With football season over, everyone is nostalgic…and perhaps a little jealous watching other teams — that shall not be named — winning championships.
Even though watching, traveling for and cheering on the football team is a major focus of Auburn students, being an Auburn fan is more than the highs and lows of this sentimental experience.
Football evokes strong emotions in everyone, but it’s the possibility of win and risk of loss that keeps fans decked out, cheering and invested. People start to leave football games when it’s a guaranteed win or clear cut loss. The unknown is addictive and what fans truly desire. Everyone wants a “good game,” a game that keeps them on the edge of their seat.
Besides, gameday encompasses more than two teams duking it out for a win. It’s about school spirit, community, tailgates, gameday dates, getting on the jumbotron, tradition, fun and coming together. One of my favorite Auburn memories is when I drove to Texas for the A&M game with some friends.
That was a tough watch, believe me, but being in College Station with a ragtag gang of devoted fans was an experience I never want to forget.
High up in the stands of Kyle Field, we started cheers, swag surfed, screamed our voices sore and experienced a strong sense of community. Even after the dismal loss, A&M fans were not too cruel, and we made some friends before driving home the next day.
It’s easy to let loss dictate mood, but this mindset lacks some awareness: not everyone cares about football, and not all football fans even care about Auburn.
I am a devoted Auburn fan and I have been for my entire life. Only a few years ago, I lived in Northern Virginia when Auburn played the University of Virginia in the Final Four.
I felt like I had a target on my back all week because it seemed like there was an army of UVA fans surrounding me.
Then I thought life would be over at school the Monday after the loss; I was still heartbroken and quite livid. My stomach dropped when my principal announced, “UVA won this weekend and is going to the National Championship…Sami Grace!” over the intercom. We were friends enough for him to know I was an Auburn fan, and obviously enough for him to call me out over the speaker system.
I wanted to get all the attention off myself until someone asked, “Where even is Auburn?” and someone else chimed in, “Yeah I’ve never heard of it until the game.”
Ignorant as they were, they helped me realize something important: opposing fans really just care about their own team. What I had interpreted as Auburn-hate was really just pride in their own team, a subtle difference that eased the pain of loss. Of course heckling and smack-talking are normal among sports fans, but it all boils down to love for one’s team.
It’s easy to think like this because almost all we see from other schools is how they do in football (or other sports) on national television.
We must remember that people and their schools are more than the stereotypes and caricatures given to them, and most people are just supporting their team because they love it.
I believe in Auburn and love it. These lionized words close out the creed as a culminating truth. Auburn fans love Auburn, not just when they do well in football. I hope you’ll continue to love your school and enjoy the community around you now that football season is over.
Also remember: it’s always great to be an Auburn Tiger…and besides, now there’s basketball!
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Sami Grace Donnelly, junior in English literature, began writing for the Plainsman in the Fall of 2021. She has served as a columnist, the Opinion Editor and is now a writer abroad during her exchange program in Spain.
