The SEC’s most obnoxious fans: There’s a new orange No. 1
Our inaugural ranking of the SEC’s most obnoxious fans was presented in 2008, and much has changed over 24 months. Mississippi State has switched coaches. Auburn has switched coaches. (Then again, when doesn’t Auburn switch coaches?) Tennessee has switched coaches twice. Kentucky’s coach quit. Vanderbilt’s coach just quit. Florida’s coach quit and un-quit.
Amid such flux, it’s only fair that our rankings don’t remain static. Indeed, I’m proud — actually, I’m not sure if “proud” is the proper word — to note that our new rankings are completely different. Not one of the 12 positions has gone unchanged, which says … well, I don’t know what it says. But there we are.
A note: I asked for your input the other day, and I have taken your thoughts under the deepest advisement. Indeed, the results of our little poll are included herein. But I must stress that these are my rankings, and I’m a neutral. (Full disclosure: I’m a graduate of Kentucky, which hopes one day to start a football program.)
Oh, and I probably should mention that I attended my first SEC game in 1969, covered my first SEC game in 1976 and have seen a game at every SEC stadium. Meaning: I might be an idiot, but I’m a well-traveled idiot.
And with that, I hereby unveil the 2010 rankings of the SEC’s most obnoxious fans. In honor of our previous champion, fans of the new title-holder are required by executive order to wear jean shorts for the next two years.
12. Tennessee (No. 7 in 2008, No. 4 in 2010 AJC.com poll): Purely a sympathy vote. The formerly Big Orange has seen itself massively devalued from within. It has a lousy AD who hired the brat Lane Kiffin, and now this program is in a world of hurt. (In a display of bravery, the lousy AD just canceled a series with North Carolina) Put simply, I feel sorry for Tennessee fans. They deserve better than ham-handed Mike Hamilton.
11. Vanderbilt (No. 10 in 2008, No. 10 in 2010 AJC.com poll): It’s never a good sign when a coach quits a month before summer camp convenes, but that’s what Bobby Johnson did. He did it because he was tired of losing. Johnson is a fine football man who stands as Vandy’s best coach in the past quarter-century. He went 12-52 in league play. Imagine having to watch that every season, world without end.
10. Kentucky (No. 11 in 2008, No. 11 in 2010 AJC.com poll): Big Blue football rooters didn’t do anything obnoxious these past two seasons. Big Blue rooters save the obnoxious behavior for basketball, a sport for which they have no peers regarding exess. They’ve only moved up — or down, depending on your point of view — to No. 10 because I happened to feel really sorry for Tennessee and Vandy.
9. Mississippi State (No. 12 in 2008, No. 12 in 2010 AJC.com poll): Backers of the maroon Bulldog believe Dan Mullen can win more than his share of games. If so, it would only trigger the scariest words in the English language: More cowbell!
8. Ole Miss (No. 9 in 2008, No. 9 in 2010 AJC.com poll): I can handle Rebel fans most years, but occasionally they’ll get all geeked up and start sounding like Georgia or South Carolina folks. (“This is finally our year! This time for sure!”) For the Rebels, last season was such a time. Naturally, they went 4-4 in SEC play, including an egg-on-the-face loss to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. And now coach Houston Nutt, who’s nutty, has allowed quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to walk on despite having been kicked off the Oregon squad and having pleaded guilty in separate incidents. Nutt has promised “zero tolerance” regarding Masoli. Me, I anticipate more egg on the Ole Miss face.
7. South Carolina (No. 6 in 2008, No. 7 in 2010 AJC.com poll): I keep thinking the Gamecocks are going to be really good this year. I also keep wondering what will happen with their fans — who have thought the Gamecocks are going to be really good every year since ‘92 (and I mean 1892) — are finally proved right.
6. LSU (No. 8 in 2008, No. 5 in 2010 AJC.com poll): Here’s where you and I disagree the most. I’ve always considered a trip to Tiger Stadium a treat. Then again, I don’t sit in the stands, an experience I’ve been led to believe is most challenging. But I will tell you this: The best scripted moment in all of college football is when the Golden Band from Tigerland and the Golden Girls conduct their pregame march to midfield. Beats Ohio State’s “Script Ohio” six ways to Saturday.
5. Alabama (No. 4 in 2008, No. 3 in 2010 AJC.com poll): Being old enough to have seen Alabama under the Bear, I dreaded the thought of the Tide rising again to eminence. In the ’70s and ’80s, there were no worse fans. (Except maybe Kentucky basketball fans, and even then it was a coin flip.) But I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the relative moderation that has accompanied Bama’s latest national championship. Maybe this has to do with Nick Saban, who never crows and is never satisfied. Whatever the case, I offer this relatively benign ranking as a thank-you.
