Intersting observation from outside of MS

Back several weeks ago there were topics discussing the recognition by people nationally of UM and not MSU, and most of the local state fans don't really understand it or believe it. I have lived in South Carolina for only 2 years and it has really bothered me how many people have no idea there is a difference between Mississippi State University and Ole Miss. I work in the world of sports and athletes every day and even the hard core sports fans and collegiate athletes get us confused regularly. Examples: 1) talking with collegiate basketball player (Div II) and tell him I graduated from State and he replies "Yall have that white guy that runs his mouth a lot and can shoot threes like crazy" (Obviously Marshall Henderson) 2) Die Hard south Carolina fan talking about football one day, tell him im a Mississippi state grad (with a MSU coffee mug in hand) says something about Michael Oher playing for us!!! 3) Walk into a vintage sports clothing store and they have every school and team under the sun.....I find 1 state shirt and at least 3-4 different Ole Miss hats and shirts and sweatshirts...etc 4) Tervis Tumbeler Store here in town.....1 State cup in each size.....3-4 different designs of ole Miss cups in each size. 5) person asks about KKK rallies on our campus 6) person states they cant believe the riots that happened on our campus when the James Meredith came to our school (Im sure they saw the ESPN special). Im sure there have been other instances, but these are the first that come to mind. I could understand if I was out west or up north....but COME ON.....im still in SEC country for Christ sake!!!!!!

Just frustrating...........

When I visited Washington state it was the same thing. "You guys are Ole Miss, right"?

And more disturbing - "Is Mississippi really like that?" I said, "no more racist than the rest of the country. The media just likes to sensationalize."

most decent football fans know the difference, just like we know the difference in Arizona and Arizona State. However, I do think you're right that the general public doesn't really segregate much between the two when on the outside looking in. I think it's our job to educate them on the difference.

to get it wrong in SEC country is an embarrassment to the south.

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Originally Posted by Political Hack

most decent football fans know the difference, just like we know the difference in Arizona and Arizona State. However, I do think you're right that the general public doesn't really segregate much between the two when on the outside looking in. I think it's our job to educate them on the difference.

to get it wrong in SEC country is an embarrassment to the south.

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True....shoulda said die hard South Carolina and Clemson fans get us confused.... most of the "real" football fans do know....but it definitely is eye opening on how much easier it is for them to get their name out there and be more recognized in the sports world than it is us. I definitely correct them and school them on the differences also....

I experienced this same sort of thing when I lived in North Carolina in the early 2000's. Actual questions I had to endure..like, " Oh you like "Mississippi"... so who's Ole Miss?..it seems that eveyone had heard of Ole Miss but never heard of MSU. "Y'all have a casino in MS?" " Is it really hotter down there than here"? We had a tremendous snow in Raleigh the first year I was there, in 99, and was asked if I had ever seen snow in my life. One morning at my apartment, I was walking to my car (still had MS tag) and was asked by a white construction worker how the race relations were in Mississippi. I told him that the Dixie Mafia was terrorizing the place and had just replaced the KKK. He wanted to hear more but I had to go to work.

When you leave the deep south, Mississippi is considered a third world country, no exaggeration! It's worse in the Northeast than anywhere, but the west coast is also very bad.

I think we may actually have one of the more knowledgeable fanbases out there, for how much shit talk we give ourselves. I've never once heard in conversation a mixup of Arizona/St, Michigan/St UNC/State/Wake/Duke Tx/AM/Tech Oklahoma/St Kansas/St Iowa/St etc etc etc.

I give this as to the general lack of sidewalk fan in our ranks.

Well I live in Georgia and this sort of stuff happens all the time. The other day I answered my door and it was a guy selling window treatments - I had on a shirt with the maroon M-State logo and he asked me if I went to Michigan State. This is two states away. In the same town the SEC championship game is played. People ask me all the time, "is that the same thing as ole miss". Real football fans know the difference, it's mostly women and guys who don't follow football closely. But still, it effects things. There are a lot of people in the community I live in that go to ole miss simply because of the image - the grove, money, Greek life, etc. MSU is a cow college that doesn't have a business school and people with money don't attend. We know that isn't true, but it only really matters what the perception is until they actually come to visit the school.

I have a friend that brings recent college grads to our area(Tupelo) to do "apprenticeships" for him. These kids are from different areas of the country. I find it really funny that most people don't distinguish too. I make sure these dumb kids realize that there is a distinct difference between The University of Slave Terms and The People's University.

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Originally Posted by The Croom Diaries

Well I live in Georgia and this sort of stuff happens all the time. The other day I answered my door and it was a guy selling window treatments - I had on a shirt with the maroon M-State logo and he asked me if I went to Michigan State.

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I get the "ahh Michigan or Michigan state grad?" all the time....maroon MSU flag on house and wooden bulldog in front yard and all. Huge M state logo on truck and first question is always Michigan or Michigan state....

I worked in California and a waitress asked me if I went to school in Mississippi, my wife and I both had MSU shirts on. She stated a friend went to college in ms to Miss Ole' or something like that. Ole' like the bull fighting term.

I'll tell you one area of the country that dang sure knows the difference between MSU & UM. Omaha. And I LOVE it!