Boy oh boy have you two hit the nail on the head. No one could tell me this isn't true after my last eight years of going to games. In that small time frame, there is a noticeable difference in the fans, atmosphere, and game day environment at Alabama. It's all about the lavish bought tailgates, expensive boxes, advertisement costs, how you dress, being seen, and how drunk you can get.
There is such an arrogance out of the fans "knowing" they are going to win they don't scream and yell, they don't stay the whole game, and don't arrive on time. Tuscaloosa is a pretty crappy game day experience these days compared to others. Excitement is in the air, but it's not the students, or the older fans, it's more of the first timers or people that get into town a couple times of year like myself. Campus is roped off like crazy, Yniversity being understood though. Everything is corporate from The Quad tailgating all the way through Downtown with bars and restaurants eating up most of the real estate at which to tailgate on without having to ride a bus to the stadium. There have been a few that have said the stadium was loud, Mississippi State game in particular, but I gave my tickets to my boss who graduated from Alabama in the late 90,s. He's been to all the big games throughout the years, but said the crowd was upsettingly quiet compared to so many other game days in years before.
Sorry for the rant, but I have felt like this before and didn't think anyone else had noticed or would be negative towards my thoughts on the matter. Girls fight to see who can show off the most skin and how sloppy they can get drinking. The guys roll with it, drink, and are already talking about the late nights around town. You never hear talk about the game, the opponent, or the team. Money has killed the vibe in Tuscaloosa. I've spoken many times about people being priced out of Gameday and the city as a whole, so just glad others have noticed as well that the fire just ain't there like in the past. A total reset is neccesssry.