I was walking into a store today and I overheard someone labeling a couple as sidewalk fans. I began shopping, but I kept replaying the situation in my mind. I was wearing an Alabama Polo shirt and was curious to know if I was a sidewalk fan. So, I walked up to this young man who is probably 19 or 20 years old and asked him if I, too, was a sidewalk fan. He looked surprised I had approached him with such a question.
His response was simple, “No.”
I then replied with, “Why not? I’m a huge Bama fan and I enjoy using sidewalks.”
His friends behind him laughed and I heard one mutter, “Now that is what I would expect a sidewalk fan to say.”
So, naturally, I directed my attention to the young man who muttered this. I asked him to define a sidewalk fan.
His response, “It’s a fan who did not attend Alabama and reflects poorly upon us.”
I stood there quietly staring at them in their overpriced shirts and shorts attempting to come up with a reasonable response. Due to disgust and surprise by this young man’s answer I could not come up with anything work wasting my allotted lifetime of air on, so I walked away.
I have a response now and lucky enough for me I have a platform to respond to them and everyone else who labels Alabama fans, especially those who did not attend the University, in such poor fashion.
…of your crap.
You’re the trash.
The reason Alabama has risen to the quality program it has is because of the dedication of all fans. Is there a small group of wealthy individuals that seem to have the pull and ear of the athletic director? Absolutely. Just like there is a small group of individuals who act like fools, thus embarrassing the entire fan base.
New York Times conducted a Facebook study last year. Its purpose was to see which state had the most college football fans. Guess what? It was Alabama. A majority of those fans, to no surprise, are Alabama fans. So, one can infer from this study that Alabama has one of the biggest and most avid fan bases in the entire country. That being said, we can’t all go to Alabama. Not all of us are cut out for college. Why this changes someone’s perception on them as fans is beyond my understanding.
There has been an obvious division in this fan base for years. Will we ever put aside whether we have a piece of paper from the University of Alabama and mend this divide? I doubt it. Should we? Absolutely.
So, to those who believe you are better than other fans because you spent a few years on campus: try to be more understanding of those who did not. You were lucky enough to be able to attend school and continue your education. To those who did not attend Alabama: you are just as much a part of this as anyone else. We all walk on the same streets every Saturday, we all enjoy tailgating in the same space, and we all enjoy cheering on The Crimson Tide. So, in a way, we are all sidewalk fans.
What’s A Sidewalk Fan?
