Monday, October 17, 2011

The Tiers of Fandom: College Edition

I am a graduate of Michigan State University. I follow Spartan sports as much as I can. I'm not shy about any of this, so I wear a lot of green and white.

This past week, while wearing The Only Colors, I interacted with a dude who was wearing hat featuring the University of Michigan. The two schools happen to be playing each other, so the dude had some gentle ribbing to give me. I took it in stride and actually had fun with it. Then came the following exchange:

Dude: Well, we're rivals. What do you expect?

Me: Yeah. When did you graduate?

Dude: ...

U of M is just a team this dude cheers for. That's all fine and good, but that also means that we are not rivals. Why? I'll explain.

When I was a high school kid, I wanted to go to college. Specifically, I wanted a university with a Big Ten football program. I had grown up watching it and I wanted the experience just as much as a good education. I worked my ass off to meet the admission requirements for both MSU and U of M, in addition to a host of back-up schools. In the end, I ended up going to MSU, which was an excellent decision.

Once I made it in, I worked my ass off to get two degrees. I took the time to experience MSU's academic, social, and athletic offerings. I tailgated. I pulled all-nighters. I partied. I watched the riots. I wrote pages and pages of essays and took hours of exams. I went to every single home football game and stayed until the end. I put in 4(+) years of blood, sweat, tears, and time. That is why I can call myself a Spartan. If you did the same at the University of Michigan, you can call yourself a Wolverine.

Being a Spartan means I am permanently attached to MSU for richer or poorer. I am a Spartan whether we are 11-1 or 4-8. I am a Spartan when we discover a new cancer drug and when we secretly spy on student organizations. I am a Spartan when we fire coaches, hire new department chairs, make budget cuts, and build new labratories. I have made a commitment that cannot be taken back and will never be taken away.

If you did not make this commitment, you are neither a Spartan nor a Wolverine. If you just choose a school and decided to cheer for it, good for you. That does not make you the same. I don't care if your father went to the school, or your mother, sister, brother, second cousin, etc... You did not. For whatever reason in your control or not, you could not/would not/did not attend. You did not put the time or the work in. Be happy when they win and sad when they lose, but do not think that you are my rival. You are in a lower tier of fandom.

Hey, I understand. I have a lot of family that went to Florida. I cheer for the Gators on TV and like when they win. But I am not a Gator. I will probably never be. Not everyone can be. That is why it is valued.

So call me an elitist jerk. I don't care. In fact, if you're a Wolverine, you can call me pretty much all the stereotypes you know and I'll do it right back. That's pretty much what rivals do. If you're like that dude, be the biggest and best fan you want to be. But don't call me a rival and don't expect me to think we are the same. I am a Spartan. We are not the same.

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