1. Going to football games is a chore.
Sure, it can be fun to dress up, take pictures, and tailgate with your friends. But when you're the only one who doesn't want to stand up for 2 hours at a time and stare mindlessly at a field full of people you don't know, it can get pretty tasking. Not to mention the heat, oh Lord, the heat. If I have to sit in direct sunlight and sweat my makeup off for one more game, I might start crying.
Unfortunately, being at an SEC school means it's expected of you to care just as much as every other fan. That means getting up at 9 AM on a Saturday to go to the 11 AM game you know your team will end up losing. That means cheering alongside your friends, memorizing chants and fight songs, and learning how to differentiate when to ring your cowbell and when to "just yell." Pretending to care just becomes part of your Saturday routine.
2. Not knowing the score of "The Game."
It's a little bit awkward when the server at Chick Fil A asks you if you know the score of the game, and your response is, "What game?" They just look at you like you've been living on another planet for the past 10 years, because how could you NOT know the score of the game your school isn't even playing? This applies to SEC football just as much as it does Pro football (or any other sport for that matter).
3. It's hard to comprehend the obsession.
Sometimes people tell me how excited they are for the NBA finals, to which I once replied, "is that baseball or basketball?" and they thought I was kidding (I wasn't) and laughed. To this day I'm not sure what sport was being played during that final. Truth be told, the only finals I care about are the ones that affect my GPA. My idea of winning a final would be an A on my paper. After cramming for days and stressing for weeks, all the hard work and mental breakdowns throughout the semester would come with a happy ending. Now THAT is worthy of a party.
4. That hell that is as Game Day.
Everything is harder to do on Game Day weekends. For one, it takes over an hour to stand in line for food in the Union. Not that the lines are ever short, but at least on a normal day you can get in and out in under 30 minutes. Driving is even worse. In a town with pretty much one main road, driving on a normal day is less than ideal, but it's manageable. The traffic on game day weekends is an entirely different story. It makes small town Starkville feel like rush hour Chicago. I don't even want to talk about parking. I don't even dare move my car any time between Friday night and Sunday morning, for fear of losing any hope of a parking space.
5. Having school pride regardless.
No matter how much I despise going to the games, I'll step up to defend my school as soon as rival fans open their mouths. Sure, I don't care that much about our football ranking, but my school has outstanding academics, a beautiful campus, and the nicest and most hospitable people I've ever met.
So, I will participate in all of the traditions that make my school unique. I will get goosebumps when I hear the alma mater, I'll sing our fight song, I'll ring my cowbell till my arm is sore, I'll wear maroon on Maroon Fridays, I'll get excited when we win, I'll shout, "go to hell Ole Miss" at every game, I'll scream "Hail State!" with pride, and above all, I'll soak up every second of college while I'm still here to enjoy it.
