Alabama football fan support?

The Tide Football team has a fanbase that stretches well beyond the state of Alabama. The fan numbers at the game were not as lopsided as it sounds. I remember Herbie saying it "looked" 50/50 in terms of fans there that leaned more toward a pro-Clemson crowd. Don't forget though, most neutral fans will root for the underdog. So perhaps that played a role too.

some U.S. Americans can't afford maps such as in Alabama.

This season alone, Alabama fans could have traveled to Dallas, Atlanta, Dallas again, and Phoenix. That's not cheap for the average fan.

Plus, it's not easy to plan a trip to Phoenix a week after going to Dallas. Saban even alluded to it.

i cant speak for anyone else, but i have gotten to where i will only go see games when we play in atlanta. lucky for me, between the season openers, seccg, and cfp games, i should have several opportunities to see games here.

its not so much about $ as it is about the time required to go to and from games (ever t-town). i travel a lot for my job already, so i generally don't want to hop on a plane or take a long car drive if i don't have to.

RTR91 said:

This season alone, Alabama fans could have traveled to Dallas, Atlanta, Dallas again, and Phoenix. That's not cheap for the average fan.

Plus, it's not easy to plan a trip to Phoenix a week after going to Dallas. Saban even alluded to it.

Click to expand...

yeah, its getting to be a bit much imho.

BamainBoston said:

Maybe it has something to do with the fact we've been to four national championship games in seven years?

Click to expand...

This. The novelty and spectacle of a NCG is something that most every fan wants to see at least once.Clemson fan had a chance to go for the first time in 30 + years. The playoffs make a difference too since it becomes a choice of either / or for the 2 games. It's not a cheap vacation.

Heard Clay Travis on Pauul's show yesterday discuss this topic on a larger scale yesterday re: attendance, bowl games, Rose Bowl, Playoffs etc. He made some good points.

dvldog said:

Heard Clay Travis on Pauul's show yesterday discuss this topic on a larger scale yesterday re: attendance, bowl games, Rose Bowl, Playoffs etc. He made some good points.

Click to expand...

He must have been drunk :biggrin:

I have a friend (OU fan) who had already purchased tickets. When he sold them he made certain the person he sold them to was for Clemson. How many Mich. St. & OU fans did that. The country is suffereing from Bama/Saban fatigue.

CrimsonSEC said:

This. The novelty and spectacle of a NCG is something that most every fan wants to see at least once.Clemson fan had a chance to go for the first time in 30 + years. The playoffs make a difference too since it becomes a choice of either / or for the 2 games. It's not a cheap vacation.

Click to expand...

This x2.

My son and I went to the 2012 NC game in Miami.We live in Orlando so it was more or less a day trip. However, we drove down the day of the game, stayed one night at a LaQuinta Inn and drove back the next morning. The room, tickets, tolls, gas and food set us back about $2,700. That's an expensive football game and I cant imagine doing it four times in seven years. Hats off to those that did!!

A lot of this is planning IMO. On the way back from Dallas the wife and I made hotel, rental car, and air fare reservations for Atlanta, Phoenix, and Tampa-next year's playoff locations (were in southern Alabama so the rental and flight we're only necessary for Phoenix.) We made reservations that could be CANCELLED and thus not cost us if things changed.

Also, hopefully we all remember the lessons of this year and wait until the week OF the game to buy tickets. We lost over $1000 by buying tickets too soon.

For two years straight the ticket prices have dropped the weeks following the announcement of the final four teams.

It makes a difference if you plan these trips a year out with the possibility of cancelling them at no charge rather than reacting in the period of one month to make/plan two cross country trips.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Outside the stadium and around Scottsdale it was probably 30-1 Clemson. When our shuttle pulled into the stadium lot there were thousands of Clemson fans. It did help they all wore orange and we were in white, crimson, black, etc.

But once inside the stadium it was probably 55-45 much better than I thought.

I've noticed with Bama fans that we don't participate much in the stuff leading up to the game but on gameday we come out of the woodwork. Perfect example was Columbia, MO a few years ago. The night before the game I saw maybe four or five Bama fans out in downtown. I posted on the boards that we were having a "Bama" party on the top deck of the most popular bar in Columbia. Two fans showed up. Mizzou fans couldn't believe how few of us were out and about. Especially when Georgia took over the town the weekend before. But on gameday we had a very good crowd.

dvldog said:

Heard Clay Travis on Pauul's show yesterday discuss this topic on a larger scale yesterday re: attendance, bowl games, Rose Bowl, Playoffs etc. He made some good points.

Click to expand...

Are you sure that wasn't Randy Travis?

tattooguy21 said:

A lot of this is planning IMO. On the way back from Dallas the wife and I made hotel, rental car, and air fare reservations for Atlanta, Phoenix, and Tampa-next year's playoff locations (were in southern Alabama so the rental and flight we're only necessary for Phoenix.) We made reservations that could be CANCELLED and thus not cost us if things changed.

Also, hopefully we all remember the lessons of this year and wait until the week OF the game to buy tickets. We lost over $1000 by buying tickets too soon.

For two years straight the ticket prices have dropped the weeks following the announcement of the final four teams.

It makes a difference if you plan these trips a year out with the possibility of cancelling them at no charge rather than reacting in the period of one month to make/plan two cross country trips.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

yeah, i spent too much on seccg tix by buying them the sunday after the barn game instead of waiting until later in the week. i could've saved a good bit.

RTR91 said:

This season alone, Alabama fans could have traveled to Dallas, Atlanta, Dallas again, and Phoenix. That's not cheap for the average fan.

Plus, it's not easy to plan a trip to Phoenix a week after going to Dallas. Saban even alluded to it.

Click to expand...

And we open next season in Dallas. The ratio Monday night was much greater than 50/50 in favor of Clemson. You have to consider that this was Clemson's first trip to the big game in over 30 years. It was our 4th in the last 7 years. Then add to it the travel for this season alone and the first game of next season and it's obvious why Bama didn't travel with as many numbers as normal.

And, you're right RTR91, for those who booked travel after the MSU game it was not easy (economically).

trenda said:

And we open next season in Dallas. The ratio Monday night was much greater than 50/50 in favor of Clemson. You have to consider that this was Clemson's first trip to the big game in over 30 years. It was our 4th in the last 7 years. Then add to it the travel for this season alone and the first game of next season and it's obvious why Bama didn't travel with as many numbers as normal.

And, you're right RTR91, for those who booked travel after the MSU game it was not easy (economically).

Click to expand...

At the game Clemson had a few more than Bama-----but----the important thing is how many were there when the trophy was presented---thousands and thousands less:biggrin2:

We've probably been outnumbered at every National Championship game.

I was asked at work if I was going to the game this year, I live in Georgia and surrounded by Dawgs. Told them nah, I'll probably wait until next year when the game is in Tampa or the next when it is in Atlanta. They looked at me like I was crazy. I said what, you don't think we will be in it.