re: Do Alabama fans hate Auburn fans...

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I'm pushing 30 and Sunday through Thursday I'm in bed by 11:00pm. Yes, I'm kinda old and boring during the week.

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Broyles, fans ease sting of vandalism
BY SCOTT CAIN
October 22, 2005

FAYETTEVILLE — The generous and compassionate response of Arkansas fans and Athletic Director Frank Broyles helped soothe hard feelings a Lowdensboro, Ala., man might have had after somebody burned a 17-foot fabric tail attached to his van.

Lee Snyder, a community college teacher and Auburn fan, traveled to Fayetteville last weekend for the Arkansas-Auburn football game in his Ford van that is decked from front to back in his school’s colors and paraphernalia. That included a bushy Tiger tail that started under the back bumper and looped over the roof.

While Snyder was inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium, somebody lit the tail on fire. The fabric was incinerated, leaving nothing but a metal support rod and charred back van doors.

The van had been parked at 10 S. Graham Ave., a private residence a few blocks west of the stadium that rents parking on its property.

Fans called the Fayetteville police and fire departments. No arrests have been reported. The fire marshal’s office is investigating.

Fire officials estimated damage at $ 5, 000, according to a fire department news release. Snyder was able to drive the van home, and damage to the tail itself is believed to be around $ 1, 000, maybe more, a friend of Snyder’s, Trey Johnston, said.

Arkansas fans took up a collection to help pay for the damages, according to Broyles and Johnston. It’s unclear how much was raised. Broyles called Snyder on Monday to apologize and also offered to pay for the repairs.

“He said the fans had given him more than he needed,” Broyles said. “He said he had always heard how wonderful Razorback fans were and they were every bit as wonderful as he had heard. He was the most complimentary about the fans.”

Snyder’s home phone number is unlisted, and other attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.

Johnston, who co-owns J&M Bookstore in Auburn, Ala., said Snyder’s impressions of Arkansas fans was “very positive right now. He looks at it like Arkansas had one bad egg.”

Broyles said the athletic department sends information to fans each year encouraging them “to be passionate and supportive toward the Razorbacks but not to be negative toward guests.”

Lt. Gary Crain of the University of Arkansas police said he could not remember a vandalism incident of this magnitude happening at a football game recently.

“Last year was really quiet, Crain said. “ The year before that we had some Razorback fans that had magnets on their car and someone took the magnets. We had a few things like that. Some tailgaters left their chairs out, and when they came back from the game, somebody had taken the chairs and a folding table. As far as vandalizing the other team’s fans’ [property ], we haven’t really had that.”

Snyder is known to many Auburn fans for giving away Tigers merchandise out of his van. J&M Bookstore donates T-shirts and other items, and Snyder posts a J&M sign on the van.

The tail was custom-made.

“He’s gone through several tails and modifications thereof through the years,” Johnston said. “He’s been running the van with the serious tail for 8 to 10 years, and he’s been making [football ] trips back to the ’ 80 s. The tail might cost $ 700, it might cost $ 1, 500. I’m not sure.”

The same fate befell a previous version of the tail in 2001 at Baton Rouge, La., during an LSU-Auburn game, Johnston said.

“They torched it down there, and he’s still mad about that because he didn’t get much help or much satisfaction or response from Baton Rouge,” Johnston said. “The Arkansas people were apologetic and sorry and kind. He just appreciated Broyles calling him and making him feel good that somebody cared.”

Snyder hit the road Friday — to Baton Rouge. Auburn plays LSU there today.

Snyder planned to drive the van. Johnston said he did not think Snyder had replaced the tail yet.

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“They torched it down there, and he’s still mad about that because he didn’t get much help or much satisfaction or response from Baton Rouge,” Johnston said. “The Arkansas people were apologetic and sorry and kind. He just appreciated Broyles calling him and making him feel good that somebody cared.”

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RT1941

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You were asking for it.... going to a 500 mile left turn redneck festival.

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AUnite

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flyAU

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