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August 08, 2005
Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer
Well, I'm going to write my first book report in about 12 years. In college I had to write a lot, but this is the first time since school that I've felt compelled to write extensively about something I've read. The book that's pushed me into book-report mode is Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, by Warren St. John. Yes, that's right, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (Give 'em hell Alabama). If you're a fan of college sports in general, college football more specifically, or you're just interested in human nature and the "science" of fandom, then this is a MUST READ book for you. I'd highly recommend it for any and every member of Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.comsuper dvd ripper registation
Warren St. John and I have lived parallel lives in many regards. We're the same age. We both have English degrees. We were both "born into" our fan status (which is how, St. John postulates, most fans choose their favorite team). Each of us has been reprimanded for showing too much emotion in press row. Both of us love tailgating. And we both have questioned our reasons for being a fan. The big difference between us is that Warren wrote a fantastic book about all of it while I read it. :-)super dvd ripper registation
An accomplished writer for the New York Times, the New Yorker, Wired Magazine and other respected publications, Warren decided to take a hiatus from his "real job" in order to join, follow, and become a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide's legion of RV fans. Some of these die-hards start their tailgating for a Saturday game on Wednesday!! The number of RV's that attend 'Bama games is astronomical, and it's not just home games. This armada of land yachts travels en masse to road games as well. The owners of these vehicles are the John McLanes of the Die Hard fans... they're as die hard as they come!super dvd ripper registation
Warren even gets bitten by the bug himself and ends up joining the group by getting his own RV, albeit a step or two below some of the million dollar plus rigs driven by several fans.super dvd ripper registation
The appeal of this book for me came from several different directions. It was interesting to compare myself and some of my friends with the characters in this book. There's a lot of sport in this tome, game capsules, nostalgic looks back at Bear Bryant and more, but the real focus, and the real "star" of this book is the Alabama football fan.super dvd ripper registation
I consider myself a pretty big fan, but I also feel a little strange about that sometimes. Warren addresses this and really nails what I like to call the "Snake Man" phenomenon when he writes, "One of the most comforting experiences for anyone who considers himself weird in some way is to find other people in the world who are, in the same way, weirder." Some of us are a little over-the-top sometimes... and I think we all feel better about our own fanaticism when we find someone who's ever farther gone! This book is full of them!super dvd ripper registation
It was also comforting to see the parallel between myself and the couple (and dog) that first befriended Warren in his quest to become an RVer, the Bices. I spent years growing up seeing my dad enjoy the highest highs from BG victories... but I also saw him completely miserable, totally devastated when the team didn't play up to its potential, or came up short in a big game. I never quite understood it, but I was a chip off the old block for years, none-the-less. A BGSU loss would ruin my day, my week, or even my whole off-season... until something changed in me. I'm STILL not sure what caused it, but I learned to revel in the highs and just kind of slough off the lows. The Bices know that trick too.
The Bices somehow manage to enjoy all the upside of winning while limiting the downside of losing. It seems to me that's something akin to the fan's Holy Grail, the equivalent of figuring out how to drink without getting hung over, or to eat to excess without getting sick. Put in pill form, the Bice's unique psychology could earn them billions, but as it is, I'm forced to resort to the only palliative I know -- waiting and suffering until the hope of the next game shines through the gloom of the last.super dvd ripper registation
The book reads fast, the prose is fantastic, and the characters are totally endearing. St. John's love-hate relationship with Alabama radio personality, Paul Finnebaum, made me both hate Finnebaum and feel sorry for him at the same time! The chicken farmer with the million dollar RV and the exec who obsesses about getting back home on his private jet within his own self-set window of opportunity whether he misses the end of the 'Bama game or not... they're just all awesome character sketches!super dvd ripper registation
Get this book to learn a little more about yourself as a fan. St. John not only wrote a funny and incredibly readable look into the life of extreme fandom, he wrote a sociological gem! I'll leave you with one last quote from the book... "Winning never causes the fan to question the pursuit of being a fan, but losing almost always does."super dvd ripper registation
Oh... one more thing... We, as Falcons, need to come up with the BGSU equivalent of 'Bama Bombs!! (Marichino cherries soaked in grain alcohol) I'm thinking dried apricots in Absolut might be a good start!!!super dvd ripper registation
Check out Warren's site @ http://www.rammerjammeryellowhammer.com/super dvd ripper registation
All excerpts re-printed with the permission of the author.super dvd ripper registation
Posted by Ziggyzoomba at August 8, 2005 05:54 AMsuper dvd ripper registation