Alabama Fans and Walmart
I know there isn’t that remarkable a delineation as to the type of people that you will meet in your local Walmart, as everyone likes to shop and get good prices on things they purchase. I live in Woodstock, GA so, while there isn’t quite the prevalence of Updykes that you will see in Alabama Walmarts, I still get to meet a few. That being said….
The day after the Iron Bowl, I had to go to Walmart for groceries and other various and sundry items wearing my normal Auburn attire after an Auburn football game (win or lose). On this day, after I put all of the groceries into the car and was going to put the cart in one of the cart collecting stalls, I noticed that between me and the closest stall was a true Bama fan smoking a cigarette next to his vehicle.
He had on a Bama shirt and hat and his vehicle was adorned with various Bama hats strewn over the dashboard (this is something I have never understood, as I hate clutter), Bama memorabilia hanging down from the mirror, his possibly pregnant wife/girlfriend/sister adorned with a bama tank top sitting in the passenger seat, etc. As I got closer to him, he kept trying to catch my eye to have what I believed to be the normal Bama reaction after the game, we didn’t play our best, you guys were lucky, etc, etc.
I was relatively surprised when he congratulated Auburn on a great win with very few disparaging remarks (I don’t think they are capable of not saying at least one disparaging remark about Auburn in a conversation) about Auburn. He went on to admit that he and his father had cried a bit after the game and I offered my condolences and said that Alabama had played a great game as well.
I then put up my cart got in my car and went home.
I tell that long winded story to setup the story about the Updyke I met at the Walmart closest to my home this very morning. As I am about to do a complete front brake job on my car, I had to go get some brake fluid as it was the only thing that I needed to complete my project. After I parked my car and was walking into Walmart, a man smoking near the entrance needed to tell me how my clothing wasn’t appropriate in his presence (Auburn shirt and hat), he being a Bama fan and all (a smoker with teeth missing, who woulda thunk?). I acknowledged him and he kept telling me about how they were gracious enough to let us win this year and other stuff that I couldn’t hear as I was walking in the door.
I purchased my brake fluid and was heading back out and had to listen to a few more things about the game and the ubiquitous “Roll Tide” as I was walking to my car. I simply said War Eagle and got in and left.
It still amazes me that, while I live in Georgia, I have yet to have one Georgia fan (outside of the ones in my Sunday school) come up to me and say anything about their loss to us, but, I will get all kinds of comments from Bama fans/Updykes when I go anywhere with anything that has Auburn on it, which I wear just about everyday.
Well, I hope I haven’t put anyone to sleep with this story, but, I just felt like sharing, lol.
War Eagle and Beat Mizzou!!!
What strikes me most is that on game day and prior to it the number of Bammer flags, magnets, etc. on vehicles was huge. I actually counted over a dozen waiting at a a busy intersection the week before the game. After the game, almost zilch, nada, nothing. They all went in the closet, presumably embarrassed to be known as a Bama fan after getting beaten by lowly Auburn. That’s ok, I love it and hope it stays that way.
One more thing, thankfully I live in Huntsville. The high tech engineering nature of a lot of the jobs in this town are filled by AU grads. We do have a bunch of trailer parks though.
I am deeply saddened over some of the things I have read about following this game. A shooting- People selling all their UA memorabilia- Death threats to 20 year old kids. Does anybody remember any new stories of Auburn fans doing that kind of thing over any football game Auburn has ever played? I certainly hope not. While winning is a lot more fun, I am no more faithful this year than I was last year during that abysmal season. I really think that is what makes us different. Nobody was a happy faithful Auburn football fan last season, but we were (for the most part) still faithful. We watched until the bitter end win or lose. I love my university and no football game will change that.
It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger!!!! Win, lose or draw.
As David Housel said in his “What Is Auburn?” “It is much more than a football game or merely winning or losing. It is a spirit, an attitude… etc”. I love everything Auburn and will always support it no matter the score or the record. I am NEVER seen in public without something on my person that represents Auburn and I live in a somewhat hostile city. I still get very few ugly comments.
And, win or lose, I will NEVER forget:
IT’S GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER !!!
WAR EAGLE !!!
GO BIG BLUE !!!
BEAT MIZZOU !!!
Dom Cangelosi, Baton Rouge, LA
Amen!
WDE