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Why do sidewalk fans tend tend to be more rabid and fanatical than alums?
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:26 pm
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:26 pm
Team logos on everything they own....More obsessed etc.....
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:31 pm to WhitewaterDawg
Their fandom is based on the team, alums simply enjoy the school and what it means to them. Its more than just the sports teams that make them love the university.
This post was edited on 2/13/15 at 1:32 pm
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:32 pm to WhitewaterDawg
A need for verisimilitude.
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:32 pm to TMRebel
Because it's impossible for it to be both.
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:35 pm to WhitewaterDawg
I reject the premise of your question
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:35 pm to WhitewaterDawg
Because they want everyone to know that they are associated with something better than them.
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:36 pm to CNB
Well, one group has memories of walking through campus to go to class, having specific friend groups that they hung out with as a result of being on campus, and nostalgia that results from these interactions that they had while they were a student. They still love the sports teams, but its more than that.
The other has had experiences almost exclusively tied to sports.
You tell me.
The other has had experiences almost exclusively tied to sports.
You tell me.
This post was edited on 2/13/15 at 1:39 pm
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:38 pm to TMRebel
quote:
Their fandom is based on the team, alums simply enjoy the school and what it means to them. Its more than just the sports teams that make them love the university.
This. I grew up a Razorback fan but my feelings changed dramatically after I actually attended school there.
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:38 pm to WhitewaterDawg
quote:
Team logos on everything they own....More obsessed etc.....
Overcompensation and need to belong to something.
Alums don't feel the need to prove their place in "the club".
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:40 pm to WhitewaterDawg
This thread is gonna be full of downvotes.
Usually because an alumni has inherent pride in their school that doesn't peak/fall on a self-worth level with the success of the football team.
When your only tie to a university is athletics, then yes you will likely over-react to the good/bad during those seasons.
I say this with full awareness that I didn't attend Auburn University. So while I would tell anyone I meet that I'm a lifelong and devoted Auburn fan, I wouldn't expect the same respect with regards to my Auburn affiliation as someone who attended and/or graduated should.
But personally, I feel like I keep it pretty reasonable because I am an alumni of a good school as well. I think someone with zero college ties can lack perspective on what a sports team means beyond wins & losses. Not all, but across large numbers, I bet it is a reasonable assumption.
Usually because an alumni has inherent pride in their school that doesn't peak/fall on a self-worth level with the success of the football team.
When your only tie to a university is athletics, then yes you will likely over-react to the good/bad during those seasons.
I say this with full awareness that I didn't attend Auburn University. So while I would tell anyone I meet that I'm a lifelong and devoted Auburn fan, I wouldn't expect the same respect with regards to my Auburn affiliation as someone who attended and/or graduated should.
But personally, I feel like I keep it pretty reasonable because I am an alumni of a good school as well. I think someone with zero college ties can lack perspective on what a sports team means beyond wins & losses. Not all, but across large numbers, I bet it is a reasonable assumption.
This post was edited on 2/13/15 at 1:42 pm
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:40 pm to TMRebel
quote:Nicely worded.
Well, one group has memories of walking through campus to go to class, having specific friend groups that they hung out with as a result of being on campus, and nostalgia that results from these interactions that they had while they were a student. They still love the sports teams, but its more than that. The other has had experiences almost exclusively tied to sports. You tell me.
The memories, experiences, relationships you gain while attending school is something that never leaves you. Alumni love the school, it's a part of them.
This post was edited on 2/13/15 at 1:44 pm
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:49 pm to WhitewaterDawg
Typically they don't have any education past high-school, and sports becomes how they define their own self-worth.
Posted on 2/13/15 at 1:53 pm to WhitewaterDawg
I go to games and partake in University events every now and then and am attending a college right now, be it not Alabama or Auburn
Does that make me a stadium seat fan?

Does that make me a stadium seat fan?
Posted on 2/13/15 at 2:02 pm to WhitewaterDawg
Cause there ain't shite to do in Alabama
Posted on 2/13/15 at 2:02 pm to WhitewaterDawg
Am I considered a sidewalk fan if I only went to UT for 1 semester before dropping out to start my own business?
Posted on 2/13/15 at 2:03 pm to FourThreeForty
It makes you a fan of a university from which you didn't attend/graduate.
I think you see much of it in places like Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma b/c of a lack of pro-sports franchises in those states.
I personally couldn't care less what you call yourself.
No skin off my nose how others (beyond my family and close friends) choose to live their lives.
I do, however, get a chuckle out of said folks who try to insult other schools and use words like "we."
I think you see much of it in places like Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma b/c of a lack of pro-sports franchises in those states.
I personally couldn't care less what you call yourself.
No skin off my nose how others (beyond my family and close friends) choose to live their lives.
I do, however, get a chuckle out of said folks who try to insult other schools and use words like "we."
This post was edited on 2/13/15 at 2:14 pm
Posted on 2/13/15 at 2:04 pm to Carolina_Girl
a&m is in a unique position. They probably have the least side walk fans of any team in the sec.
Posted on 2/13/15 at 2:04 pm to Vols&Shaft83
My question has nothing to do with who is a sidewalk fan and if it is a good or bad thing.
Just curious opinions on why as a rule sidewalk fans seem to be more emotionally involved as fans.
Just curious opinions on why as a rule sidewalk fans seem to be more emotionally involved as fans.
This post was edited on 2/13/15 at 2:05 pm
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