FanPost

Why I Cheer For Old Vandy.

Having this guy made our fandom much easier for a while. - Frederick Breedon

Why are you a fan of a certain team? I grew up in East Tennesse. No, not there. More east that that. I'll get this out of the way quickly and we talk of it no more: I was a UT fan growing up. Not because of some VFL or "blood-runs-arnge" crap. It's just that there's nothing else up there. Oh, there's my alma mater, ETSU, but even Kenny Chesney never cheered for them and he went there also.

Some people on this site will tell you that I'm a Clemson fan. In 1978 I watching the Ohio State-Clemson Gator Bowl. I had never heard of Clemson, but I was drawn by the paw logo and their coach, Danny Ford. Then all of a sudden the OSU coach, Woody Hayes, punched a Clemson linebacker. I was hooked. I found a Clemson hat and became the only Clemson fan in my high school.

A few years after that, I started dating a girl with South Carolina ties. On one of our first dates, she took me to the Florida State-Clemson "puntrooskie" game (look it up). I was gonna marry that girl. I eventually did and we moved to South Carolina where I developed a hatred of anything Gamecock.

Now, I'm a Vanderbilt Commodore fan. Why? How? I didn't go to school at Vandy. I had no ties to Nashville. I started at zero.

Mrs. Uncle Mike moved us to Nashville in 2000, so I kind of blame her for it. She is a VUMC employee, so I guess the first reason I am an fan is that Vanderbilt pays the bills.

When the wife came home after her orientation, she showed me the perks of the job. One of those in particular stood out: employee discount on season athletic tickets. "Wha..? Gee thanks, Ticket Oak." Affordable SEC season tickets! We could see a SEC game every week! Here Vanderbilt, take my money.

So we signed up. We've been season ticket holders for football, basketball and baseball. We're just down to football now becausee with my schedule I just can't go to all of the games that I would like. Plus I've got a daughter in college and that stuff is expensive.

Anyhow, we started with Woody Ball. I remember turning to my wife during that first season and asking: "How musch are we paying for these?" Once I started delving into the history of Vandy football, I found that mostly all the teams after electric light and cross-country travel by train kind of sucked. You know, though it's silly, but I was drawn by that.

What I also found out was that you could tell how long someone was a fan by the color gold or logo they were wearing. The yellow. The mustard. The gold. That brownish color they wore back in the early 80's. The script. The V-star. The little star V. The V. The V with the Commodore in it. The V agian with Vanderbilt across it. Then the Star V.

I started coming just to watch SEC football and fell for the team and the University. I didn't expect to get hooked by the Black and Gold, but I did. I didn't expect the campus to be so beautiful, but it is. I didn't expect the goose bumps that being at Star Walk gives, but I get them every time. Especially now as the captains carry the anchor down the walkway. I didn't expect the Robbie Caldwell season to be that bad, but at least we beat Ole Miss that year.

I love the Admiral. "Hit me with the horn, (insert your descriptive here)!" I love crabbing (or as the kids call it today, trolling) at the opposing teams fans. Even though it's not my alma mater, I love the "CONQUER AND PREVAIL" after the games. I love turning to the fans around me after the singer of the National Anthem is announced and asking: "Who?" I love repping the Star V when I go back to visit East Tennessee. I love telling Mrs. Uncle Mike to go to the concession stand or rest room during a drive because the last time she did Vandy scored. Its proven science, I swear.

I've only experienced a few years but they've been great. You guys have been here for a lot more heartache than me. I know you all have stories. Why/how are you a fan?

FanPosts are most often submitted by users. The views and opinions expressed in FanPosts do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions held by the editorial staff of The Anchor of Gold or SB Nation. Unless they are awesome.