I was born in 1976 so I grew up on Star Wars. The first time I can remember going to the movies was to see Return of the Jedi. I had all the Star Wars toys and my prized possession was the Millennium Falcon. I remember having light saber fights with my cousins for hours on end. However, I cannot stand the prequels and have only seen them once apiece and refuse to watch them again. I do not enjoy them. I still watch the originals from time to time and I enjoy them. Does this mean that I am not a Star Wars fan?

This story is very analogous to my LSU fandom. For instance we were 7-4-1 in 1995 and finished with a win in the Independence Bowl. We lost the first game of the season to aTm, a game in which Kevin Faulk received his first carries as a Tiger. The Tigers played hard and fought throughout but came up short. Two weeks later we had the Bring Back the Magic game against Auburn and for the first time in my life I witnessed something that I had only previously read about; the magic of Tiger Stadium on a Saturday Night in Death Valley.

I had sat though some terrible games in the CH era and I can remember the excitement and joy I found in the 1995 season. Was it Dinardo or Faulk that generated the excitement? I don't think it was either one specifically. I think it was seeing the rebirth of a powerful program right before my eyes. I was front and center to witness all of it right in the middle of the student section. it took awhile for us to get to the top and Dinardo and Faulk were both gone by then but they put down the roots.

I swore to myself back then that I would never, ever miss a home game in Tiger Stadium for the rest of my life. I even went to the '96 'Bama game a few days after having major surgery. I have been to a lot of road games and most of the bowl games and SEC Championships. I have spent many thousands of dollars and many hours on the road. I have celebrated with some of you on the field at TS after some key victories. I have celebrated with you in Atlanta and cried with you in Orlando.

I am telling you all of this because I am conflicted. Like with my passion for Star Wars I have a passion for all that is purple and gold, except Les Miles... In fact I can't stand him anymore. It is my love for all that is purple and gold that drives me to not liking him, yet some of you question my passion for LSU because I do not like him. I don't understand this blind passion in lumping this individual in with the program as a whole. Did you love him in 1990 when he was at Colorado? If he was fired or left for another job, say at a rival school, would you love him then? No you wouldn't so then you are capable of separating the individual and the program.

If I have to blindly love everything that is and ever was LSU football then I would have to love Curly Hallman as well and I can assure that I do not. So here it is, I enjoyed the hell out of a 7-4-1 season in 1995 but hated most of a 10-3 season on 2012. Does that mean that I am not an LSU fan?

TL;DR, I know but flame away anyway.