Things That I'm Sick To Death of Hearing...

[GeorgiaGreek]

I used to hate how many redneck UGA fans there are who really have no connection to the school other than living in the state. But when you think about it, a lot of these people never had the opportunity to go to the school, even if they wanted too. Many were poorly educated or, especially in agricultural states, had an obligation to the family farm or Podunk, GA local business. They choose to support the football team and the students, even if the best way they can do that is putting a big "G" sticker on their truck and saying "Go Dawgs!" when they see me in a UGA shirt. Most Georgia residents that cheer for a state school even if they didn't go there choose UGA over Tech or State, so more power to 'em; They made the right choice.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I also think that an argument can be made that when a university is a public institution and is supported by tax dollars, then anyone who pays those taxes can claim some degree of "stake" in the school and is entitled to root it.

This. If you've paid the lottery and/or your taxes in Georgia, you've helped pay UGA tuition. You may have invested more in it than some actual students and their parents.

[AOII Angel]

Considering most people become fans of these teams BEFORE they go to college (or not at all) it's pretty silly to think only people who attend a certain University will be a fan. If I knew that choosing to attend NLU would cancel out growing up in Baton Rouge and going to LSU games my entire life, maybe that full paid scholarship wouldn't have looked so enticing. My husband is a LSU FANATIC but went to LA Tech. I don't think his mom would have been okay sending her 13 year old 180 miles south to college so he'd be able to be an LSU fan when he graduated, either.