4. Georgia (No. 3 in 2008, No. 2 in 2010 AJC.com poll): If it’s possible to have sympathy for folks who take pride in trashing their own campus, I have some sympathy for Dawg-lovers. Because I think every Georgia road game this autumn is going to be off the hook. I think this because of Damon Evans and red panties.
3. Arkansas (No. 5 in 2008, No. 7 in 2010 AJC.com poll): It wasn’t enough that Hog fans ran off Houston Nutt and welcomed Bobby Petrino as a conquering hero, not the sinking-ship-deserting rat he was. But now apparently you have to pass a loyalty test to work for an Arkansas radio station. (Reporter Renee Gork was fired after wearing a Florida hat to a press conference; being Petrino, he noticed and objected.) And Hog fans reacted as if her dismissal was a good thing. Where’s Edward R. Murrow when you need him?
2. Florida (No. 1 in 2008, No. 1 in 2010 AJC.com poll): I know, I know. It takes effort not to put the hated Gators — and they’re hated in every SEC outpost, not just Athens, Ga. — at the top of anything involving the word “obnoxious.” But I have to confess: I never understood why everybody hated Tim Tebow. He was a really good player who seemed like a really good guy. If he played for Georgia or Alabama, would those fans have not similarly lionized him? But if you’re asking me to defend jorts … well, that line I will not cross.
1. Auburn (No. 2 in 2008, No. 6 in 2010 AJC.com poll): Because Tiger fans still worship at the tainted feet of Pat Dye. Because they run off coaches on a whim. Because they’ve grown as arrogant as Alabama backers without one-tenth the justification. Because they’re still whining over the national championship they didn’t win in 2004. Because the world’s worst fan — the Montgomery banker Bobby Lowder — is an Auburn man. And because I would pay money (though not a lot) to see Bobby Lowder in jean shorts.
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1,009 comments Add your comment
1eyedJack
August 26th, 2010
12:12 pm
I still say it’s Tech’s fans. All 12 of them. They are born obnoxious. They’re obnoxious when they have no reason to be.
UGAdawglife
August 26th, 2010
12:13 pm
Auburn? That’s a first for me. That’s one of the places I enjoy going to the most. We tailgated with some AU fans in Athens a couple years ago and a different set of fans in Auburn and they were awesome! If I’m not mistaken isn’t Auburn just on their 4th coach since the early 80’s and wasn’t Tubberville there for 10 years or so? I’m not sure you even know what you’re talking about so this article lost all credibility as soon as I read that.
robert
August 26th, 2010
12:13 pm
mark, you are a complete dumbass for majority of the things you said. you cannot honestly believe auburn has the most obnoxious fans. theres a reason you graduated from kentucky. you apparently didnt have the intellectual tools to go anywhere else. and where did you get that bobby petrino was ever auburns head coach? terry bowden 93-98, bill oliver was coach the final 5 games of the 1998 season. followed by tuberville and now chizik. itd probably be wise to know what u were talking about before you said anything
ATL Gator
August 26th, 2010
12:13 pm
I have literally, hand on my heart, I have seen people in the student section at the swamp during a conference game, studying chemistry notes. How we still get labeled most obnoxious is beyond me. I think we can be the worst fans in the SEC in a different way, we don’t care enough, its not in the bloodline of Floridians like it is in Bama or Tennessee. Because we have UCF, FSU and Miami, we don’t get the 3 generations of Gators. Plus, the amount of transplants in Florida put to shame even Metro Atlanta.
BehindEnemyLines
August 26th, 2010
12:13 pm
Not even close. LSU is the worst, narrowly edging UGA for the crown, with Florida solidly in third. Arkansas & Bama are next in line, pretty much lapping the rest of the field at least once.
MiltonMan
August 26th, 2010
12:14 pm
Auburn fans are the worst??? Mark get out behind your desk more often. Auburn fans for the most part are pretty hospitable. Even the ESPN guys on college gameday have said that numerous times on how they felt welcomed to the plains.
Dan
August 26th, 2010
12:14 pm
Seems as though you have a thing for Bobby Lowder
1eyedJack
August 26th, 2010
12:14 pm
Gen Neyland, in 1970 Marshall lost 37 players and 8 coaches. They didn’t try to back out of a single game in 1971.
