sidewalk alum" of USM & attend all the home games. Been a brutal couple of years here inside The Rock. And of Ole Miss every week except this one, & get up there for a game or two every year (going up to the Auburn game this year )
p.p.s. - My son, the 2x Ole Miss grad, figured this out too. He very much welcomes any & all "sidewalk/Walmart alums" of his team.

Re: Being an alumni of the college="real fan"?

hacksaw830 said:

What about this one. My wife is an alum. I am not. My son attends the barn and will graduate with a degree in soils and agronomy from Aubrun (sic). He will be an Aub alum. his girl friend is an Aub. He is a huge BAMA fan. What do the barners say about that?
I also know of a couple of local attorneys that graduated from bama but are huge aubs. Im not crying about those guys and could care less who they pull for.

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Well, they ARE lawyers......:rolleye2: