From a Georgia Bulldogs perspective, SEC loyalists must be stopped
By Krisi Cooper
Football is close by, and if you’re a true Georgia Bulldogs fan like me, you already have all your jerseys and red and black laid out for Saturday’s big game. Before we get too involved in this season I wanted to address a problem I have been running into for the past few years that I feel needs to be addressed. The problem is SEC loyalists.
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I am not quite sure when the SEC pride thing became such a big thing, but it has to be stopped now. You are ruining college football and everything that it stands for. I have a feeling this started some time close to the SEC beginning their streak of national title wins and embarrassing other conferences.
The argument I usually hear is “I cheer for the SEC so the conference looks good.” We already look good people! The SEC will always look good and so will a few other teams outside the conference: Michigan, Florida State, and as much as I hate to admit it Ohio State. As much as SEC fans hate to admit it those schools are consistent powerhouse programs that could at any point win a national championship…and that is ok. (Please note I left out Oregon, Stanford, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and all of the other consistently over-ranked schools that end up flopping every year.)
“But Krisi, If the SEC does not win, the recruiting in the conference will suffer.”
Oh really? The SEC did not win this year, and Georgia’s recruiting is better than ever. I look at recruits and what schools they are looking at and typically if the player is interested in Georgia our competition is another SEC team. Why would I want another team they might go to win a championship and sway them from my school? The answer is I would not.
“But Krisi, it’s ok to cheer for other SEC teams. It won’t water down our in-conference rivalries.”
Is that a fact? One of the best things about college football is the love and hate that comes with it. I love my team and most of the Georgia fans I meet. I hate every other SEC team with a deep hatred especially for the SEC east teams and Auburn. Why would I cheer for someone I hate to have bragging rights over me for a whole year? I wouldn’t is the answer.
Let’s use Tennessee as an example as they clearly have no shot this year of winning much. If Tennessee were to win a national championship this year I would have to hear about it all year long from any and every Vols fan (and probably longer as they are still reminding me of 1998.) Why would I want that? If they were playing UCLA and lost to them I would be fine with that. I do not know any UCLA fans so I would not have to hear it (except for the people who jumped on the bandwagon, but we will save that for a separate article.)
I just don’t get this whole SEC-unity nonsense. In no other sport or conference is this kind of behavior ok. I actually had a Florida fan tell me they cheer for Georgia as long as they are not playing Florida. You sir are not a Florida fan then. Hate me. I want you to hate me because I hate you.
THIS IS THE KIND OF CONFUSION THAT CONFERENCE LOYALTY CAN CREATE – Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
We are supposed to — by laws of nature — hate each other and wish the worst for each other from August until after national signing day. Unless it helps Georgia for Florida to win (yes there are those few times where I have to rely on the Gators to beat someone so Georgia can lead the east) I want them to lose. If you ask a Michigan fan if they want Ohio State to win they will probably cause you physical harm for even thinking such a thing…that is what a rivalry is…hate. Stop cheering for the enemy.
The exception: If Ohio State is playing any SEC team that is not a direct rival of UGA (SEC east team or Auburn) it is ok in this instance to cheer for the SEC team.
I know this is a touchy subject and I can honestly say that I know more SEC loyalists than team loyalists like me so I can expect to get a lot of not so nice comments on this. I felt I needed to point out my reasoning for finding this behavior disturbing and I hope you take my opinion into account the next time you decide to start an SEC chant or cheer for a rival.