To all the fans that left early......thanks for nothing!

[tmv85]

We've had season tickets since the mid-90s, and during those long, dark days, we were there for every single home game...big game or nobody, heat or sleet, early or late. If something came up and we couldn't make a game, we sold our tickets for face value (sometimes less) to someone who may not get to go to the games. About 3-4 years ago, we made the decision to continue to buy our tickets, but we go to the conference games only. As before, we sell the others to Bama fans who don't have the luxury of going the way we do.

Having said all that, we did leave early last night, and I'm sure people in the stands thought we were being "bad" fans. However, had anyone asked (not that it is really anyone else's business), I would have told them that we were wakened at 4:30 by a phone call from one of the x-ray techs who works for my husband. The weekend tech had a stroke while at work and was sent via air flight to Montgomery. My husband had to get up and make an hour's drive to cover until he could get someone in to cover last night. He worked 6 hours, drove an hour home, and then, we set out for the 3-hour drove to Tuscaloosa. I had already decided myself that we would leave after the 3rd qtr so he could at least be in bed by midnight and get about 7 hours sleep before we made the 3-hour drive home, just so he could turn around and drive an hour back to work and work until 10. He'll get home about 11, get up at 4, and do it all over again. It just so happens that we were losing at the time, but if the score had been reversed, we'd have done the same thing.

It REALLY irritates me when droves of people start to leave (we were gone before they started leaving en masse), and I know when we are winning big or losing big, it looks worse. I would rather been there and left early like I did than to have not been able to go at all, which would have been the case had the game been a 2:30 game. Then people would have griped about the 2 seats on row 34 in N-5 that were empty.

 

[b2v4ua]

Yup. The team never quit, though apparently some of our 'fans' did. Disgusting. If beating traffic is more important that supporting your team, go ahead and let some folks on the TP waiting list have your seats - you don't deserve them.

There, I said it.

And I second that. I stayed until the end. It was a great game even if we lost. Those who left missed it and would have been REAL sorry if we'd pulled it out. There I said it.

 

[KrAzY3]

This will be unpopular here, but football is entertainment to me. If people want to leave early because it is a bad game, bad weather or whatever, that is their business.

Here's the thing, I have no issue with entertainment fans. Really, I don't, it's better for an entertainment fan to be an Alabama fan than a fan of another team. My issue comes almost entirely down to the notion that there's limited capacity in Bryant Denny, it's helpful for fans to be loud and cheer for four quarters. I just really wish the entertainment fans would just sit in front of a nice big screen TV and enjoy themselves in comfort, it's an inconvenience to go to the game anyway. Why not try to insure that seat goes to someone that wants to be there to support the team? That's what it comes down to for me.

Part of the problem then comes into play of what I consider "country club" fans, who are rich and want to go to the games because it's something to do, but can't be bothered to stand and cheer and of course leave whenever it's convenient for them. Same thing, go get a luxury box or please just watch it on TV. That seat actually matters more than money.

Don't get me wrong, if Bryant Denny was having trouble selling out, I wouldn't find cause for criticism, it's better to come for three quarters than an empty seat for four. But, at the moment there's a demand for big games at least that exceeds capacity. It's different on A-Day, I'd be happy with the fans just filling that thing for the first few minutes and if they want to leave fine, better than all those empty seats lately.

I will reiterate though that none of the frustration or criticism is intended to be directed at people dealing with emergencies of any sort/medical issues.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

There is almost NO excuse for leaving early unless you or one of your loved ones had a medical emergency that you couldn't foresee. If you can't commit the time to stay for the entire game and support the team then sell or give your tickets away to someone who WILL be committed.

Just stay home if you are not going to help the team. They needed everyone's support and you bailed if you left. You knew the game started late. You knew it was against a tough opponent.

 

[always4bama]

I will be blasted, but here goes. No the team did not quit so to speak, but nor did they play full four quarters of the game either. They came out looking ill prepared for the game. They had moments of spark and unfortunately the spark came later than sooner. I was not there, I did turn the t.v. off before the game was over, I wanted to be alert for church today. So if fans left early, maybe the team needs to show up on time. I am and have been a fan for more years than I care to admit have passed, through highs and lows and even today I still fully support Bama.

