re: What makes athletics in the state of Alabama so toxic?

Uneducated minds with low IQ's plus a sense of entitlement creates a derpy cocktail. That's really all there is to it, imo.

All that other stuff about people latching on to the team because their lives suck, or because they haven't accomplished anything worth a shite themselves could probably be said about sports fans the world over. Just look at some of the mouth-breathers you see at NFL tailgates, or the nutcases in Europe who riot after soccer matches. It's just the especially stupid/crazy people who can't separate entertainment from shite that is worth getting soul-crushingly upset over.