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Baseball: How the Ragin’ Cajun compares to the Ole Miss fanMegan Wyatt, The Advertiser, June 5, 2014 You have the typical Ragin’ Cajuns fan, who wears a red T-shirt, a pair of shorts and a baseball cap while dining on jambalaya or barbecue for tailgate food. Compare that to the typical Ole Miss fan, who wears a seersucker suit or sundress while dining on tailgate treats of finger sandwiches and deviled eggs on white linens. At M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field this weekend, the two sets of fans who might come closest to being exact opposites come together for the NCAA Super Regional. PHOTOS: 10 things Ole Miss should know about Cajun fans MORE: UL baseball attendance rivals that of bigger schools MORE: It’s very necessary: Cajuns crush Bulldogs "At the heart of it, the Ole Miss fan is the same as the Cajuns fan," says Lafayette attorney Jonathan Jarrett, a Mississippi Delta native who earned his undergraduate degree from Ole Miss in 2007. Jarrett, who has lived in Lafayette for the past four years, describes Ole Miss as suffering from "delusions of grandeur" that prides itself in losing the game but not the party. "I swear I owned a pair of pants with embroidered Scotty dogs on them," Jarrett said. "I’ve never owned a Scotty dog. The point is: We show our dedication to our school’s traditions by dressing to the nines. Girls wear heels and pearls." Although Jarrett wouldn’t describe himself as a diehard Cajuns fan, he does regularly attend games with his family. "I associate UL athletics with community involvement and family," Jarrett said. "I can take my kids, and it’s really something they can enjoy with me, whereas the Ole Miss environment is one you don’t exactly want kids to be in." Jarrett plans to watch the NCAA Super Regional games this weekend, although he was unable to get tickets. He also expects to burst into the infamous "Hotty Toddy" cheer multiple times this weekend as he crosses the paths of other Ole Miss fans. "We represent something that has been lost — Southern pride," Jarrett said. "We live it and exemplify it." Ole Miss fans bring a football mentality to the baseball diamond, said Bill Bunting, the associate director of athletics, media and public relations for Ole Miss. "People are coming in their RVs," Bunting said. "It’s a whole weekend event, not just a one-day thing." Ole Miss fans also will likely dress more casually this weekend in khaki shorts and polo shirts, Bunting said. Aside from the infamous "Hotty Toddy" cheer, Cajuns fans can expect to hear a drawn-out "Ball Four" cheer and a "Throw it in the dirt" echo. "There won’t be a ton of Ole Miss fans there," Bunting said. "But you’ll hear it." What Ole Miss fans should recognize immediately in Ragin’ Cajun territory is the hospitality. "We treat the visiting fans to the tailgating fun, and they get fed," said John Dugas, UL’s associate athletic director for internal affairs. "Some fans worry when they’re the visitor with a hat or shirt from their schools, but our fans look at it as ‘We’re proud of what we have cooked.’ They’ll take care of you." What Ole Miss needs to know about Ragin’ Cajuns fans 1. We’re not fancy. T-shirts, baseball caps and shorts suit us just fine. 2. We’re hospitable. We might talk a little smack, but at the end of the day, we’ll welcome you to a sausage po’boy and a plate of jambalaya. 3. Our mascot is a pepper named Cayenne. 4. We dance – not the bouncing-in-your-seat kind of dancing, the two-steppin’-in-the-aisles kind of dancing. 5. Section A of "The Tigue" has its own Twitter handle, @SaidAtTheTigue. 6. We can’t be silenced. When John Fogerty’s "Centerfield" plays during the seventh inning stretch, we’ll sing long after the music’s stopped and the game’s back on. 7. We watch the game. Our stadium might not be the biggest, but our fans are glued to the game. 8. We feel the same way about Louisiana State University as you do. 9. We’ve recently taken to mocking the opposing team’s stretching in between innings. Don’t take it personally. 10. We might be small, but we hold our own with the big boys. Average baseball game attendance outnumbers the seats in our stadium!
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