Alabama gets my vote as the worst fan base in America. I'm hoping to change my mind with your help. College football is cyclical along with my tolerance for teams who climb up and down the ladder and Alabama has held the #1 worst fan base in my view since 2009. Its not just their dominance that fuels this--other teams in the past have dominated and not managed to piss me off so much. While in Atlanta in 2009 it didn't take long for the first person to approach me and make a bad impression. I wouldn't let one person or a few people, or even a few groups of people cast a generalization for the entire Bama empire. I was willing to let many things slide. But it didn't end with just a few. A drunken fan would comment about Terrance Cody's size causing injuries to our offense. Another fan would walk up and ask how scared I was. Another would talk about their tradition and glory with absolutely no regard for who their opponent was: Virginia Tech. One fan actually punched my friend in the face in the stands after he sarcastically yelled "Roll Tide" after Roberts scored our first TD. I'm not sure any one fan could name a player other than Tyrod Taylor. I lost count of how many fans--whether students or not--gave me and my friends a hard time. In terms of intelligence, class and respect I would give Auburn a 9 and Alabama a 3. Eventually I preferred to just keep to myself.
I guess I'm just trying to prep myself for the game in three weeks. I was probably unluckier than most and I'm hoping to have a better time in Atlanta this go around. Share your experiences with Bama here. Tell me your good stories too to give me hope.
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I go to school in South Carolina where there are a fair amount of 'Bama fans. I have to say the ones I know are pretty intense during the games, but in general I have found they are pretty respectful. I'm looking forward to sitting with one of them in Atlanta. Most of them actually can remember that stretch of several years where they were just really bad. They know they are on top of the world right now.
Bama's lack of taste is not a recent trend. I was at the Music City bowl with my dad in 98. We were talking to some Bama fans in a restaurant there. My dad showed them his VT tattoo on one leg, then his Fighting Gobbler tattoo on his other leg. Not to be out done, the Bama fan proclaims he has an even better tattoo. He turns around and starts to pull down his pants. We scream and tell him no thanks. He then points to his wife, and says she has the same one too.
After the game in 09, I watched a bama fan stop his truck in the middle of an Atlanta street to get out and get into a fight with a couple of our fans who had yelled a thing or two at him. After the fight got broken up the guy just got back into his truck and drove off. He even left it running. Other than that one instance most of the fans I interacted with that weekend were very nice, down to earth people.
My experience was similar. Pretty much thinks whole world revolves around them and look down on everyone else. They could take a few lessons in being fun and respectful from the Nebraska fans.
I REALLY want to go to a game in Lincoln. I have heard so many great things about the fans and the overall experience. My dad spend a couple summers in Nebraska during the early Tom Osborne years and he said the games were insane.
Auburn in '04.
Everyone repeatedly asked us "WHAT THE HELL'S A HOKIE??" while at the same time shouting "war eagle" which has absolutely nothing to do with a tiger.
It did make for some good "WAR TURKEY" comeback chants, though.
You should just respond:
"The key to your mom's bedroom!"
Always works for me.
That reminds me of a time when a friend of mine used that on a UVA girl in Charlottesville after we beat them in 1995. The girl yelled back, "You Mother F*%$er!".....to which my friend responded "I wouldn't have to if you kept her off the streets at night!!" CLASSIC
I was just talking to a bartender the other night, he told me that he was soaking wet during the Miami-VT game in 2009 while wearing his "U" t-shirt...he really had a lot of nice things to say about our fans, how they gave him a poncho to wear, etc...it's great to hear stories like that from other fanbases re: Hokie Nation and not ones like those above.
I can't say I would've done the same for a Miami fan, but after reading this I'm going to try to show more Hokies respect. Thanks for sharing.
right on- not sure I would have either, but it was remarkable the impact this had on his opinion of our school, and how genuinely happy he was with his experience 4 years later.
Good story, glad to see people are remaining mostly classy. For me, I give as good as I get. Any opposing fan that wants to come in and start crap is going to have a very unpleasant game, just the way it is. On the other hand, cool fans from the other side are most welcome, even in the Terror Dome. One of the best opposing fan experiences I had was the '07 FSU game. Two guys from Tallahassee were behind us and were really awesome. We kept up a decent conversation throughout the game, and even they started heckling Bowden when his players were going down with phantom injuries. With a hearty handshake and a "glad we met" at the end of the game, we parted ways.
I had a great time tailgating with Bama fans for the '09 game. Played drinking games and talked football with them all day.
Let's be honest...every fan bases have a small percentage of fans who are assholes, that include some in Hokies Nation. I have gotten into an argument on McFarling's blog with a Hokie fan who talks like a thug.
Last fall, I attended the Labor Day match up against Georgia Tech, a team I detest worse than UVA, but their fans were awfully nice folks. While walking to Lane Stadium, one of the Bees' fans was next to me, and I looked at him and said, "It's gonna be hell of a game." He clasped my hand and shook it (I think he was a wee bit drunk), and said that he really liked Virginia Tech because we had one of the classiest fans. I was awfully proud of it.