 

[KrAzY3]

I was not there, I did turn the t.v. off before the game was over

To underline my point, what harm did you turning off the TV do? None, that was your call, you turned it off. To the rest of your point though, we do want the team to play for four quarters though right? Well, they want the fans in the stadium to cheer for four quarters (and it does, in a limited way have a direct impact on the game itself).

I would argue that if you don't want to come to Alabama and put in effort, and play hard for the whole game you should go elsewhere. And conversely, if you don't want to cheer for four quarters, you shouldn't attend the game. That's all, it's somewhat demanding of the fans, very demanding of the players, but there's a ways to support the team without doing either.

 

[edwd58]

So what you are saying, in plenty clear terms if you don't care if your actions have a negative impact on the team. Does that make you a bad fan? It makes you a thoughtless one. This is what Nick Saban had been hinting at for a while and this issue last night is absolutely, proof positive of why it matters. Alabama needed fans there not just to support the team, but to try and disrupt the Ole Miss offense.

I do feel I understand you, you treat the team as nothing more than mere entertainment for you. That's fine, but I'd suggest you sit in front of a big screen TV with a bag of Doritos and a comfortable couch next time, I'm sure you'll cheer for Alabama until you feel like turning the TV off in the fourth quarter and guess what? That won't do any harm at all...

Edit: I feel the need to add that there were something like 80 recruits at the game. 80 recruits that saw the fans walking out. Never mind the team on field, that's just a terrible thing for those recruits to see.

I might be wrong, but I think the play on the field is far more likely to have an adverse affect on recruiting than fans leaving early because we trailed by 19 in the 4th quarter.

Krazy, although you are not the only one, you get on this rant every year but always seem to have some reason why you can't get to the stadium except once, maybe twice, a season - you need to stop it.

Last night was my 235th Bama game in person. I've stayed until the end probably 98% of the time with the 2% being games we won in a blowout that ended late at night. I do it because I want to - never mind that I paid good money to be there - but I'll defend anyone's right to leave whenever they choose for whatever their reason might be because they also paid good money and made the effort to be there in the first place, unlike most that are now casting stones. It doesn't make them less of a fan in the same way none of you are better fans just because you sat in your recliner to the end and walked 20 steps or less to get into bed, or more likely watched the end of the game while already in bed.

If Coach, the players, recruits, or message board posters didn't like people leaving early, I guarantee nary a soul in the stadium that bleeds crimson liked the level of play by the offense, defense, or special teams for which the coaches are responsible. Friends, learn to temper your anger/frustration/aggravation/disdain/whatever you want to call it or at least direct it at its true source. And if you still think it's the fans in BDS you should be venting at, then your issues might be a bit larger and run a bit deeper. To borrow a term already used more than a few times in this thread - there I said it. Flame away.

 

[81usaf92]

To underline my point, what harm did you turning off the TV do? None, that was your call, you turned it off. To the rest of your point though, we do want the team to play for four quarters though right? Well, they want the fans in the stadium to cheer for four quarters (and it does, in a limited way have a direct impact on the game itself).

I would argue that if you don't want to come to Alabama and put in effort, and play hard for the whole game you should go elsewhere. And conversely, if you don't want to cheer for four quarters, you shouldn't attend the game. That's all, it's somewhat demanding of the fans, very demanding of the players, but there's a ways to support the team without doing either.

Krazy you sure love your rants. If it bothers you so much then instead of ranting buy some tickets and go that way atleast 1 out of the 101k plus is there and then get more. I think people are trying to use the university's threat on the student tix for this argument when that is something that the university can control and tide pride isn't one. Paying tide pride fees and tix gives anybody as much right to do as they please as someone who buys a nice car and chooses to display it and drive a junker instead of that nice car. Personally I wish the university would use ticket master to sell all of their tix instead of tide pride packages, but tide pride fees actually pays for a lot of stuff to make bds and campus a sight to see. Another reason I dislike tide pride is because I was in a tide pride section for the iron bowl last year and found myself surrounded by 20 booger fans. But it is a give and take system, but again if some of these people whining about the fans really wanted to go they would so really that's just as much of an argument as fans leaving.

 

[CrimsonPride]

Paying tide pride fees and tix gives anybody as much right to do as they please...

Another reason I dislike tide pride is because I was in a tide pride section for the iron bowl last year and found myself surrounded by 20 booger fans. But it is a give and take system, but again if some of these people whining about the fans really wanted to go they would so really that's just as much of an argument as fans leaving.

