The [Jameis] Winston rape allegation coverage has changed this fan base. That year and half of constant negative publicity forced FSU fans to circle the wagons and become a unified force against those who would seek to discredit Winston, the program, or the University. They saw any attack on Winston as not just an attack to the individual player, but to the legacy of Florida State. With #FSUTwitter leading the way, they took on an “us against the world” mentality and embraced the evil empire role.

The most recent acts of violence against women by two FSU players has emboldened what was an already ill-tempered, constantly on-guard fan base.

… They still want to believe Jameis Winston is innocent and will likely defend Dalvin Cook until he’s either found innocent or some type of video shows up laying all doubt to rest of his guilt.

As easy as it would be for me to do so, I find it hard to blame them for that. Not for the acts of victim shaming or social media attacks by #FSUTwitter, which led me to comment that FSU has the worst fans in all of college football, but for the defense of a football team they hold near and dear to their hearts…

Unfortunately for Tallahassee and its citizens, FSU fans or not, it is our turn to take the brunt of a world that is quick to judge and slow to understand.

How quick we are to judge, how slow we are to understand, the confused minds of people like this writer. On one hand, a unified force of FSU fans together faces a hostile world. On the other hand, an ill-tempered and borderline-paranoid fan base, “the worst fans in all of college football,” lashes out at us. All or some?

And whichever it is, what precisely do we fail to understand?

The writer does not tell us. He simply tell us that FSU fans love their football team. Does he understand that you can love something unworthy of your love? Lots of football (and basketball) fans change allegiance when they’re so disgusted with a team that they can’t enjoy watching it anymore.

What am I failing to understand here? That there’s something virtuous about continuing to defend with angry belligerence a team that for ten years has been a scandal and a laughingstock? That there’s some atavistic FSU football-love that no one will ever truly be able to understand/explain/justify, but the rest of us have to honor it, and sympathize with the humiliation people who experience this love have to undergo?

FSU football is and has long been a contemptible program. If you can continue to love – passionately love – something this contemptible, there’s something wrong with you.