Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer

Azanyjourneyintotheheartoffootballmaniafollowstheauthor'sodysseybyRVwiththeworld'smostobsessivesportsfanaticstofollowAlabamafansandtheirCrimsonTideteamfromgametogameacrosstheSouth，profilingthecolorfulindividuals--includingacouplewhoskippedtheirowndaughter'sweddingtoattendagame--overthecourseofafullfootballseason.60，000firstprinting.，"Freshandfunny…St.Johnhascrafterawinner.”—TonyHorwitz，authorofConfederatesintheAtticInthelifeofeverysportsfan，therecomesamomentofreckoning.Itmayhappenwhenyourteamwinsonalast-secondfieldgoalandyousuddenlyfindyourselfclenchedinalovingembracewithalargehairymanyou’venevermet....Orinthelong，hormonallydepleteddaysafteraloss，whenyou’refelledbyasensationsimilartotheoneyoufirstexperiencedfollowingthedeathofapet.Atsuchmomentsthefanisforcedtoconfrontthequestionothers—spouses，friends，children，andcolleagues—haveaskedforyears：WhydoIcare?Whatisitaboutsportsthatturnsotherwisesane，rationalpeopleintoravinglunatics?Whydoeswinningcompelpeopletoteardowngoalposts，andlosing，todrownthemselvesinbadkegbeer?Inshort，whydofanscare?Insearchoftheanswerstothesequestions，WarrenSt.JohnseeksouttherovingcommunityofRVerswhofollowtheAlabamaCrimsonTidefromgametogameacrosstheSouth.AmovablefeastofWebergrills，Igloocoolers，anddie-hardsuperstition，thesearecharacterswhoarriveonWednesdayforSaturday’sgame：FreemanandBettyReese，whoskippedtheirowndaughter’sweddingbecauseitcoincidedwithaBamagame;RayPradat，theEpiscopalianministerwhowatchesthegamesonatelevisionsetbesidehisaltarwhileperformingweddings;JohnEd(pronouncedasthreesyllables，JohnAy-ud)，thewheelinganddealingticketscalperwhoseaccesstogoodseatsgiveshimpoweronparwiththegovernor;andPaulFinebaum，theAnti-Fan，awisecrackingsportscolumnistandtalk-radiohostwhomakeshislivingmockingAlabamafans—andwhohastoliveinagatedcommunityforallthethreatshereceivesinresponse.Innotimeatall，St.Johnhimselfisdrawnintotheworldoffull-immersionfandom：hebuysanRV(a$5，500beatercalledTheHawg)andjoinsthecaravanforafootballseason，chroniclingtheworldoftheextremefanandlearningthatintheshadowofthestadium，itcanallbegintoseemstrangelynormal.Alongtheway，St.Johntakesreadersonilluminatingforaysintothedeeprootsofhumanity’ssportsmania(didyouknowthattailgaterscouldbefoundineighth-centuryGreece?)，thepsychologyofcrowds，andthesurprisingneurosciencebehindthethrillofvictory.ReminiscentofConfederatesintheAtticandtheworksofBillBryson，RammerJammerYellowHammerisnotonlyatravelstory，butaculturalanthropologyoffansthatgoesalongwaytowarddemystifyingtheuniversalurgetotakesidesandtowin.，Ajourneyintotheheartoffootballmaniafollowstheauthor'sodysseybyRVwiththeworld'smostobsessivesportsfanaticstofollowAlabamafansandtheirCrimsonTideteamfromgametogameacrosstheSouth.