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Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (Abridged): A Journey into the Heart of Fan Mania Audiobook
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(4.01) - 821 listener ratings
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"Fresh and funny… St. John has crafter a winner.” —Tony Horwitz, author of Confederates in the Attic In the life of every sports fan, there comes a moment of reckoning. It may happen when your team wins on a last-second field goal and you suddenly find yourself clenched in a loving embrace with a large hairy man you’ve never met. . . . Or in the long, hormonally depleted days after a loss, when you’re felled by a sensation similar to the one you first experienced following the death of a pet. At such moments the fan is forced to confront the question others—spouses, friends, children, and colleagues—have asked for years: Why do I care? What is it about sports that turns otherwise sane, rational people into raving lunatics? Why does winning compel people to tear down goalposts, and losing, to drown themselves in bad keg beer? In short, why do fans care? In search of the answers to these questions, Warren St. John seeks out the roving community of RVers who follow the Alabama Crimson Tide from game to game across the South. A movable feast of Weber grills, Igloo coolers, and die-hard superstition, these are characters who arrive on Wednesday for Saturday’s game: Freeman and Betty Reese, who skipped their own daughter’s wedding because it coincided with a Bama game; Ray Pradat, the Episcopalian minister who watches the games on a television set beside his altar while performing weddings; John Ed (pronounced as three syllables, John Ay-ud), the wheeling and dealing ticket scalper whose access to good seats gives him power on par with the governor; and Paul Finebaum, the Anti-Fan, a wisecracking sports columnist and talk-radio host who makes his living mocking Alabama fans—and who has to live in a gated community for all the threats he receives in response. In no time at all, St. John himself is drawn into the world of full-immersion fandom: he buys an RV (a $5,500 beater called The Hawg) and joins the caravan for a football season, chronicling the world of the extreme fan and learning that in the shadow of the stadium, it can all begin to seem strangely normal. Along the way, St. John takes readers on illuminating forays into the deep roots of humanity’s sports mania (did you know that tailgaters could be found in eighth-century Greece?), the psychology of crowds, and the surprising neuroscience behind the thrill of victory. Reminiscent of Confederates in the Attic and the works of Bill Bryson, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer is not only a travel story, but a cultural anthropology of fans that goes a long way toward demystifying the universal urge to take sides and to win.
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"This book was awesome! It was recommended by a friend who went to Alabama, and really gave interesting insight into the world of SEC football and the fanatic fans. Coming from an ACC background, it helped explain rivalries, etc. I really liked it!"
— Ember (4 out of 5 stars)
Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer Listener Reviews
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" If you enjoy college football or you are wanting to know why so many people enjoy college football, read this book. It is a fast read, funny and informative about the game on Fall Saturdays. "
— Greg, 1/29/2014 -
" The author re-explores his childhood fandom of Alabama football. A very interesting inside look at the extremes fans will go to. RVs getting 4 miles to the gallon, tailgating for weeks, and taking yourself of organ donation lists to make away games. "
— Mike, 1/18/2014 -
" Great bookfor anyone who has a passion for college sports especially fotball. "
— Maria, 1/9/2014 -
" This book was not a usual choice for me, and learning about the world of the sports fan was fun...at first. I found it got samey after awhile. But it was easy to pick up and read a few pages on the train. "
— Julie, 1/9/2014 -
" This book truly gives you a great trip down memory lane if you attended a University in the SEC!!! Great read for Bama Fans especially! "
— Molly, 1/2/2014 -
" LOVED! Anyone that has experienced Alabama football will love this book. It is so funny and he is an excellent storyteller. Warren St. John really wraps up the SEC experience for Alabama football fans! "
— Morgan, 12/4/2013 -
" Just a lot of fun. Helped me understand Alabama's football craze, especially while Sean was doing an internship in Birmingham. "
— Janet, 11/30/2013 -
