I personally believe that the better your conference is. The more exposure all of the teams get. Which is good for recruiting, which in turn makes you better. There is a lot to be said for saying "I play in the SEC, Big 10, Big 12". I believe that if Fla, Georgia, etc do well that it is good for UK. Same for OSU and Mich doing well is good for IU.

 

All SEC and Big 10 teams are going to have their conferences talked about constantly, every day until the National Title game. That is good for all.

Most fans are passionate about their conference because they have grown up watching them for many years or have a certain connection to that conference such as being a former player in the conference they follow or has a relative or friend that plays or has played.

The local media also could be a factor. If you only see or hear news from one conf. on a daily basis, I think you will more than likely have a tendency to follow that conference with a little more enthusiasm than one you are not so familiar with.

 

 

But WHY a conference? Why not just a team?!? I have TEAMS I am loyal to, not conferences. I don't look at the NFL and pull only for the AFC North or the NFC West. The players play for a team not for the conference, that is why I have a hard time understanding this concept of pulling for the conference. Doesn't matter which one.

Seems to me that frequent matchups would create friction and tension, not endearment between conference members.

 

Being a UL fan, which sounds better:

 

Outsiders of the conference: Man, the Big East sure does suck this year. They cannot beat anyone other than each other.

 

Insiders of the conference: I am glad everyone in the conference is losing to other OOC opponents. They are our rivals.

 

or

 

Man, the Big East is stomping down on some people this season and during the bowl games.

 

 

 

 

Whether it is a fair measuring stick or not, let us say UL wins their bowl game, but the other 5 teams get blown out in their bowl games. It does not look good on the conference; thus, diminishing the accomplishments of your own team.

The UK fans in the Nashville bars were cheering for Auburn like it was the Cats playing, then after they won evryone in the bar chanted SEC, SEC ! It is just a conference loyalty that can not be decribed.

With me, I like to watch a game and root for someone. I don't like to watch a game and not care who wins. So during bowl season, conference loyalty is just a good a reason for me to cheer for a particular team as any. I will say, however, that I was glad that Michigan beat Florida because I wanted to see Carr win his last game and Urban to lose. And I did feel bile rise in my throat when I wanted UT to pull out the win against Wisconsin.

Cuz its all bout dat durrty durrty souf

But WHY a conference? Why not just a team?!? I have TEAMS I am loyal to, not conferences. I don't look at the NFL and pull only for the AFC North or the NFC West. The players play for a team not for the conference, that is why I have a hard time understanding this concept of pulling for the conference. Doesn't matter which one.

 

 

I HATE the rest of the teams in the AFC north... but I LOVE the SEC. To me it is a regional thing.

I don't get it either.

 

And I'm an IU fan, I hate the rest of the Big 10.

 

I've never understood this, to me it's one of those things teams who are underperforming have to bring up to make themselves (or their teams) look better.

The UK fans in the Nashville bars were cheering for Auburn like it was the Cats playing, then after they won evryone in the bar chanted SEC, SEC ! It is just a conference loyalty that can not be decribed.

 

 

There has to be a reason behind it. I want to understand it, because frankly conference homers get under my skin. They remind me of people who vote for a party not a candidate. It almost strikes me as lemmingish. I would like to believe that people do these things for a reason.

I HATE the rest of the teams in the AFC north... but I LOVE the SEC. To me it is a regional thing.

 

 

The Browns have been the AFC North whipping boy just like UK in the SEC yet you hate the rest of the AFC North and love the SEC? It's regional? Shouldn't you be a Titans fan or something in that case?

The Browns have been the AFC North whipping boy just like UK in the SEC yet you hate the rest of the AFC North and love the SEC? It's regional? Shouldn't you be a Titans fan or something in that case?

 

Titans fan? I'm from Kentucky and go to UK. Thats where my school loyalty is from. My dad is just from Cleveland, so I've kinda grown up with the Browns. Thats why I love the Browns. With the SEC, that is my state, my region and my school.

Titans fan? I'm from Kentucky and go to UK. Thats where my school loyalty is from. My dad is just from Cleveland, so I've kinda grown up with the Browns. Thats why I love the Browns. With the SEC, that is my state, my region and my school.

 

 

On the bolded, I understand that, you grew up with it.

 

To your last line, the SEC isn't your state. Kentucky is your state. The University of Kentucky, your school, happens to be in the SEC which I will concede would be the regional conference. My point was that if you were strictly going with something regional then the Titans would make more sense than the Browns as your team.

Thank you for breaking down what I said for me.

Anyway, the SouthEastern Conference is a regional thing.. for me atleast. I'm from an SEC state, I go to an SEC school. I think it also has to do with just the South in general. Southerners get more pride in their region than the North. How often do you hear someone from Pennsylvania talk about how much the love the North or they would never leave the North? Its just not as common as someone talking about how much they love the South.

Thank you for breaking down what I said for me.

Anyway, the SouthEastern Conference is a regional thing.. for me atleast. I'm from an SEC state, I go to an SEC school. I think it also has to do with just the South in general. Southerners get more pride in their region than the North. How often do you hear someone from Pennsylvania talk about how much the love the North or they would never leave the North? Its just not as common as someone talking about how much they love the South.

 

No need to get petty, I was merely breaking down how I understood what you said. Calm down. The way you put it it looked like they were all one in the same to you, I tend to look at it differently.

 

The whole "proud to be a southerner" thing begs another question. Where does it come from? Is it surplus Confederate subnationalism?

 

That aside the SEC isn't the only place you see it though, you see it with Big 10(11) fans and Big 12 fans too. I don't know many PAC-10 fans so I can't say anything to them. I wasn't trying to just pick on the SEC, I was trying to determine why the absurd almost fanatical level of conference loyalty. Hence my inquiry, why are the conferences so important to you? Why aren't you just loyal to your team?

I'm no more proud to be a southerner than I would be proud to be from St. Paul... This is where I live, nothing more...