These two statements appear to be contradictory. Being able to do anything they want with the tickets includes selling them to opposing fans.

Selling the tickets on Ticket Master would only exacerbate this problem. TicketMaster has no knowledge of buyers' team affiliation nor do they care. The entire stadium could be filed with Barn fans since for them, it's strictly about making as much money as possible.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[81usaf92]

These two statements appear to be contradictory. Being able to do anything they want with the tickets includes selling them to opposing fans.

Selling the tickets on Ticket Master would only exacerbate this problem. TicketMaster has no knowledge of buyers' team affiliation nor do they care. The entire stadium could be filed with Barn fans since for them, it's strictly about making as much money as possible.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The point was tide pride has a give and take effect. People whine about it but yet it pays for a lot in terms of athletics and campus needs. So if you are lucky enough to be on tide pride then with the amount of money you contribute to UA for purchases then you earn the right to do as you please with your seat, and everyone else's opinion shouldn't affect how you spend your money.Personally I wish there was a better method but there isn't. As for ticket master I seriously doubt anybody other than auburn or Georgia would put a considerable number of fans into bds if it went that route.

 

[Crimson1967]

A recruit might be reading this message board and decide not to go here because he read someone turned off the TV before it was over. People who did that are not being good fans.

 

[Tide Rev]

I have read this whole thread and it disgusts me because there is no way any one of us can know the true reason why people left because we cannot read minds. To pretend we know what people are thinking unless they tell us verbally is useless. We are sitting here crucifying our own which causes division. I do not like to sit around drunks but if I happen to, it is their own choice as to what they do. They will be accountable for their own decisions. Who am I to sit in judgment of their own thought processes and decisions? It is not as important as some are making it.

 

[always4bama]

Oh no I failed a recruit I am guessing if my action swayed a recruit to not come to UA odds are he would be a handful to coach

 

[Bluegrasstide]

I left early. We were down 3 scores. I knew there was a chance, and a slight one at that, for a comeback. However, I also knew that I had a 6 1/2 hour trip ahead of me driving through the night back to the Bluegrass. Thus, I figured the cost/benefit of beating postgame traffic out of Ttown to Birmingham warranted leaving. I did, however, listen to the Crimson Tide Radio Network until it went off the air in Chattanooga, TN. If we had pulled out the win I still would have no regrets. I was concerned with the potentially getting pulled for driving erratically during the failed comeback. I don't feel guilty as I took a friend for his first gameday at the Capstone. He is already planning a return trip next year. Even with a loss, it was a great trip to an atmosphere that never disappoints.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

Recruits are reading this board....

 

[81usaf92]

Recruits are reading this board....

and we are still taking jabs at each other after a loss, this is just a different form.

 

[TideFan in AU]

The bottom line is that the clips of people filing out of the stadium was all over ESPN, Twitter, and Facebook today. Barners, who most truly get more joy from our losses than their wins, are yucking it up and posting the clips and memes today.

If you are one of the ones that did it, and you are OK with that, that's your business. I personally have never left a game early, and will continue not to do it when I go.

 

[BamaMark.]

I was at the game and stayed to the end. The thought of leaving early did enter my mind though because I was disgusted at what I was seeing. I was going to write out a long reply about this but I'll just keep it short. I wouldn't want anyone telling me what I should or shouldn't do as I feel I know what is best for me. Folks need to stay out of other folks business...

 

[B1GTide]

Folks should not be able to tell you what you can or can't do - free country and all that. But folks will always judge what you choose to do - consequences.

Do what you feel is right, but be prepared to be criticized for those actions.

 

[rtcjny]

Normally a thread doesn't get me fired up but this does. I take it personal being called a "fair weather fan" and nonsense like that. The fact is most of the Tide Pride people like myself are the exact opposite. The reason we have Tide Pride and are not stuck on a huge waiting list is because we are not fair weather fans. We were willing to cough up money for season tickets when the Tide was going through some pretty hard times. I personally got in Tide Pride on Shula's second year. Most of the people who sit around us also got in during the Shula era. If I decide to leave early at a game for whatever reason I have the right to. For the money I donate to the school, pay towards the tickets, and pay for season parking I have done my part to help the team.
I just had to vent. Now lets get the season turned around. Roll Tide!!!