I don't want this to turn into a pissing contest but I resent the fact that you think those who occasionally leave early are not true Tiger fans. Yes, I have left early 4 or 5 times over the past 40 years. Do you travel with the Tigers on the road? Well, I do at least twice a year. Those people who travel are the real Tiger fans. So when you or anyone else attends as many games as I have over the years and travels with the team to places like Ohio State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Arizona, Miss. State, Georgia, Auburn and Arkansas just to name a few, then you have the right to tell me I'm not a true Tiger fan.
DarkHornet and others, I left after Devery's fumble and there were certainly many others that left before me when I felt we still had a chance (although slim). I guess I could say there are more important things in life than LSU football (which there are) such as getting home to see your little baby that you haven't seen in over 24 hours. While that may have played a part in leaving, it wasn't the primary reason. I simply cannot stomach seeing the Florida players/fans celebrating like that again in Tiger Stadium. I knew the game would be tougher than most expected but I have more trouble with losses when LSU is favored. I don't feel like I'm a fairweather fan but maybe I just don't have the virtues in life that I need yet. I just had to get away from that Gator celebration. I am thankful, however, that we have Tiger fans like you guys that hang around to support the players. P.S. One of my best friends left the Auburn earthquake game with 5 minutes left so realize that the decision to leave usually has repurcussions. Also, is that the 3rd home game in a row against Florida during the day that had rain?
I don't necessarily equate leaving early with not supporting the team ... so my post was not about those leaving early. I took exception to the comment made earlier about the team not deserving any support for their performance. Win or lose, they always deserve our support ... support is not something you turn on and off like a faucet!
lsu99, Great post. There are other things in life besides football. I had cancer last year and left games early due to exhaustion a few times. Yes it has rained for the last three UF/LSU games in Baton Rouge, the Gators have certainly rained on your parade. I stayed until the bitter end in 97' with my LSU buddies, watched the LSU fans storm the field, tear down the goalposts, and pass them up into the stands. It was awesome even being a fan of the losing team, I witnessed a little bit of history in Death Valley. But I also knew Florida would be back to get revenge. This past Saturday was it.
No, '99, '01 was revenge, If anyone owes the other one payback, it's LSU. Florida has been dominating us for the past decade, it's time for that to come to an end. (of course that's the way the fans and players should have felt BEFORE the game)
And BTW, there are more important things in life than football. But when you make the trip to Tiger Stadium on Saturday, you don't usually go there planning to leave early. When you leave for personal reasons, that's one thing. But when you leave because of the score on the scoreboard, that's being a fair-weather fan. That may not apply to anyone who is here, because anyone who is still posting on the board this week is probably not a fair weather fan. But anytime you leave a game early because you aren't happy with the score or the team, you are being a fair-weather fan.
I equate leaving early with being a bandwagon fan. There is no grey, If you leave early you are just in it for the winning, Also traveling doesnt make you any better a fan than anyone. I would go to every game for football, baseball, men's basketball, and womens gymnastics if I could afford it. I can't so I usually try to go to the toughest road game of the season in each sport and hopefully a few others. I always have and always will say if you are gonna leave when the going is tough stay home when the going is good.
Supa, I just can't take the pain sometimes. You never know how you're going to react to a loss but it can be overwhelming. I think that's what happens with most of us that leave early, although there are also quite a few that leave when the game is undecided. I agree with your sentiments about travelling. That, in itself, doesn't make you more of a Tiger fan. I would definitely do it more if I could afford it, although maybe not to women's gymnastics. OK, maybe to women's gymnastics too. Remember when Seinfeld dated the gymnast?
