He's Not the Man I Married...

Way back in 1999 when Jeremy and I began dating, I accepted a little known fact about him without thinking, or worrying, too much about it: he was a Tennessee Volunteers fan. Ugh. It was bad, but at least he wasn't an Alabama fan. That would have been criminal. Jeremy's dad is from Tennessee so I guess you could say he inherited it. I was a student at Auburn University, member of the AU marching band, and I am still a die hard Auburn fan.

I know, I know, it was a house divided from the beginning and I should have seen problems up ahead, but alas, I was too blinded by love. I even went so far to venture into the Tennessee bookstore when I was in the Auburn band and Auburn played Tennessee. I bought Jeremy a few Tennessee things as souvenirs. I loved him after all, and I was willing to look like a traitor to my own kind to prove that love. I was even willing to allow Tennessee clothes when Jackson was born and I tried to tell myself it was simply a different shade of orange, and thank goodness, that it wasn't crimson and white.

Fast forward to 2008...

For those of you reading that are familiar with SEC football, one of the biggest rivalries anywhere is that of Auburn and Alabama. We despise each other. If you ever move in state, you have to declare whether you are "for" Auburn or Alabama as soon as you cross the state line, right along with getting your drivers license transferred. It's like the law here. We carry our rivalry year round, and as soon as one football season is over we begin goading each other over the upcoming season and who will beat whom next year.

Ya'll, we take it real serious down here...

Imagine my shock and surprise when at the beginning of this football season Jeremy tells me that Alabama looks pretty good this year. I shot him a dirty look and proceeded to ignore the comment. The comments have just kept coming over the past 5 games, to the point that during the Georgia game Jeremy said the words that I have been dreading hearing....

He told me that he likes Alabama. (Insert sounds of wailing and gnashing of teeth)

Ya'll, that is a serious marital offense. You can't just up and trade teams like that down in the south, especially from Auburn to Alabama. It's like our 11th Commandment, Thou Shalt Not Like Alabama Football.

I was willing to abandon my own kind and marry a Tennessee fan, but I seriously don't know what to do with this. In Jeremy's defense, he claims that he told me way back when that he liked Alabama, but either he told me and I blocked it out to protect myself, or he never told me that.

I'm betting he never told me....

He also said that he knows he is a total bandwagon fan, and that since they are really good this year (and Tennessee stinks) that he knows he is a fair weather fan. You know what I have to say to that...Baloney!!! You are supposed to stick with your team through thick and thin, even when they stink. I have tried convincing Jeremy that he doesn't in fact like Alabama, that they are terrible, and that if he REALLY loved me, that he would only like Auburn.

He's not biting...

So, for the time being it looks like I am truly living in a house divided. It's hard, but he's worth it. No, he's not the man I married, but I guess I can put up with this new side of him anyways. After all, I did promise "for better or for worse."