re: Why do you have to be a graduate to be a true fan?

I’m a Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots fan......never been to Massachusetts.

I think you’re confusing fan with alum.

The difference is that alums are not "fans." We are LSU. We are judged professionally and personally by our association with the University. And others judge LSU by our accomplishments and failures. For better and for worse. So our connection to everything at LSU--including the football team--is just different. I'd say it's greater, but that's just my opinion.

I grew up in Louisiana and would have went to LSU if my father hadn’t passed away. My mother moved me to Central Mississippi. I never wavered as a LSU fan even though I went to a Ms Juco and other college. I wish I could have afforded to attend LSU. I am a season ticket holder and attend several sporting events every year.

Does that make me less of a fan than a grad? None of my friends that I tailgate with ever say a word about it

You definitely do not. If that were true, we'd have no true NFL fans.

It's more directed as a criticism of bandwagon fans.

No connection to the team or history, just happens to like a certain team because they're winning all the time. We all root for or against certain teams like that, but when that team starts losing, do you move on to the next winner, or do you stick with them? That's the criteria, I think. There are plenty of Miami 'fans' that moved on after "The U" fell on hard times.

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Why do some people consider us less fans than graduates?

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I have not contributed as you have nor do I have season tickets (family members do) but a close family friend has served as the athletic director of LSU, my great uncle was on the board of directors of LSU, my dad’s brother was caption of the football team at LSU, and a close cousin was a member of the Golden Girls and another cousin was a professor in the engineering department but I understand I can never be an LSU fan because I did not attend.

I went to LSU in 86-88 (2 years) and did not graduate there. However, I'm as big a fan as they come. Sometimes I fly from Abu Dhabi to attend 2 maybe 3 games per year if I arrive right before the first game, then head back as I have golf tournaments in Bali every October and Thailand in Nov/Dec. I then return home and sometimes go to the bowl game.

I have never missed a game to watch in the 16 years I have been overseas. I have parties for the games, cook Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffee, Corn-N-Crab Bisque, Jalapeno shrimp poppers, etc... either at my house in Abu Dhabi or in Thailand, Indonesia or Malaysia depending on my travel schedule for meetings.

I used to go to Auburn games in Auburn as I would fly into Louisiana from UAE, then friends would drive to Atlanta and party a couple days then attend the game. Did that in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. That is 16,000 miles round trip to be in US for the game x 4 = 64,000 miles for 4 games, plus a home game before or after Auburn in those even-numbered years. Show me Alums who do that!!

Got a purple/gold tiger tattoo (only one)
Travels from overseas to see games sometimes
Flew from Abu Dhabi to New York to watch Syracuse game, then flew back to UAE
Keep bars open in Thailand late to watch games. Pay for the bartender, cook and waitress, get a few friends and enjoy
Got the Slingbox in Lafayette, ESPN Player, VPN for CBS Sports, and other internet streaming services to make sure I get the games no matter where I am
Read Tiger Droppings daily
etc...

Not many Alums do all that, especially travel 16,000 miles round trip for an important game