Mob mentality. A group feels slighted. It starts with talk, then the anger builds. The most insane guy in the group throws a rock, breaks a window. Someone else feels emboldened and sets a car on fire. The next thing you know, the city is ablaze. Maybe that is what they hope for, but so far the only thing that they have managed to set on fire is their own house.
LSU thinks that their outrage is righteous. They are willing to behave like this because they embolden one another. When this fire dies down and Alabama has won once again, they will have to live in the mess that they have made for themselves. The entire football world is laughing at them right now. The only way out is victory, and this is not the road to victory.
LSU is worse than Auburn ever dreamed of being.
Let's be honest. What was the deal with Auburn? Auburn persuaded themselves that they're "almost Alabama" and that the ONLY difference between the two schools is a former coach named Bryant. If it wasn't for him, they'd be a big deal and we wouldn't be as big a deal. So they got their mental jollies by attacking us in every way possible to justify their distaste. Bryant paid players, national championships were popularity contests, the NCAA was afraid of Bryant, the refs rigged the outcomes, blah blah blah. The only thing they were sort of right about is that pedigree played a difference in who won the title back in the 60s and 70s, and we do a disservice to the truth to pretend otherwise. (Folks, the only time Bo Derek was ever a "1" was when they took the census count). Auburn fans rationalized our success as purchased and the result of something other than demonstrated superiority on the field over a long period of time. (People don't seem to realize that when you do this, it necessarily dilutes the respect even you have towards your own success).
And then Auburn made their biggest mistake ever when they won the 2010 title. Then they woke up the next morning as I've said so many times...and realized they were STILL #2 in the state and always would be. Now....I know MANY fine Auburn fans. It saddens me that this can't be like the old TSIO rivalry pre-Fulmer. It really does. But once the radical Auburn fan convinced himself that Eric Ramsey's taped allegations were actually the product of a Birmingham based conspiracy and some radical ones did things like tamper with the mail sent from Ingram to the NCAA or pay Gene Jelks to make allegations - any sense of respect rivalry was gone. (It's not just them - even we have a tree killer who isn't worthy of the name). But most Auburn fans became more accepting of what's going on right now.
LSU fans, by contrast, are dealing with a psychological crisis that seems to have infected 95% of the fan base (I exclude folks like LSU2Bama Dad, who I met and is a great fella). They think to themselves that if only Saban had stayed in Baton Rouge, it could be LSU that is the name everyone fears. They could have a litany of national titles and folks chanting, "We Want LSU" - they think - if things had worked out differently, and it drives them absolutely insane.
Never mind that Saban didn't "lie" and leave LSU for Alabama.
Never mind that Saban lost to Franchione, 31-0.
Never mind that Les Miles was a first-class model coach, a helluva recruiter, and a great motivator (he just wasn't much for important details like time management)
Never mind that when we hired Saban their boards were full of "Saban always had that one game every year he failed to prepare for" blah blah
They are absolutely convinced their rightful legacy as the greatest team ever was "stolen" by Alabama. They have persuaded themselves - much as a cult is wont to do - of their own goodness and everyone else's evil.
Right before my divorce, my ex's half-sister was about to get married to a nice enough fella from Baton Rouge who was lifelong LSU fan. I met him the Xmas before we played them in the 2012 BCSNCG. He started as calm and rational, saying Saban was without a doubt the best coach in the college game (remember - we'd only won the 09 title at that point). Then he lathered himself into a near rage - keeping some control - with accusations that Saban was a cheater who had bought all of his players even at LSU, that he was a Joey Freshwater on the prowl with multiple women (I realize I'm being anachronistic here, but you know exactly what I'm saying), that he "had" to leave LSU because of his off-the-field behavior, that one of his friends was one of Saban's lovers, that LSU shouldn't have to play Alabama a second time because they'd already proven who the better team was.
It was almost like one of those church testimonials where the former sinner turned saint gets up and starts with soft sobbing and works his way into a "rage against the devil" diatribe. I sat and listened and ended it with, "Well, we'll see."
on TideFans.com
