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Auburn Students and the Reverse Rammer Jammer: Should It Be Used at Non-Iron Bowl Events?

By Nathan Deal

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“RAMMER JAMMER, YELLOWHAMMER, GO TO HELL, ALABAMA!”

This amusingly twisted interpretation of the classic Alabama post-win chant has long been sent right back at Alabama fans after Auburn Iron Bowl wins. It’s become the icing on the cake for Tiger fans following the biggest win of the year.

However, in recent years, I’ve noticed a trend that disturbs me. The Reverse Rammer Jammer is now used before every single Auburn home game, mainly by students.

I’m currently a student at Auburn University, and gave a presentation similar to this in my recent public speaking class. For this class, I surveyed 20 of my classmates, and found that 80% of them participate in the Reverse Rammer Jammer before every game.

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I get it. Students don’t like Alabama. The survey showed that 16 out of the 20 people in my class dislike or hate Alabama’s football program. Ironically, the four that said they don’t hate Alabama all said that they participate in the Reverse Rammer Jammer before every Auburn game anyways. I found that both odd and fascinating.

My simple advice to my fellow students regarding frequent use of the Reverse Rammer Jammer is this: stop it.

Yes, the Reverse Rammer Jammer is fun to say. It’s fun to take a dig at our old rival at any given opportunity. However, it’s pointless if Auburn isn’t actually playing Alabama, and it borders on making fans simply look bad or obsessed with the Crimson Tide.

Auburn fans have a good reputation. No, I’m not saying that as a biased homer. There’s plenty of evidence to support this claim.

According to an article by FOX Sports, after Texas A&M’s win over Auburn, Auburn staff helped a recent A&M graduate search for his class ring for an hour after the game was over. A few days later, Auburn staff found the ring and mailed it to him back in College Station. The A&M grad sent a public letter in response said Auburn was his favorite road game experience and called Auburn an “incredible place to visit.”

In September 2010, the South Carolina student newspaper, The Daily Gamecock, published an article proclaiming that “Auburn hospitality sets standards”, and that Gamecocks students and fans could learn a lot about hospitality from Auburn fans. This piece goes so far as to say, “If we have to lose, we’ll lose there every time. From what we saw, you gave us the best of the South and the best college football has to offer.”

Nov 30, 2013; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers cornerback Chris Davis (11) is interviewed after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan Hare Stadium. Auburn Tigers won 34-28. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Later that season, after the Tigers won the national title, an article by Oregon-based Examiner referred to Auburn fans at the BCS National Championship Game as “extremely gracious”, even after the game, when Tiger fans had bragging rights.

Auburn fans do have a classy image to uphold. That image is partially threatened when students do the Reverse Rammer Jammer EVERY. SINGLE. SATURDAY.

Using the chant any time we’re not playing Alabama could make it seem like Auburn fans are classless and obsessed with Alabama at all times. I feel that going out of our way to scream, “Go to Hell, Alabama!” when there are non-Auburn fans in the stadium could cause some to wonder if the tales of Auburn’s class are overblown.

Imagine, if you will, being an LSU fan visiting Jordan-Hare for the Auburn-LSU game earlier this year. It’s a big game. #5 Auburn is hosting #15 LSU in a game with national and SEC West implications (or so it seemed at the time, but that’s beside the point). You watch as the student section erupts into, “GO TO HELL, ALABAMA!” If you’re that LSU fan, you’re likely thinking, “Why are they so obsessed with Alabama? Are they completely unaware they’re playing LSU tonight?”

Imagine being an Auburn fan at an Auburn-LSU game in Baton Rouge, and the crowd erupts into “F— YOU, SABAN!” That would likely confuse you and make you wonder why LSU fans are so focused on something so irrelevant.

Auburn fans get upset when Alabama refers to Auburn as Alabama’s “little brother.” That’s an inaccurate statement, since there are far too many differences between Auburn and Alabama for them to be related in any way other than being in the same state. However, consistently doing the Reverse Rammer Jammer before every game makes it seem like Auburn fans are obsessed with Alabama at all times, which makes said fans easy targets.

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    • The whole purpose of the Reverse Rammer Jammer is to direct it at Alabama. You can’t direct it at Alabama if Alabama isn’t even there.

    There’s a time and a place for the Reverse Rammer Jammer. That would be after any Auburn sports win over Alabama. Take this past year’s Iron Bowl, for example.

    All those people on the field, including myself, participated in the best Reverse Rammer Jammer of all time after the Tigers’ spectacular, SEC West-clinching win over #1 Alabama. It’s moments like those that make the Reverse Rammer Jammer so much fun in the first place.

    Using it before every single game not only is a waste of time and energy that makes fans look bad to outsiders, but it also dilutes the meaning and actual fun of doing it in the first place.

    Auburn has a plethora of cheers. Bodda Getta. Track ‘Em. Two Bits. What’s That Spell. Using the Reverse Rammer Jammer at any non-Iron Bowl event simply feels forced.

    In the words of Bane from The Dark Knight Rises, “Now is not the time for expressing your distaste for Alabama. That comes later.”

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