re: EKG: Please check your TexAgs account

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Who were the "great" fanbases in the SWC?

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This is where threads go off track.

I did not say that any SWC school had a great fanbase. I said that "some of the fans at our old SWC and B12 schools" were great. Major distinction.

Honestly, I liked almost every TCU fan that I ever met. One of my best buds in law school was a TCU undergrad.

I liked a lot of the SMU fans that I knew. Almost married one, in fact.

I could go on, but it will suffice to say that I was not really talking about any fanbase as a whole ... except maybe TCU.

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I think the point of this thread ran its course, eh?

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You are absolutely correct!

But I was actually not talking about the ORIGINAL direction of the thread. I was talking about the fact that you mis-read my post about the second (or third) topic of the thread (SEC fanbase).

A poster writes something. Another poster mis-reads it -- or, in some cases, intentionally misstates it. Result? The feces starts flying.

You know, for all the hate, I have had some WONDERFUL conversations on the rant. I have learned a lot about fellow programs, fellow fans, and just the general concept of SEC football. None of it is deep X and O stuff, it is all the "college football as a culture" or "college football as a board game" stuff I love. And honestly there are some people on there I respect the heck out of.

I think the holdup for most is the reason that NONE of those WONDERFUL conversations were with the natives fans of this entire board. No insult to any LSU fan directly, but as a group corndogs shun nuance like sips shun humility. That makes it hard to have a real conversation because you lose a lot of the back and forth when you bottom line EVERYTHING.

But, to their credit, LSU fans HAVE created a wonderful place to talk to NON LSU fans. And god bless them for that, how else would I get exposed to Tenn's downturn? Or a Vandy fan's opinion on Franklin's exit? Or a real UF fan saying what coach he wants?

I have been on Big 12 forums for YEARS and NEVER had a conversation like the many I have had on the Rant. I think the reason is each forum was one for a particular team, so any sort of objective conversation simply wasn't tolerated at a certain point. Chicken might not have completely gotten rid of the LSU bias on the Rant but at least at some level he TRIES, which is more than every other forum.

I am glad this place exists, it has now become an essential part of the SEC move to me. Even if it all went away tomorrow many of my best early non-JFF SEC memories were here (like the whole hog drama). It makes me care SO MUCH more about other SEC teams, if only so that I can come here to relish their failures (or successes, but lets be honest the fun is melting).

I really love this place, and I love this Ark even more. It is my go-to college football forums! I really only read this and the Shag anymore.

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in a decade we have gone from decent discussions to mostly poo flinging monkeys. Darwin was an optimist.

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Your assessment is entirely cosistent with my own, though I think 15-20 years may be more accurate than a decade.

When message boards and other internet discussion fora were new, folks still followed normal rules of civilized human interaction. Sure, there were a few trolls, even then, but they were basically shunned by all other posters.

Now, the trolls seem to be the rock stars ... At least in their own minds.