(05-13-2014 08:18 PM)wh49er Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 02:58 PM)Ace Barker Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 10:13 AM)AndreWhere Wrote:  

(05-10-2014 12:58 PM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  I have found that here in this area, the "average" Joe plumber, etc, is a fan of the UT-obknoxiousville "arnge" team.

Blue Raider fans are made up of almost exclusively graduates, plus some college-educated folks who have moved into town from elsewhere.

We have a very difficult time getting the Wal-Mart fan.

I have some relatives-- 5 of them in a family-- none of them graduated from college--- they wear their orange from head-to-toe on gamedays, and send money to Knoxville. Pisses me off royally, but I still luv 'em.

We bought them MT football season tickets for the family probably 5 years in a row, they came to our games at first, but we finally stopped giving the tickets to them (when they stopped showing).

I'm afraid it's a losing battle. Around here, the kids are brainwashed "arnge" from birth.

We are lucky that the "vawls" have been awful recently. But they won't stay down forever.

It's like that everywhere. The only way out is to get into a real conference. Otherwise, people will just think you're a lunatic for refusing to "go with the flow." I've fought it for almost 25 years, and it's a losing battle... unless you've got an AD who admits these things and commits to getting into a real conference. Louisville and TCU had that, and now their fans aren't perceived as weirdos and actually get together and have fun. USM got close... very close... in the late 1990s, but ultimately we were hamstrung by our own administration, which was drawn from the beer-at-lunch bunch and the CUSA-a-ok brigade.

USM had a good shot to hire TCU's AD but opted for Mr Mumbles. Now TCU's AD is president of the Carolina Panthers.

Ace...

I've talked with Mr. Morrison 3-4 times in the past 2 years tailgating before games. Always seems to find his way over to our lot to shake hands. Very genuine and intelligent guy.