ArkyTech
August 26th, 2010
12:15 pm
LSU wins hands down, every year, and that will never change. And Mark, you need to research the “hatgate” issue a little better. She wasn’t just fired for wearing a Gator hat to cover an Arkansas practice, although it was pretty tacky – would you wear a Target hat to cover a Wal-Mart convention?
Delbert D.
August 26th, 2010
12:16 pm
The most obnoxious fans are the ones who post under multiple names on ajc.com sports.
Chi Town
August 26th, 2010
12:16 pm
Aubarn Fans are a bunch of Necks from the major metropolis they call Opelika.
Jacket Dad
August 26th, 2010
12:16 pm
When my family moved here 12 years ago, we all quickly came to the realization that UGA fans were the most obnoxious….and we are from LSU country! We weren’t even LSU fans until they played UGA and we just couldn’t help ourselves.
Today, I’ve got lots of friends who are die-hard Dawg fans and I just tell myself “that’s just how they are” when they start mouthing off (which is often).
techfan1
August 26th, 2010
12:16 pm
Probably the most absurd thing I’ve read in some time on the urinal and constipation. I don’t remember the last time I heard any AU fans being obnoxious or in-your-face about anything. You make THuga and bama fans sound like they’re model citizens or something. What a useless column.
Wes
August 26th, 2010
12:17 pm
Mark, you obviously have something against Auburn fans. So “talking” to a coach about a vacancy counts as a head coaching tenure? If that’s the case, then Alabama has had 15 coaches the past 4 years as well as many other schools. Tuberville was at Auburn for 10 years. 10 years. That’s hardly changing coaches on a “whim.” I understand you need to write something to get comments and are following in the footsteps of Finebaum, but at least try and write something that is legitimately correct.
I’m sorry for whatever has caused this hatred.
Mike in ATL
August 26th, 2010
12:18 pm
I must agree with you on Auburn on fans. I don’t know what you base your assessment on, but Alabama, LSU and Florida fans are “rude” and maybe rightfully so because they’ve won recent national championships. Auburn fans act like they’ve won a national championship when of course they haven’t.
Dawglasville
August 26th, 2010
12:18 pm
I don’t know how it is with Auburn and other schools but personally I love our rivalry with Auburn. It has always seemed to be the best natured. I think it is because the two schools are so similar and that historically the series has always been so close.
LawDawg
August 26th, 2010
12:19 pm
ATL Gator:
yeah, right!!!
When does your act at the Funny Bone end?
bb
August 26th, 2010
12:19 pm
Mark,
I have to disagree about Auburn fans. I am not an Auburn fan, but I live in B’ham and know a lot of Auburn fans, they are most victims when it comes to how their athletics are run (which admittedly is piss-poor). Yes, you will still hear about 2004 occasionally, but let’s face it, Auburn got the short end of the stick that year. Most Auburn fans wish Bobby Lowder did not have the strangle hold on the administration that he does.
Ryan
August 26th, 2010
12:19 pm
I didn’t realize people thought jorts (didn’t even know what they were until now) were so funny. I’m a Georgia fan living in Houston and it’s hot and humid, so I’m not wearing regular jeans or pants all the time, and you can only wear khakis shorts so much. I refuse to wear plaid, camoflauged, or any other multi colored bottoms – sorry multiple colors are for shirts and jackets, not pants.
bb
August 26th, 2010
12:21 pm
Also, Alabama fans remained rude and overbearing even during their losing streak to Auburn. They have always been and always will be the most obnoxious of the two.
Dontavius Supremo
August 26th, 2010
12:22 pm
Man, it’s those Vandy fans that give me the creeps!
AUfan
August 26th, 2010
12:22 pm
change coaches on a whim? Shug was there 25 years. Dye was there 12 years. Bowden was there 5.5 years. Tubbs was there 10 years. Auburn is on its 6th coach in 60 years. As far as being the most obnoxious, has Mr. Bradley really been to a game at LSU,Florida, Georgia,Tennessee or Alabama? I highly doubt it. His observations have no merit.
SecIsFootball
August 26th, 2010
12:23 pm
I have been to every SEC stadium except AU but I have seen AU fans in Tuscaloosa and they are horrible. Bad if they lose, even worse when they won. I love going to LSU. If you are with LSU and can deal with a few (thousand) people yelling Tiger Bait at you, you will be fine. I have had more LSU fans in Baton Rouge as me to stop by their tailgate and enjoy some of their food. Two places I wont go back to in the SEC are Ole Miss and UGA. Ole Miss fans think they are actually a top tier school in the league and like you said, every year is “their year”. They have nice tailgating in the grove but you can find good tailgating at any SEC school. As for UGA, I have never been to a town that is more unwelcoming to visiting fans than Athens. Obnoxious when they win and act like they are at a funeral when they lose.