I had a similar experience with GT fans. We were tailgating behind stadium woods, and a large group (over 20) GT fans, some appeared to be players parents, walked by our tailgate. They stopped and threw a football around while we made friendly jabs at each others teams. At one point one of them also mentioned that I threw a football like Tevin Washington, too which I responded with "Guess that means we have no need to play any pass defense."
For that game there were GT fans right behind me in the north endzone and they were absolutely untolerable. saying how they hoped Logan and others would get knocked out for the season and such
The Bama fans we met at the game in 09 were actually really nice even though they whooped our asses in cornhole.
They wear bowties and pants with little elephants on them to games. I wear bibs and camo. They suck.
Not just bama fans but pretty much all sec fans are the worst. I went to Lsu vs vt in Baton Rouge and they were handing out dog biscuits because of Michael Vick. How many years after that was he at vt? 0 just go to bill dozers YouTube video and read the comments, they have no respect for anything or any other conference. They seem to forget that in 07 they were losing to north Texas. I was stationed right below there for 5 years and its insane how blind these people are to reality. There's a storm coming and they don't even realize it.
Only experiences I've had with Bama fans have been ok. They played PSU up here a few years back and were pretty cool. The only fans I genuinely can't respect are WVU and LSU. They deserve each other. Went to the PSU Nebraska game two years ago and the fans lived up to their reputations. Wish we could model our fan base after theirs. Including the national championships.
Worst fans I have dealt with were Miami fans. I have not experienced Bama fans directly besides my girlfriend, who knows less about Alabama football than I know about Jane Austen novels. Miami and UVA fans were horrible. I heard nothing but good things about LSU fans.
The worst Hokie behavior? Boise State. Chanting overrated when the Hokies got the ball with a chance to kill the clock, then tons acted like scumbags towards a large group of Boise fans who were mostly geriatrics. I had to step in on a couple who were really out of hand. Abysmal experience.
Most pleasant fan base outside of VT: TamU fans. Plenty friendly and fun to be around.
Least pleasant: LSU. I've been in Louisiana for almost 6 years now, and every time I meet some decent fans...it gets negated with really really bad fans. About three years ago I went to a bar with some friends, one of whom was an Alabama fan.. and I believe it was the last time ala beat florida when the gators still had Tebow as a qb... anyway, once the game was over a couple of the LSU fans pushed my Bama fan friend out off the front door.. needless to say a fight was about to go down, until every other LSU fan at the bar stepped in and told us it wouldn't be pretty.
My other unpleasant memory actually happened at the sugar bowl against Michigan. This towering block head of a guy was talking shit about both Michigan and Virginia tech as we were all leaving the game. And he was pretty much welcoming anybody for a fight... I'll never forget this guy. He was shirtless (it was a cold day in New Orleans..regardless of the dome,), painted purple and gold, with a huge Mohawk ...and kept saying how the LSU-Bama NCG was going to be a REAL game between REAL teams...
The satisfaction I felt a few weeks later when LSU got thumped 21-0.
As far as Bama fans go, most I meet are have short term memories and aren't that interested in the mechanics of why their team is winning.
I.e. - the conservation I had with a fan the other day. "I'm not all obsessed like you, I don't needed to look up who were recruiting. We just win. That's all I need to know."
Needless to say the conversation didn't go much further...
But I did take being called obsessed as a compliment. ...is that weird?
I have one experience with an alabama fan. We tailgated with one in '09. Met this 40 year old guy who claimed he invented 'the sponge' (Seinfeld fans should get this) and then he fed us wild turkey. What's not to like?
So was he "sponge worthy"??
Such a hard decision. LOL Seinfeld is a classic. Man I wish they would do a reunion show.
The final season of Curb was like one big Seinfeld reunion. It was really well done.
I will have to check that out. Never actually watched Curb. Thanks 757!
Love Curb. I will say, the earlier seasons are hit/miss, but I think the new ones are all fantastic.
I lived in Alabama (Montgomery) for five years and am a committed Auburn fan. My grandparents lived in Tuscaloosa for the better part of 40 years. Back in 2009, my sorority sisters and I drove to Atlanta for the game. I drove 3 hours to T-town the morning of the game just to have lunch and visit with my grandparents who lived in a retirement community on campus (but did not call themselves Bama fans). The amount of shit that those old folks at their home talked to me was absurd (clearly, I was wearing a Tech shirt as I drove straight back to the game). They might be old and crotchety, but they're still terrible people.
My cousins call themselves Bama fans because my grandparents lived there but have never lived outside the state of Ohio (they're also Ohio State fans).
