re: Alabama Fans with NO connection to Alabama

Not everybody has ties to the college in the state they happen to live in and they gravitate towards winners. Its not an unusual phenomenon.

It's sickening. Oddly enough, I was watching the game last week at a buddy's house and his roommate invited over this guy, who midway through the 3rd quarter asked me if I was mad because I was yelling at the tv about whatever was happening. I asked, "You a Bama fan?", he said he was, and I asked him, "Where are you from?". He said he was from Alexandria, and then I asked him, "Can you name the head coach before Saban? Shoot, name any coach not named Bryant or Stallings before Saban and I'll shut up." He said, "I bet you don't know who the last coach was." and I said, "Mike Shula. Thanks for playing." Kid didn't talk for the rest of the night.

How are LSU fans and bama fans the same? Neither attended the University of Alabama.

These people have been life long fans since 2008.

Bruh they all attended the satellite campus of Bama otherwise known as Walmart

What do Cajun Fans have to do with this? Most Cajun Fans have connections to the programs. Except for baseball and basketball in the far past did they have an opportunity for bandwagon fans.

I'm sorry... its ridiculous to say that you cant be a fan of a team just because you arent from there or didnt go to school there.

I'm a saints fan... but I like watching the patriots as well.

Who gives a shite if a person likes another team than the one thats closest to them regionally.

Bama has more “sidewalk” fans per capita than any other program due to the success of the program. Many fans, like me, grew up in Alabama during Bryant’s decades of dominance, and are now reliving that success under Saban. It’s an amazing thing. Most fans have one or two NCs in a lifetime, while Bama fans have twice that many in the last decade. That unprecedented success is sure to bring bandwagon fans out of the woodwork, and I think the OP distinguished “bandwagon” fans from those who didn’t attend the school but otherwise have a connection. If attending the school is the criteria for fandom, most programs would lose the majority of their fans, and I bet Tiger Rant would lose most of its posters.

I have some acquaintances who attended schools like Troy, Southern Miss and East Carolina and they’re loyal fans to those programs. I respect them and quite frankly, envy them just a bit. It’s easy to be a fan of a big program having success. I do remind myself that I was a loyal fan through the decade of failure and embarrassment after Gene Stallings. Getting beat at homecoming by Cental Florida (Dante Culpepper) was one of the many low points not to mention Fran abandoning the program and Mike Price with his strippers. During those years, fans celebrated every little success like Dubose beating Florida on a missed extra point then beating them for real in the SECCG.

There is a real sense in which Bama fans have become spoiled, and are in for a repeat of history after Saban leaves. Those will be tough years agaiin, but will rid the program of bandwagon fans (maybe they’ll become LSU fans again) but what I saw at LSU last week was something to be proud of. The current LSU fanbase is loyal win or lose and while they would much rather win than lose, they enjoy the journey and relish every small triumph along the way. There is a real sense in which I miss that and kind of look forward to again, and yes, I know LSU fans look forward to Bama fans being there again too.

I used to manage an nfl store my dad owned in va back in the mid 90's. Whenever one of those band wagon cowgirl fans came in, I would ask them who their qb was before aikman. The glazed look that came over their eyes was a thing of beauty. 99% of bama fans like duke, uk, or unc in hoops. Imo, you better have a damned good reason to be a fan of different colleges for different sports.

Yep..........here in Monroe ............SUNDAY MORNING........yes this Sunday..............a brand new fresh clean Red Bama appeared on the house that is 2 down from me.

Wasnt there Sat..............but it was there Sunday morning.

I want to rip that MFer down!