With that said, you can find good and bad fans at every school. I see people in Tuscaloosa that I wish the university would revoke their tickets.
Pat Dye's Tainted Toes!!
August 26th, 2010
12:23 pm
WORSHIP ME AUBURN FAITHFUL, I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA!!
Bradley you are either high or your ex-wife was an Auburn alum. I can’t think of anybody that doesn’t wear crimson on Saturdays as thinking Auburn fans are the most obnoxious. I could go on all day, but by your articles I can tell reason isn’t one of your strong suits.
ATLBuckeye
August 26th, 2010
12:23 pm
Mark,
As an alumni THE Ohio State band, and since you claim to be so well traveled, have you been to Columbus to see Script Ohio?
PlaceAtTheTable
August 26th, 2010
12:24 pm
What a Joke! Not 1 team in the SEC has had LESS coaches than Auburn in the last 11 years!
LawDawg
August 26th, 2010
12:25 pm
Ryan,
how long you been under that rock? Do you know what a “mullett” hairdo is?
robert
August 26th, 2010
12:26 pm
its a sad world when someone gets paid to write something as stupid and useless as what you have just written. jackass
Clay Collis
August 26th, 2010
12:26 pm
What a ridiculous sports column. You know less about this subject than the sports you cover. But, you are not short of pure opinion…and you know what they are like.
Just me
August 26th, 2010
12:28 pm
Dawg fans are the worst…no contest.
Scott "Phillip" Wallace
August 26th, 2010
12:28 pm
Well well well…. so nice to see the Auburn fans finally show their face on the blogs. Now go back to your caves you been hiding in and enjoy the Chizzzzzzzzzz (you pole smokers).
Fast Eddie
August 26th, 2010
12:28 pm
With your column being read primarily by people in the state of Georgia, it’s easy to see why the Gators are the most hated fans in your poll. If the Dawgs played Bama every year and lost 17 or the last 20 to them, Bama fans probably would be no. 1 in the poll. Obviously you don’t have many Bama fans in the Columbus, GA, area reading your column. Around here they are completely insufferable. UA fans who couldn’t find Tuscaloosa on a map drive their pickup trucks flying the Bama pennants in this area every day of the year…………………..at least for the last 2 years!.
Yeah Baby!!!
August 26th, 2010
12:29 pm
Buckeye fans:
I know I would much rather see scantilly clad honeys marching to “Hold that Tiger” than some clown with a beanie and feather on his head marching like his a$$ is on fire ….ANY DAY!!
George
August 26th, 2010
12:29 pm
Mark,
Please explain to me how having 6 coaches since 1951 can even come close to running coaches off especially when comparing to teams like Alabama, ole miss, and ut recently. Almost 10years a coach? Next time before you just make stuff up please do some research and have your facts right? Your other points are beyond ridiculous as well. Every school in the sec have boosters who have too much power and act like idioits. And what is your point about dye? It is funny you even bring that up since Alabama fans still think the bear and Elvis are still alive.
Yo yo yo yo
August 26th, 2010
12:29 pm
The fleabag nation is number 1, no questions asked.
Meeee baby
Lefty
August 26th, 2010
12:30 pm
I think you have to define the word obnoxious a little better. If you want to wear your home colors on the road, Alabama and Tennessee are much more tolerant than LSU, Florida, or UGA. I’ve seen UGA frat guys throw everything but the kitchen sink and opposing fans who dare walk past their hallowed homes. In Baton Rouge, I’ve even taken to wearing an LSU hat just because it greatly simplifies (and protects) things.
On the other hand, I’ve never had a bad experience in Tuscaloosa or Knoxville while wearing enemy colors. In fact, that’s the only place I’ll do it anymore (Note – Vandy & UK don’t really count, and I’ve never been to a S.Carolina home game).
ATL Gator
August 26th, 2010
12:31 pm
LawDawg,
I would assume someone with a quality education could see how arguing with facts could fall under the definition of insanity. UGA is a top 20 public university, nobody at UF tries to argue that BUT UF hovers between the top 15 and top 20 as well. Number 17 in the upcoming 2011 US News and World Report ranking to be exact. I never understood why someone claiming to have a quality education feels the need to further boost themselves by downplaying someone with an education of equal quality. UGA is a great school, their alumni taint that image by continuing to have some sort of unfounded inferiority complex.