At the 09 Bama game, My fraternity Brother (who is black) and I were walking in to the stadium and had two little chumps wearing bowties yell out some really racist remarks. it took me and two event staff to hold back my brotha from kicking the crap outta these kids. Also while we were in the game we were right on the line in the endzone where the VT fans and Bama fans met and we had this 40 yr old bama fan screaming and flicking us off the whole game.
I can't believe the stories I'm hearing! All their fans are the epitome of class (especially Mr. Updyke)!
I have a good friend who is a Bama fan (oddly enough, he's currently in med school at LSU), but this is how I imagine most of their fans:
I try not to imagine ANYTHING like that!
well, there's always this...
....or that...yeesh!
This woman is awesome.
the only bammers i've encountered in person are hardly bama fans at all. they dont go to games, have possibly never even been in the state of alabama, dont really follow the team, probably couldnt name more than saban and a couple starters, and many of them really arent even fans of college football in general. no these bammers are spreading like wildfire, and they're people who just watch them on tv and decide, "hey they win game, i like them."
alabam has become the new notre dame. these folks know jack shit about college football but know enough to understand bama is heavily favored over vt and decide to talk shit. mention shaun alexander and they look at you like you're speaking portuguese, it's so obnoxious. they were probably florida fans when tebow was there, texas fans when they had it going, usc fans when carol was winning mncs, u fans before that etc etc etc.
Honestly the worst fans I've come across were Stanford fans in the Orange Bowl. My family was right next to the student section and we were constantly pestered. Most of them were obnoxiously drunk and had very little football knowledge. One girl actually asked me if Tech had ever been to a bowl game before... I remember their students eventually started chanting "state school" once they took a commanding lead. I thought that was the most conceded thing ever. I eventually cussed out one of their fans right in front of my parents, and they didn't even care because of how bad it had gotten. People actually complemented me afterwords because they had gotten so out of hand.
My boss is a 'Bama grad and I work with a few other 'Bama grads. They are top notch co-workers and intense but respectful 'Bama football fans.
I think it's a case of the actual graduates of the school are good peep's for the most part, while the rest are the typical SEC fans that have never set foot in a college or university classroom, and are ignorant idiots.
What has 10,000 legs and 6 teeth? The front row of seating at an SEC football game!
Oh - to answer the original poster's questions - my worst experience with opposing teams fans...UVA. Everyone of them that I have known, grads or not, were douche's.
At least Bama fans are loyal. They even pledge 'allegence' to their squad.
I got heckled by a carnie who was a bama fan and every bama fan I've ever come into contact with have been complete dumbfucks from high school or incredibly overzealous about their team and not willing to talk about yours, they don't even let you talk about your team that's what I hate most about them, I openly root against the sec I'd rather see USC win or the big 12 or ANYONE win over the sec (not named uva of course) but I can't wait until their conference goes down the shitter fuck carnies and fuck community college/high school dropouts
I was at the Bama game in 2009 and had two bad experiences with their fans. We were tailgating and then a car of Bama fans parks next to us. First guy that gets out of the car looks at us and says "How y'all going to win with a n-word quarterback". My friend, who is a 6'5" 300+ pound black guy, immediately confronted him and before things escalated the Bama fans were driving away. Then later on that day I was walking with this same guy and two Bama fans passed us. They were at most all of a foot past us when we heard one of say to the other "that was the biggest n-word I have ever seen".
I realize that not all Bama fans would say things like that but I've never heard anything like that from any other school's fans.
This guy.
that ridiculous right there...I hope we beat them...my grandad played for BAMA and I hope they lose.
i noticed that at least 4 of them had their minds go straight to pull out genitals, because i know when i see some drunk dude passed out in public i think, "hey! i'm gonna pull out my genitals!"
dude you have your fingers in another mans nose and ear. my two year old knows better than to stick her finger in someone else's ears and nose.
that's really bad, i hope ball boy got arrested.
He got two years in prison. And I'm sure worse happened to him there.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/alabama-fan-post-bcs-cha...
This isn't BAMA but this past year I had one of the most annoying experiences at the UVA game. We were in the South End Zone area and a couple dbag UVA fans were drunk and yelling. A 7 year old boy accidentally bumped into them walking from the restroom by the concessions and the UVA fan proceeded to curse his father and him out. A fight almost broke out between them but the father had more respect for his kid and luckily a gray haired Hokie fan probably in his late 60s to early 70s and his wife calmed him down but then became aggressive toward them. I wanted to get into it myself if it went beyond that buy my wife told me to walk away from the situation. First of all fans should ALWAYS be respectful of the children at games and give seniors respect. UVA FANS SUCK
My best friend is a huge Alabama fan, we watch football together all the time. Even though we are both passionate, we keep it civil. I have no problems with Alabama. Still though, it's time for their legacy to end #BEATBAMA
I work in Bama and i have said this before. You can tell which one attended class in tuscalussa, or went to a sorry college with no team and just picked Bama. Alumni fans actually have a little class, where as the other is almost completely void of any what soever. It is a shame that 3/4 of there fan base are that latter.