Bama Wins at LSU

I watched the Bama vs. LSU game from a sports bar in downtown Atlanta and took note that our boys may not be as loved elsewhere and they are in Alabama.  

Maybe it's the want we have to root for the underdog. Maybe it's that we don't like to see any one team or athlete dominate their sport. I know for me, when watching NASCAR, I want Jimmie Johnson to blow an engine on the first lap of each race. When watching the NFL, I don't want to hear that the Patriots won and the same goes for the New York Yankees. Why do we as fans feel like this?

It’s fear. People fear Alabama's dominance. They know that Nick Saban and his team can do what they need to do, under pressure, to get a win. Last night when it looked like we’d come up short, the plays came together as did the ball between McCarron and TJ Yeldon! I was getting flack from those patrons in the sports bar because we’re the team to beat! The reigning National Champions! We stand in their team’s way of winning the championship.

I don’t want to see Jimmie Johnson win, not because he’s a bad person but because I am a fan of Kurt Busch and Johnson’s car running good and toward the front of the pack, threatens Kurt’s chances of winning.

The Bama vs. LSU 2012 matchup made me realize the passion we have as fans. When Bama would score I’d hear boos and colorful language from the crowd but my friends and I celebrated. That’s what it’s all about. That’s why we like it and watch each week. That’s why we each own no less than 15 Crimson Tide logoed articles of clothing. We as Bama fans are living each play with the guys on the field. When LSU moved the score in their favor last night our hearts sunk. When emotions overtook A.J. McCarron on the sidelines, we felt it with him. We hold our favorite teams high above the rest and when that love gets threatened, we immediately retaliate with a strong dislike for the other team.

So thank you Atlanta sports fans. As I sat and watched this matchup with you I realized a lot about my team and my connection to them. Roll Tide!!