SHO' NUFF
August 26th, 2010
12:32 pm
Mark,do as Autiger say’s show up for a game DECKED OUT in georgia gear & watch how RIGHT YOU ARE!!! YOU’LL NOT SEE MORE TIN FOIL HATTED FOOL’S IN ONE SPOT ANYWHERE UNDER GOD’S BLUE SKY,I PROMISE!! ALSO,SHOULD YOU GO WATCHOUT FOR THE BLACK HELICOPTER’S THEY’RE EVERYWHERE DOWN THERE!!!
mullets
August 26th, 2010
12:32 pm
This Big Ten bred-fan says: The SEC is the best football & has AWESOME traditions– but they’re often ruined by the worst fans. I’ve seen little girls screamed at, bottles thrown at old women, etc. They all should tie for #1.
Singleton
August 26th, 2010
12:32 pm
Mark, you are off the mark on this one. I moved to the ATL area 15 years ago so I have no dog in the hunt here. I have had the opportunity to visit most every campus/stadium in the SEC minus Arkansas and Kentucky. I’d honestly say Auburn fans are the most well-behaved, friendly and cordial fans in the SEC. I got to spend some time on The Plains and thoroughly enjoyed myself. On the other hand, I also got to see the most obnoxious and out of the schools I’ve visited, it’s a landslide. The Univ. of Georgia is by far the most poorly behaved, crass, vulgar group of fans I have witnessed in my life. I observed fans of the other team cursed at, had liquor thrown at and challenged to fights. It was a disgrace to this Southern Football that so many refer to. And I am from the South.
Edward R. Murrow
August 26th, 2010
12:32 pm
Alabama’s Coach Bryant got his nickname because he was a practicing nudist.
LawDawg
August 26th, 2010
12:33 pm
I agree that from some responses on this blog (Nachos…what an idiot), Alabama fans should move to #2 behind Florida.
WarTexas
August 26th, 2010
12:33 pm
As a celebrity, you go to rehab or put out a sex tape to get attention.
As a cheap politician, you photoshop yourself into a picture with a famous person to get attention.
As a radio host, you antagonize fan bases and play fart noises, etc. to get attention.
Apparently, as an AJC blogger, you come up with a top-ten list (fart noise) with exaggerated opinions that sway to the complete opposite of common belief to get attention (blows whistle, rings bell, fart noise).
Cousin Avi
August 26th, 2010
12:33 pm
Law Dawg:
I’m not stating that UGA is 2nd tier only because of SEC championships and appearances but if you want to go that route, I suggest you Google it. You may not like what you read. My argument includes those stats and adds on the facts that the Bulldogs lie down in big games consistently. That makes you 2nd Tier. We can also pile on the fact that ESPN College Gameday comes to Athens once every millennium and that your team needs gimmicks like different color uniforms to get up for big games.
I will agree with you that top tier in this conference is for a select few and no it’s not just Florida. But stop pretending that you belong on top of the SEC mountain because no one outside of the state of Georgia thinks you are relevant.
No doubt #1
August 26th, 2010
12:34 pm
Any fan base that promotes barking in public by “grown men” and spells the word dog incorrectly on purpose takes the cake on obnoxious! The race is for 2nd place! Losers.
Bryan
August 26th, 2010
12:35 pm
Mark to put Auburn at Number 1 is ridiculous. It sounds like you have made this determination based on your dislike of one person. To not like Bobby Lowder is okay, but to then extend his personality onto all Auburn fans is wrong and very poor journalism. You should do a little research before starting to write. Very poor article. By the way, Bobby Petrino was never a head coach at Auburn, try putting some facts into your writing.
Greg
August 26th, 2010
12:35 pm
Whats wrong with jean shorts!!?
Rod
August 26th, 2010
12:36 pm
Mark, I know you’re not to bright, but Petrino WAS NEVER the head coach at Auburn as you stated in one of your previous comments.
Seriously, they pay you for this crap?
ATL Gator
August 26th, 2010
12:37 pm
I never have to go to Athens for a game obviously but one disgusting thing I have noticed about all the recent UGA grads in Atlanta is not only do they down hard liquor at a pace that makes lindsey Lohan look like a nun but they ALL smoke like chimneys. I mean they can’t take two steps without lighting a cigarette. There are VERY few places in Gainesville that allow you to smoke, the first time i went to a bar in Georgia I nearly choked to death.
Brent Fullwood
August 26th, 2010
12:37 pm
Good call on Auburn fans. They can be extremely obnoxious. They cheer and wave those stupid pom poms even after a 2 yard gain, or after giving up a 4 or 5 yard run. Rednecks for the most part. Having said this, there ain’t a team out there who does not have its fair share of obnoxious fans, particularly when booze is involved.