10 Things People in Alabama Are Weirdly Passionate About

3. Guns

Feeling protected and secure is a fundamental human right, and I’m not apologizing for it.

4. Milo’s Sweet Tea

We just really love sweet tea here. Specifically, Milo’s sweet tea. No other brand compares, and I really don’t know why they even try.

5. Local Breweries

In our opinion, Alabama makes some of the best beer in the country. We’ve got more and more craft breweries popping up all over our great state, and we will always #drinklocal.

6. College Football

We don’t have any pro teams, but we’ve got two of the best college football teams in the country, and they bring home National Championships year after year. Folks greet each other with either “Roll Tide” or “War Eagle” here, and you are expected to respond with the same. These phrases aren’t just greetings though, they’re also goodbyes, celebrations, and can often be traded out for the word “yes.” For example: “You want another beer?” “Roll Tide!”

7. The Military

Say what you want, that’s your right, because they fought for it for you. In Alabama, we support our troops.

8. James Spann

Are there any other meteorologists in central Alabama? Are there any other meteorologists in the country? I can’t think of any. James Spann is a household name here, and we only trust him. This man utters the word “flurries,” and just like that, all of our stores are out of milk and bread.

9. Tradition

We pass down recipes and family heirlooms. We respect Alma Maters. We do the same three things for Christmas every year, and my grandmother makes the same secret punch every New Year’s Eve. There’s a comfort that comes with tradition.

10. Defending Alabama

I mean, we might not always be the happiest people in the world, but we do alright most days. We are fully aware of the outlandish clichés that we allegedly represent. We don’t have funny accents, you do! Also, so what if we eat nothing but barbecue – we’re fine. We understand that our state has a reputation, but we love her regardless. Hey, at least we’re not Mississippi!