FanPost

Hoosier Nation: Defined.

(This post originally appears on Herman Wells Shag and Dash. If you like it, follow me on tumblr or twitter @ni3t .)

Venerable Indiana University. An institution of Light and Truth to the citizens of our 19th state since 1820, innumerable in praises be upon thee. In thy infinite wisdom, please accept my analyses of our fanbase, as I have spent over 3 hours typing this tonight. In the name of Tijan, his Liger, and the candy-stripes, Amen.

Recently on mgoblog, a blog post by MVictors was brought to light, in which they dissected and analyzed the Skunkbear fanbase. Although it was hard to understand why anyone would Hail to the Mother ****ers in Ann Arbor, I thought it would be better to perform a similar analysis on the Hoosier Nation. Why? Because “It’s Indiana.” Also because I’ve been thinking of starting a blog about IUBB for a while but never had that “dynamite piece of analysis” to start it with.

I think MVictor’s analysis of a fanbase in general (80-10-10) is a little bit off. I think:
About 70% of fans are casual fans (i.e. they watch the games on TV, wear IU garb, and generally don’t have any extreme views about the team)
About 20% are serious fans (will get into lengthy discussions about the team, and may have a deeper view concerning IU)
And about 10% are hardcore fans. (Generally the ones that participate in the liveblogs during the game, post on Peegs, and spend a lot of time “actively trying to sway influence over other fans.”)

With the general guidelines being laid out, here’s how i see the Hoosier Nation:

The Crimson-Colored Glasses (15%)

Fiercely reminiscent of IU’s former glory, they believe that nothing but instant success following He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named’s firing is acceptable. Their worldview is skewed by the banners in Assembly Hall, and can be heard shouting from blocks away every time Jeremiah Rivers turns the ball over. (BALL CONTROL-BOBBY KNIGHT WOULDN’T ACCEPT THIS) Despite their pessimistic views of the way CTC runs his offense, they attend a large number of games and sit with the Crean-and-Crimson behind The Barrier. Generally have a middle-to-upper tier IU degree and signed memorabilia at home.

The Bloomingfoods Crew (1%)

The professors and their friends who ride their bikes to campus and spend their saturdays at the Farmer’s Market. Have never actually seen the IU basketball team play and probably couldn’t identify CTC from a lineup, but really enjoy how peaceful downtown Bloomington is when there’s a football game. (H/T MVictor) Almost always hold advanced degrees and a box at the Musical Arts Center.

The Red Sweaters (4%)

These are the fans that sit in front of the concrete in Assembly Hall. Generally have an upper-tier IU degree, preferred parking, and an account on file at the IU Foundation. Glass generally knows these boosters by name. A large number of Red Sweaters defected to join the RMK clan after 2000, but the ones that remained enjoy a much greater prominence among their ranks. They still play golf with their RMK alumni, but the conversation never strays post-Davis.

The Drunk Students (10%)

Although their presence may wane with the number of losses on the record and the particular opponent, their voices are always the loudest and most vulgar in Assembly Hall. They sit rather dispersed in the student section, unless they have courtside tickets. Usually show up 10-20 minutes late and leave after flags. Generally only attend games if they have homework due in the morning that they want to put off.

The “General Admission” Line (35%)

The GA passersby live in mid-to-southern Indiana, and grew up watching the IU teams of yesteryear. They generally don’t have an IU degree, but will shout down an opponent with innumerable facts and figures about the 1987 Steve Alford-led championship squad. Their children likely went to IU, or soon will. Considered the “blue-collar” IU fan. Only comes to one game every few years, but remembers every player from the last 20. They generally sit in the cheap seats under the balcony. Though they attend rarely, their massive numbers ensure that seats will get sold at Assembly Hall.

The Connected (7%)

Because they are by design ”future-oriented” in nature, when IU struggles, they automatically resort to calling on the promise of next year’s recruiting class as a sign of better times. They generally use their mornings to check ITH and Scoop, and spend an inordinate amount of time on Peegs at work, never hesitating to dispense their views. Almost always have a middle-tier IU degree and an unlimited data plan on their phone. The Connected come to a few games every year, but never miss a game thanks to BTN and ESPN.

The Jellisonians (3%)

Generally a subspecies of the GA Line, these fans think that the best players on the court are the ones that… to put it nicely… can’t jump very high. Unfortunately, due to our midwestern location and public school status, these fans are greater in number than we’d like to admit. Obviously led by their fearless Noblesville Times sportswriter Don Jellison, they light up every time Taylor Wayers gets in the game. Their diaspora, however, covers all ranges of education, from GED to multiple-PhD owning professors. Rarely come to games but always have an opinion on the players.

The Crean and Crimson (25%)

The more modern, middle-age IU fan. Always wears the newest Official Adidas IU gear and owns at least two IU polos, and probably drives a Nissan Maxima full of 3-4 young kids from their home in suburban Indianapolis. Definitely owns a set of IU golf headcovers, but rarely uses the clubs inside them. Generally has an middle-to-upper IU degree and high mortgage. The local C&Cs come to a couple of the home games every year and sit in the seats behind the concrete.

The Robert Montgomery Knight loyalists* (percentage incalculable)

Many of the RMK faction have been fans of Texas Tech University since late 2000. Their degrees say “Indiana University” but their sweaters have two interlocking T’s. My sister’s cheerleading coach in high school is an RMK loyalist, and named her first dog BK but her second one (post-2000) comes when you call out “Lubbock.” The RMK refuse to attend any games in the Hall, and only come around to pine for the renaming of AH to “Branch McCracken Court at Robert Montgomery Knight Hall.” Definitely have an lower-to-middle tier IU degree, but got it in the 60’s and 70’s and are therefore retired or very close to it.

*Although not technically “IU fans,” they are indubitably tied to the IU program. Their support wavers with the win-loss column, although noticeably muted. Consider them as the “Hong Kong” to IU’s China. They are by definition Hoosiers but have their own customs and rules, and spent so many years underneath the rule of RMK and are so set in their ways that they find it hard to re-assimilate with the rest of the Hoosier nation.


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