I’ve seen it plenty of times here on Twitter. CFBHome posts a tweet like this (see below). People spend hours telling CFBHome how they’re wrong. People claim:
- “You have to be a graduate to be a fan”
- “No, you can’t cheer for more than one team.”
- “You can only truly put your fandom into one team.”
It’s annoying. Let people be fans in whatever way they want.
I grew up an Auburn fan. I’ve gone to countless Auburn football, Auburn basketball, and Auburn baseball games as a kid/teenager. I watched Cam Newton lead Auburn to a National Championship. I saw the miracle 2013 UGA catch live. I saw the 2013 kick six live. I’ve cheered loudly for Auburn many times. Auburn is a part of who I am.
Yet, when it came time to pick where I wanted to transfer to for college (I started at a community college and got basic courses out of the way so I could focus on my major) Auburn was not an option for me. I needed to be closer to home, within commuting distance. UAB was a perfect fit for me.
“You have to be a graduate to be a fan.”
After all my memories of Auburn growing up, it would be absurd for me to ditch my fandom of the Tigers altogether just because I’m “not a grad from there.” I remember the highs (14-0 in 2010) and the lows (3-9 in 2012). I’ve been to home losses against Jeremy Pruitt coached Tennessee squads and blowout wins 56-3 against a ranked Arkansas team in 2016 where Auburn only had 89 passing yards. I’ve been with Auburn through a lot
And that’s what these people don’t understand. Kids that are way younger than college age can be fans of a school that they might never end up going to. Young fans can make core memories with a team that are important to them as they get older.
“You can only cheer for 1 school.”
Ridiculous. As I explained in earlier sections, I started as a fan of Auburn as a kid, and now cheer for my alma mater UAB as well.
This argument is even more absurd the more you think. People get their bachelor degree from one place, then their master degree from another.
“You can only truly put your fandom into one team.”
Nonsense. I’m always ready to cheer on Auburn and my alma mater UAB both. If their game times conflict, I support UAB over Auburn. UAB is my primary team. However, Auburn is my second favorite, and when they are playing, you better believe I am rooting them on whenever UAB is not playing at that time. I can easily cheer on both.
Conclusion
People try too hard to tell other people how to be a fan. In general, some college football fans seem to get really upset at times when other fans seem to be enjoying themselves. Stop trying to tell people what they can’t do. It doesn’t help grow the game (in fact, it probably hurts it). Fandom is not “your way or the highway.” It’s a unique experience for everyone.
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