Missouridawg,
Forgive me if I came on a little heavy-handed. Upon reading what I said again, it is obnoxious. As a former Rice student (and possibly fan?), you of all people should understand how tired the old "Rice has no fans" BS gets. I don't need you to tell me I'm not smarter than everyone; I have a wife for that. I never said I was smarter than everyone and I never disparaged Miss. State as an academic institution. I think you are a) making some broad generalizations about a fanbase and b) interjecting some of your personal misgivings into this situation. Maybe I pressed a button but your response seems like a bit of an overreaction to me. Maybe I should have just let nashdog's jab lie, but that just seems to reinforce the "no fans" stereotype. I am going to support my school and my team because that's what a fan does. As for our football not being good, I guess we'll find out on New Years' Eve.
P.S. Can somebody explain the significance of 17? I don't get it.
This board can be a lot of fun, but we get enough of that "holier than thou" from Ole Miss. No need for you guys to do it. I hope you stick around here and have a little fun, but lets call a spade a spade. Rice won't have 5000 fans at the Liberty Bowl. Making jabs at their attendence on an MSU message board should be expected. Not sure why that caught you off-guard. You can address that "no-fans" stereotype in many different and more constructive ways than you choose to do here.
In regards to fandom, I don't think I could call myself a fan of Rice. As a baseball guy, I go to a few Rice games a year, but I usually sit there while listenting to MSU play. My fandom lies in with MSU first and foremost. Mizzou second, as I grew up a fan of them. And then, if there was a 3rd team, it would probably be Rice (or Baylor, as I've grown to like them the last 4 or 5 years). I've tailgated at Rice, but only watched the one quarter of actual Rice football (last year against U of H at Reliant). I can't force myself to watch Rice play when there is quality football on the TV.
And for your notes, when you use the word erudite, it means you think you are better than someone. Even moreso on a sports message board. Save that elitist grammar ******** for someone who gives a 17.