I was never really given a choice. From Day 1, my fate as a Mississippi State fan was signed, sealed and delivered.
There’s a photo of me just before I turned two years old in a matching MSU sweatsuit chugging a Dr. Pepper. Three decades later, my interests have not varied in either the sports or cold drink departments. No matter the season, no matter the record, you’ll find me in maroon most days of the week. In this regard, I have a message to fans younger than I.
As Bane from Batman said, “You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already a man.”
Sometimes – hell, most times – that’s the life of every MSU fan watching their team at Davis Wade.
I remember sitting, alongside my dad, in front of numerous televisions throughout my life watching MSU play football. We practiced a myriad of superstitions to improve our team’s chances of winning, even the notion that my mother carried a wealth of bad luck when the game was on. After all, we’ve never won a national championship with her in the room. Granted it never happened with just us in the room either, but that’s beside the point.
I did see some of the best years of football as a college senior with Dak Prescott guiding the team to No. 1 in the nation. In fact, that was my wife’s first experience with being an MSU fan. Years later, in 2022, we sat together in Oxford, drenched in rain-soaked clothes, smiling from ear-to-ear as we took home the Egg Bowl trophy once again. For my better half, watching MSU play football is her “favorite little letdown.” As it was passed down to me, I’m proud to have gifted her the same passion, love and laughter that comes with the Bulldog family.
Over the years, my parents have traveled to Davis Wade watching the highs and lows of MSU football, now my mother comes each season holding my dad’s hand as he scowls. While he watches the game, she stays content with people-watching from the stands.
As a family, we watched the incredible game with Sylvester Croom taking down Alabama, many games during the Dan Mullen era, and several games with Mike Leach and his entertaining antics on and off the field. Rest in peace, coach.
It will definitely take more than a season for the program to recover, and I’ll gladly sit in the stands, a bar or in my recliner until we get there.
Being a Mississippi State fan isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s sad. It’s stressful. And oftentimes, as my dad says, we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
But it feels so damn good when we win.
Fans, rightfully so, are upset with this season and last. It may only feel like this for one season – a rebuilding year, if you will, though it may be a longer climb than that. But it doesn’t really matter to those who’ve worn the maroon and white for more than three decades. We know all too well – cue the Taylor Swift ballad – what this season feels like.
My parents are still coming up for a game this year, just as we did in the early 2000s.
It may be painful, my mom will probably giggle as my dad grimaces, my nieces will definitely have too much caffeine and my wife will help me control my comments about officiating and play calling. Regardless, we’ll have six cowbells and ring them accordingly.
The thing is, It’s not always easy. It’s not for the faint of heart. But I’ve practiced my whole life for this feeling and Lord knows my parents have.
It’s not that hard to be an MSU fan. At the end of the day, at least we’re not the Rebels.
Go Dawgs and go to hell Ole Miss.
- Former Dispatch reporter Mary Pollitz, a lifelong MSU fan, writes weekly about interesting business news
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
