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Alabama Football: They hate the Crimson Tide and we love them doing it

By Ronald Evans

STARKVILLE, MS - SEPTEMBER 15: Mississippi State fans ring cowbells as the Bulldogs take the field to play aginst LSU on September 15, 2011 at Davis Wade stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - SEPTEMBER 15: Mississippi State fans ring cowbells as the Bulldogs take the field to play aginst LSU on September 15, 2011 at Davis Wade stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
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It is no surprise to Crimson Tide fans a recent survey showed Alabama football is the most hated team in all of college football.

Pardon us for beginning with an aside to Alabama football fans. The title we were tempted to use for this post was ‘They hate us’ rather than ‘They hate the Crimson Tide.’ The latter option is more technically correct but we Alabama football fans take the hatred so personally, ‘us’ was the preferred title line.

Either way, they, meaning the rest of college football do hate Alabama football more than any other team. Rather than being offended, most Crimson Tide fans welcome the widespread animosity. We know it is mostly driven by resentment. By comparison, who hates Vanderbilt football beyond a few deranged Tennessee fans? Almost no one would waste any time hating the Dores. Since most hatred is driven by jealousy or fear, Vandy football and other similar programs do not qualify as a target.

Alabama football has worn out the rest of the college football world. The Crimson Tide under Nick Saban has produced way too many wins and championships than can be stomached by all the also-rans. So be it.

As the immortal, Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant said, “The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.” Bryant was also unapologetic about winning,

"If wanting to win is a fault, as some of my critics seem to insist, then I plead guilty. I like to win. I know no other way. It’s in my blood."

It is in our blood as Alabama football fans as well  – at least the respect for it – even if not every single one of us is individually capable of doing it. Our Crimson-clad warriors accomplish the tasks required to win.

Call us delusional if you wish, but we know, going all the way back to Wallace Wade, Alabama football means winning. If dominating CFB brings hate as a backlash, we Alabama football fans will gladly make that trade.

Survey Results

How do we know we are hated? The signs are everywhere. A recent example is how much the rest of the college football world has relished in the bogus UCF national championship claim. Another source is a survey commissioned by the Wall St. Journal.

The Crimson Tide led the list of most hated teams.

  1. Alabama – 16 percent
  2. Ohio State – 12 percent
  3. Notre Dame  – 10 percent
  4. Penn State – 7 percent
  5. Michigan – 6 percent
  6. USC – 4 percent
  7. Texas – 3 percent
  8. Oklahoma – 2 percent
  9. Nebraska – 2 percent
  10. None of the above – 38 percent

We conclude the survey sample undervalues rancor against the Crimson Tide. The geographical basis must not have weighted the states of Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana very heavily.

Next. Five Bold Predictions for Louisville. dark

Since Nick Saban will not care about the survey one bit, we’ll be indignant for him. A measly 16 percent – you got to be kidding!

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