We’ve all seen them in the stadium or on television. A group of students dressed up head-to-toe in blue and orange paint with some phrase written across their chests. And for that they consider themselves “the super fans,” or better known as the Painted Fools.
The Painted Fools was started after the LSU game in 2004 by Mike Greathouse, a pre-civil engineering student, as a way to let the teams know they were there for them.
“Our goal is to show the Auburn athletes how much we support them by showing off the Auburn colors, having a good time and be an example of what a true fan should conduct themselves like,” Greathouse said. “We are the super fans.”
The Painted Fools appear at Auburn football, basketball and baseball games on a regular basis, but also attend other sporting events or campus activites, including volleyball and women’s basketball.
Matt Rooke, a senior in pre-physical therapy, wanted to paint up for the games for several years before coming to Auburn.
“In high school, I knew guys in college did it, but I didn’t know if they had a name,” Rooke said. “The first thing I did when they started my sophomore year is I signed up. I wanted to be able to say I did that, and I was a part of it, and I showed the most spirit.”
Though they are located in the student section end zone every week, they have to fight to maintain those prime seats to be seen by the team and camera crews. The Painted Fools are eligible for blocked seating by earning spirit points, but according to Greathouse the amount of spirit points necessary is beyond their grasp in terms of money and manpower.
“Spirit points? We’re a spirit organization, we are spirit points,” Greathouse said.
The amount of spirit points they are allotted will let them be in the back of the blocked seating, not the prime location for the team. Every Saturday, Painted Fools have to enter the stadium with everyone else two hours before kick-off to ensure their seating behind ROTC.
“We support the team, and that’s our biggest thing. We don’t care if we’re on TV, we just want them team to know we’re there,” Greathouse said.
Some Painted Fools see it as an unfair advantage and don’t understand why the administration cannot back the Painted Fools and provide them their own blocked seating.
“If we’re going to support them, they need to support us,” Moody said.
Before every home game, the team also helps the little tiger fans to prepare. They offer free face painting at the intersection of Roosevelt and Donahue drives beside the cheerleaders and Tiger Paws.
“I’m big into school spirit, and I wanted to be a part of that and the kids too,” said Andrew Jenkins, a senior in aerospace engineering.
Jenkins helps draw tiger paws, AU symbols or an entire face in blue and orange for anyone who wishes to be painted up.
“We come here every week, and the kids know where we are and they come,” Greathouse said. “As we were setting up, there were 20 kids lined up and asked when we were getting started.”
Rooke said his favorite moment while painting was a “70-year-old grandma” who got her entire face painted. Rooke pulled out his camera phone to show the image of an elderly woman with the left side of her face orange and the right side blue.
“That’s pretty awesome,” he said.
The organization is chartered by the University, but all funds are brought in by themselves. Money tipped during their facepainting goes toward buying the paint and other items. The tent for their tailgate was provided by the University.
Though many would think that men were the most likely to paint their entire bodies, girls reprsent the majority of the painted fools.
Natalie Weil, a junior in equine science, was a regular painted fool who painted her entire body orange and blue, wearing only a sports bra and shorts.
“I love it personally and I think it’s awesome, and it makes it special,” Weil said.
Former Painted Fools come back to games and continue to carry on the tradition. Scott Moody, who graduated in May 2007, was only a Painted Fool for one year.
“I miss it,” Moody said. “I miss the chance to get out there and to support my team.”
Each Painted Fool is painted as a blank slate of orange and head into the game. Greathouse then counts the number of people inside before determining the phrase or word to be used that week and writes on them with blue paint. The largest they have had represented at a football game was 44 of their 150-member organization.
The Painted Fools have received national recognition as well as the University’s. Their picture has appeared on ESPN highlights, Washington Post, USA Today and more. EA Sports also recorded the Painted Fools and put them into their video games.
To join the Painted Fools, visit their Facebook group or e-mail the president Mike Greathouse.