" Ineresting book about the psychology of being a fan. "
— Donell, 10/29/2013 -
" A magnificent look into the Bama Football fandom that attends games in a traveling RV roadshow that is something to behold. "
— Mickey, 10/29/2013 -
" Hilarious insight into the crazy culture of college football in the South. "
— Jared, 9/28/2013 -
" Excellent and funny account of the crazy RV'er Crimson Tide fans. Warren St John has an excellent eye for the telling detail that captures a scene in only a sentence or two. "
— Scott, 9/7/2013 -
" One of my favorite sports books "
— Muffy, 8/13/2013 -
" An interesting recounting of a year spent following the RV crew from one Alabama football game to the next "
— Erik, 8/5/2013 -
" A fun read, even if I had to hear way too much about ALABAMA fans.(Boo, Alabama!) ;) And let me tell you, there are some super crazy Tide fans out there! Recommended for anyone who loves college football, especially in the SEC. "
— Gretchen, 8/5/2013 -
" A must read for any bama fan. "
— Jeremy, 3/17/2013 -
" through the middle i was only getting through 10-20 pages at a time, but overall i really liked this book! clever and funny, i think anyone could really enjoy this book. "
— Dana, 10/12/2012 -
" My blog post about this book is at this link . "
— Suziqoregon, 9/8/2012 -
" interesting no matter whether you like football or not. "
— Molly, 9/2/2012 -
" This is a MUST READ for any college football fan, regardless of your team allegiance! "
— Danielle, 7/25/2012 -
" If only all sports books had this much heart (and authors with these kind of writing chops). "
— Jason, 2/17/2012 -
" A great insight into the psyche of sports fans everywhere, but in particular the peculiar obsession of Southern College Football. "
— Jed, 2/2/2012 -
" guess you had to be a Crimson Tide fan . . . "
— Susie, 5/18/2011 -
" Big Alabama fan here and still found it a bit boring. It is also dated because the stories he tells don't have a lot to do with the current team. Good book but not great. "
— William, 5/8/2011 -
" Mr. St. John and I will have to agree to disagree on much of what he says about football fandom. That being said, I enjoyed the book. It's well-written and, despite the fact that I have zero connection to the Crimson Tide, I found the subject interesting. "
— Terry, 4/8/2011 -
" As a woman who married into the religion that is Alabama Crimson Tide football, I loved reading this book about true diehard fans who go to amazing lengths to support their team. A must for the Alabama fan. "
— Jennifer, 2/20/2011 -
" Big Alabama fan here and still found it a bit boring. It is also dated because the stories he tells don't have a lot to do with the current team. Good book but not great. "
— William, 12/29/2010 -
" One of my favorite sports books "
— Muffy, 11/11/2010 -
" Ineresting book about the psychology of being a fan. "
— Donell, 11/7/2010 -
" Someday, I'll write a college basketball version of this book. That's the dream. "
— Mike, 5/14/2010 -
" It's a cliche, but it really is hard to put this one down. "
— Mike, 4/13/2010 -
" A piece of cultural anthropology like none other, I've ever read before. Entertaining, eye opening and very fast! "
— Laurel, 2/26/2010 -
" funny travel novel in a similar vein to bill bryson. totally not a college football fan, but this book caught me up in the spirit of the game and bama fandom. also: roll tide. "
— Jessica, 1/10/2010 -
" Excellent and funny account of the crazy RV'er Crimson Tide fans. Warren St John has an excellent eye for the telling detail that captures a scene in only a sentence or two. "
— Scott, 12/28/2009 -
" If only all sports books had this much heart (and authors with these kind of writing chops). "
— Jason, 12/4/2009 -
" Really entertaining. Ben's family's Alabama fanhood is incredibly mild in comparison to the people in this book. "
— JulieK, 11/23/2009 -
" A fun read, even if I had to hear way too much about ALABAMA fans.(Boo, Alabama!) ;) And let me tell you, there are some super crazy Tide fans out there! Recommended for anyone who loves college football, especially in the SEC. "
— Gretchen, 11/16/2009 -
" This book truly gives you a great trip down memory lane if you attended a University in the SEC!!! Great read for Bama Fans especially! "
— Molly, 9/23/2009
About Warren St. John
Warren St. John is the author of the national bestsellers Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Journey into the Heart of Fan Mania and Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference. A former reporter for the New York Times, he has also written extensively for the New Yorker, the New York Observer, and Wired. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, attended Columbia University, and now lives in New York City.