An open letter to UGA fans

[IronMan70 3,277]

Some of the people in this thread have lost their ever loving mind. Suck it up ? What does the outcome of a football game have to do with acceptance of the thuggish behavior described in the letter ? Sometimes I am just amazed at some of the crap that is written on our very own AU site. Treating fans the way it's described in the OP's letter should be condemned, pure and simple.

[around4ever 4,139]

An open letter to the UGA fans of /r/cfb from an Auburn fan in Athens this past weekend

Dear UGA fans,

Let me first say that this is 100% honest, and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I genuinely hope that UGA and /r/CFB fans don't get upset about the contents of this "letter," as it is intended to be a genuine request for those fans who frequent /r/cfb, and who I know to be - for the most part - class acts. Please - PLEASE - read this, and correct these wrongs when you see them happen in Athens. I know /r/cfb regulars enjoy posts about how fanbases are good hosts, but this is sadly not one of those posts.

The experience we (my group of friends) had in Athens this weekend was - in a word - awful. Not because of the game, but because of the way we were treated. I am asking UGA fans to remedy this as best they can in future games.

First, it's important to detail what actually happened. Let's start with Friday night. We decided to go to a few bars in Athens, because Athens is certainly known for its bar scene. Note that for the most part we were dressed in neutral colors, although one of us had on an Auburn ball cap and a girl had on a blue scarf with orange trim. Before we entered the first bar we were boo'd. Okay, whatever, it's a rivalry. But then it got taken too far. By the end of the night, I had two drinks thrown at me (and not by anyone I had talked to). The guy in the ball cap had a glass beer bottle thrown in his direction, and later realized he was bleeding. We were spat at (literally) and cussed out. Two of the girls were in tears, and one (the one with the scarf) was genuinely scared she would be assaulted. She got rid of the scarf because she was scared it was making her a target. It's in some dumpster downtown now. We called it an early night and got the hell out of dodge.

So, Saturday. Okay, gametime. Maybe those were just drunks last night, and we had some bad luck. Who knows. Nope. Spat at. CONSTANTLY. I did NOT understand why grown men were literally spitting at me on a regular basis. It was insane. I lost count at 20. I had more drinks thrown at me (although this time it was soda, as we were in the stadium). Luckily I had a waterproof hood on my jacket, so that stayed up the rest of the game. Cussed out again. Leaving the stadium the guys in our group surrounded the girls, at their request, because they did not feel safe (and we left early, both because of the way the game was going and the way the fans were treating us). I was hit upside the back of my head a couple times walking out. I should mention that the girls were being called extremely vulgar things almost the entire game, as well as the night before.

Out of genuine fear for our own safety and well-being, we did not go out that night, but instead stayed at our host's place.

Based on stories I have heard today from other Auburn fans who visited, similar experiences occurred. Spitting on Auburn fans was apparently extremely common, especially the girls. Being screamed at and cussed out were commonplace.

Based on my experiences this weekend, I know Athens is a town I would never take a family to, if I were a father. I know that the only way I would brave it again is if I were in a group composed entirely of adult males, and even then I would not enjoy it - and that is NOT a reaction I should have to visiting another college.

Please, UGA fans on here. Fix this. Visiting fans should not be scared of your town. I know Athens to be a beautiful place, and an excellent city with great attractions. I have been there outside of football, and I loved it. Please, please try to make it more welcoming to the visiting team.

Sincerely,

A concerned Auburn fan

Common sense says after the first bottle gets thrown you need to take your ass back to the crib - don't wait around for the 2nd and 3rd bottle and multiple folks spitting for me to gather my group and get the hell out.

Or contact a security guard or police.

[around4ever 4,139]

I have an acquaintance who was in Athens in 2011 for the game. They admittedly, stupidly left their AU flags on their SUV when they went into the stadium. When they got back to their vehicle after the game, of course the flags were broken and somebody had keyed the paint all around the vehicle and carved obscenities in the windows with something. This was after being cussed and harassed during the game. They normally try to go to at least a couple of away games every year but swore they would never go back to Athens. They did have the police write up a report. Luckily, their insurance paid for the damages.

[3rdgeneration 6,469]

I see nothing wrong with pointing out what happened to them. I would think it would have been better to contact the AD or the SEC to complain. I don't think UGA fans can be shamed into behaving, but if there were mass complaints to the school and the SEC, maybe security would be heightened for games. We will NEVER go there again, since we took our 13 year old daughter and she heard the F word every 3 minutes. And I live in the state of Georgia. :-/

[PatBoCamRob 30]

Living in a tourist town I have to say our visitors from Georgia are usually the rudest that we have to encounter all year. Their spring break is so dreadful that the community more or less locks our doors and waits for them to leave. Sadly, even my wrestling trips to schools in Georgia have been unpleasant for a sport like wrestling! Now I'm not vilifying the entire state but there is definitely a mentality that needs adjusting in certain areas.

Ditto. We duck and cover for Atlanta Spring Break.

Curious if those saying "suck it up" have ever been to a game outside of Auburn.

Tailgated in the shadow of Denny chimes and in the Grove.

Never really got called out, yelled at, or spat on anywhere. Though, I'm an orange button-down with khakis kind of fan, not a Starter jacket kind of fan.

Whenever someone would begin to say something to me, I'd cut my eyes at them and keep walking. (What else are you going to do?) Kind of kills it for them. And they realize they are being miserable.

Won't forget 2010 when I was leaving BDS. That was an interesting walk.

[AuburnSpider 2]

Athens has been like this for a decade.

