University of Tennessee Athletics
Inside The T - Always a Fan
December 12, 2014 | General
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
A new commercial started making the rounds during NFL games a couple of weeks ago, advertising the NFL Team Shop. The people in it and the reaction to it represent one of the things that makes sports so fun, yet so frustrating.
You've seen it, I'm sure. It starts with a voiceover "We started out as a Vikings family." Then tells the story of how the family now roots for like half the NFL through a series of meetings, moves, marriages, etc.
That doesn't really happen in college sports. That's why there is a market for those "A House Divided" license plates. Let's say this is a Tennessee family. They'll always be a Tennessee family.
The spot continues with "Until my son Brendan met Sara from Philly and moved to Cincy and had Bengal babies." Does. Not. Happen. If they're college sports fans, Brendan and Sara are going to have to work something out because a Tennessee fan and a Penn State fan can probably co-exist. Neither one has to convert, although each will put on the hard sell.
But if they move to Cincinnati, the kids will, under no circumstances, cheer for the Bearcats or Ohio State. Compromise is one thing, lunacy is another. Instead, Brendan and Sara would each try to sway the kids to either Tennessee or Penn State. There will be passive-aggressive moves like buying subtle orange clothing or a Smokey plush toy. Sara would counter with a lion or a blue sweatshirt.
Grandparents will take sides and send appropriate clothing and take the kids to games at their respective schools as they grow older. Then, the kids will accept reality that Tennessee is vastly superior in virtually every way and sing Rocky Top like the Vol fans they should be.
But, again, there's no way Cincinnati or Ohio State even enter the picture. If a teacher sends home Buckeye propaganda, you burn it. You block any attempts at fandom from the kids' friends like Bill Duff stopped Eddie George in the 1996 Citrus Bowl.
When you move, you keep your team. That's why it's not acceptable to steal your neighbor's Michigan flag or cover your friend's Wisconsin license plate. It's also frowned upon to rip off the Alabama shirt that the person on the bike next to you wears to the gym every day, although unfriendly looks are perfectly acceptable.
More from the commercial: "My daughter Julie met Emmitt Smith and never let us forget it." Yeah, and I met Tim Tebow a few weeks ago. He's a great guy, very personable, lots of nice things to say about Tennessee. But you're insane if you think that would ever put a soft spot in my heart for Florida.
"And after years of eating Roethlisbergers my son, Dan, became a fan of the guy, too." Ok, sure, I love food. There are plenty of athletes with restaurants and foods named after them. But I wouldn't convert under any circumstances based on a sandwich. In fact, eating as restaurants owned by passionate fans of other schools causes me a moral dilemma.
Former Alabama football player Bob Baumhower has a chain of sports bars in Alabama that have incredible food. The location on the water in Orange Beach is the best combination of food, view and TVs anywhere. But I still have trouble looking myself in the mirror after spending money eating there.
The commercial ends with a family photo of everyone wearing their "new" team gear. Who reading this honestly believes that your die-hard Tennessee fan parents and grandparents would allow an Alabama jersey in their house, not to mention in a family photo? My two best friends from high school went to Alabama and we had to agree to wear neutral colors to our 10-year reunion.
The other side of this spot that bothers me is how bandwagon this whole thing seems. Like changing your sports allegiance is something that you can just do at the drop of a hat because it's convenient. That's not reality for most of us, especially those of us that grew up with a deep connection to a school. I'm going to be a Tennessee fan until the day I die. It doesn't matter if I move to Florida, California or Alaska, I'm putting on orange every football Saturday and probably every other day as well. No marriage or family connection will change that passion, either. Whether it's an SEC rival or a Big 10 school or anywhere, we're not becoming a "Vikings, Bengals, Eagles, Steelers, Cowboys family."
Just get me one of those "A House Divided" license plates.
Brian Rice is a writer for UTSports.com. Questions, comments and story suggestions are always welcome via Twitter at @briancrice.
