4 days ago
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A journalist in Mississippi's viral tweet has American sports fans debating how 'weird' it is to attend a high school sporting event in another state.
Caleb Salers is a sports reporter in Mississippi. The day before a football game in Oxford between the No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels and unranked Florida Gators, he was sent a picture from a high school game.
There wasn't anything particularly bizarre about the image - just a few blue seats and some older gentlemen sitting and watching the action.
However, the men there were all wearing Florida Gators gear. This struck Salers as weird.
'Someone sent me this pitcture. This is odd behavior,' Salers posted to his X account.
It sparked a debate over whether showing up to a random high school football game - and not causing any kind of disturbance - would be considered weird.
A group of Florida fans were spotted at a high school football game in Oxford, Mississippi
The fans were in town to watch the Gators take on No. 7 Ole Miss on Saturday evening
Salers replied to one comment, 'It's weird, man. Go enjoy the nationally acclaimed restaurants Oxford has to offer or a concert taking place in one of the south's most unique college towns. Don't stalk the son of the head coach you so desperately want. Your gaslighting isn't working, fam. Move along.'
The coach in question is Ole Miss boss Lane Kiffin, whose family lives in the town. It has not been reported that the fans in question approached Kiffin at the high school football game in question.
After Florida fired head coach Billy Napier earlier this year, Kiffin emerged as one of the favorites to take over in Gainesville.
Under the replies to Salers, there was an account that claimed to be among the group of people in the picture.
He posted a response to X: 'I'm in this group. Our AirBnB is right around the corner from the stadium. Thought it would be cool to pop in and check out local FNL [Friday Night Lights].
'Lane and [comedian] Theo Von There. Cool experience, then some creep is taking our picture behind our back and posting on X. And WE'RE the weird ones...lol'.
Barstool Sports college football content creator Jack Mac posted, 'Nothing is more American than traveling to an away game with the fellas and enjoying some local HS football the night before.
'There's literal laws that protect the sanctity of this so the NFL doesn't start putting games on Friday nights (they would've by now). Nothing odd about this.'
Some thought the fans' behavior was weird - due to the presence of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin, who has been linked with the vacant Florida job, was watching his son play.
Ole Miss beat Florida 34-24 that evening, sending the Florida fans home in defeat
Others chimed in with their thoughts: 'Man how weird is this fanbase,' said one user.
'Holy shit this is weird,' read another tweet. Another chimed in to post, 'What a bunch of losers.'
But there were plenty in favor of this: 'A bunch of old dudes going to watch FNL is a pretty normal American thing to do. Especially in a town where there isn't much to do on a Friday night.'
'Normalize going to public events for entertainment,' another post read.
One posted, 'Imagine just going to the local FNL with some buddies and some loser behind you takes your picture to post it on social media. Odd behavior.'
The fans in the picture didn't go back home happy as the Gators fell to the Rebels 34-24.
