quote:
When every Saturday in the fall is filled with college football programming, and people all around you are sporting emblems of their loyalties (shirts, keychains, emblazoned penis sheathes, whatever) it feels a little unfair to deny people the right to participate in this particular aspect of our society. If they enjoy cheering for a team, I'm not going to rob them of their pleasure out of some sense of exclusivity.

There is a reason college football is the only really successful minor league sport. It is the same reason college baseball has a following despite the fact that the best talent is taken by the MLB minor league- the core of the fanbase is connected via the university to the team.

You take away that connection, and allow each program just to be the local NFL-lite, and eventually you threaten and cheapen the core of fans in the sport- aka the ones that carry each program through hard times.

I am not saying that someone can't be a fan. What I am saying is unless you have a personal stake in the university then you have no right to completely appropriate the team.

The way I see it, if you aren't connected you are basically a guest in the house of others every time you go to a game or wear that brand. So just like momma taught you when you are visiting someone else's house, you need to be polite.

The issue is that some people feel that "because I was born in this state, pay taxes, and my grandpappy was a fan" means that the brand is also "theirs." Like Rick James they kick their feet up on the metaphorical couch and act the fool, basically spending the goodwill and brand equity someone else worked hard to earn.

I will agree sometimes these fans can be better fans of the team than those actually connected to the school, so there is a positive benefit for sidewalk fans. I do have a problem when they believe their claim to the brand is just as solid as an alum, even though they personally care more about the team than the university.

Maybe if these court cases ruin college football and turn it into a pro minor leagues some of this won't matter anymore. But for now these players wear the brand the alums "wear" into every job interview and social encounter, so those people with legitimate ties should have a stronger claim to that brand.