[smackydoodle 200]

You can kind of pick out the people who treat other people like garbage in this thread.

[Maverick.AU 13,281]

Suck it up big guy. We lost. Don't write moral,victory posts on reddit. That's weak.

+1

Why sound like sour grapes by posting anonymously on "reddit" when your team was the real victim of abuse from the UGA dawgs?

I don't care where it was posted, I've heard too many accounts of people that went to the game that have said similar things. Several girls I know personally said they were never going back and many people have said it was their worst game experience ever. Its one thing to lose, have to endure trash talk etc, but no one should have to endure those things.Its really sad that people can't just go and watch a football game. Smack talk is fine but cussing out women, spitting, and throwing drinks is unacceptable and UGA damn sure needs to address it. I personally wouldve probably ended up in jail but thats just me.

[autigeremt 6,643]

i dont doubt this is true but after getting our asses handed to us it looks like ax grinding. suck it up.

I don't expect stitches after leaving a place win or lose. I've seen enough to know that Athens, GA is the worst place to go watch the Tigers win or lose.

[SouthernSiberianSister 0]

So let me get this right, all other curse words are okay but misspelling the F word intentionally to tone it down is wrong? Hmmm, okay.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,367]

So let me get this right, all other curse words are okay but misspelling the F word intentionally to tone it down is wrong? Hmmm, okay.

Can you really not get your point across without the use of curse words?

[juscAUse 1]

If we had fans making these claims every week, or even one week every year, I might be more skeptical. I don't recall this being reported anywhere else outside of the 'known' issues at LSU. Hopefully, we can set a good example next year and use that to turn some of this around!! It doesn't have to be this bad.

My cousin and my niece, two separate games 10 years apart, will never go back to Athens. My niece went Saturday. I know more, but I don't know dates. Does that bother you? If I had been at the game when they called my niece those names, I would be whipped or in jail. Or both. And I am way too old to fight. And too old not to if you insult a lady.

[Johndunc 33]

You can complain about fans of every college being rude, drunk, stupid. I'm not a youngster anymore and thru the years I've learned only other fans can control the unruly ones. When we see one of ours doing something stupid it is our duty to say something to them, and than apologize to the offended individual. The saying " Do onto others like you would have them do onto you" needs to be a motto of every Auburn fan. Just my opinion, I live that way and I sleep real good!

[juscAUse 1]

You can complain about fans of every college being rude, drunk, stupid. I'm not a youngster anymore and thru the years I've learned only other fans can control the unruly ones. When we see one of ours doing something stupid it is our duty to say something to them, and than apologize to the offended individual. The saying " Do onto others like you would have them do onto you" needs to be a motto of every Auburn fan. Just my opinion, I live that way and I sleep real good!

I agree. And my family has done so more than a few times. My Dad, a 50' s grad, insisted that we welcome people to AU, and win or lose with the class some other team claims to have.

[juscAUse 1]

By the way, my niece sat in the AU sections, and the UGA fans were adults.

[cptau 169]

This is why alcohol can never be served at college football games. If they do that one day to make more money, just sell the college stadiums to some NFL minor league franchise holder and forget college football.

[augolf1716 21,208]

This is why alcohol can never be served at college football games. If they do that one day to make more money, just sell the college stadiums to some NFL minor league franchise holder and forget college football.

You should go to a U game in Miami. Its amazing more people don't get killed driving home from UM playing FSU in Miami.

[TNtiger55 6]

This is why alcohol can never be served at college football games. If they do that one day to make more money, just sell the college stadiums to some NFL minor league franchise holder and forget college football.

You should go to a U game in Miami. Its amazing more people don't get killed driving home from UM playing FSU in Miami.

I went in 2012 and had a pleasant experience....but of course I was neutral.

[TigerOne 1,147]

there will come a day when current rivalries are suspended. The uat game would be a good place to start

[alexava 6,973]

I have been to lsu and bammer. Sh__talking but that was about it. The worst incident i have ever seen was 2003,an auburn "man" mistreating a uscw female fan. It was only verbal but she was very intimidated. I didn't say anything to him because he was wasted and it would likely been a fight. I apologized to her on behalf of us all.

[CJBas 4]

That's what dawgdom has become under Richt. It didn't used to be that way. Auburn and Ga used to be like country cousins and the AU/Ga game was like an annual family reunion. Not any more.

[aubaseball 2,625]

That's because you had a coach that played at auburn coaching one team and a coach on the other team that played at GA. They would not flame the fans to the point of disrespecting the other team or its fans.

[AU-HANDLEY-TIGER 205]

Yeah your annoying cousin you never liked and were forced to hang out with at Christmas and is now doing 5 to 10 in the joint.

[UGAtoAU 0]

If we wanted a leghumper's opinion we'd ask the janitor.

I've had two friends who would not lie about such things tell me they not only had it happen to them as described above but saw multiple incidents of it with other people.

Face facts: your fan base is comprised of entitled jackasses that shouldn't be breeding.

-TitanTiger

P.S. You still haven't sniffed a natty since the disco era. Because you wet the bed every time the opportunity is there. Deal with it.

[SLAG-91 1,483]

That's what dawgdom has become under Richt. It didn't used to be that way. Auburn and Ga used to be like country cousins and the AU/Ga game was like an annual family reunion. Not any more.

This is true...there was the fire hosing after the '86 game, but that was only to keep more UGA fans from going on the field (they were ripping out chunks of our logo at midfield). The games were always intense, but I never sensed the hatred that was present at Iron Bowl games, or even Florida or FSU games. It appears that has changed...too bad.