The Tigers embraced the “F ’em” energy. The real test comes when Memphis fans are asked to accept that same energy in return.
Memphis fans are right to enjoy a team that plays with emotion. They are right to like a coach and roster that are tired of being overlooked. And they are right to see a raw, heated postgame moment as evidence that this team has an edge.
Memphis Can’t Cry Foul Later
But fans need to be honest about what they are endorsing. The question is not whether “F ’em” belongs in football. It does. Football players talk. Coaches talk. Locker rooms are emotional places, especially after a comeback win. The question is whether Memphis fans will keep that same perspective once another team says it about the Tigers.
The Standard Cannot Change
Right now, the defense is easy: It is just locker-room talk. It is passion. It is not meant to be taken personally. It is a team believing in itself.
Fine. But that cannot be true only because Memphis is the team saying it. When another school beats the Tigers and posts a video screaming “F Memphis,” Tigers fans cannot suddenly decide that it is classless. They cannot say Memphis was disrespected. They cannot complain that an opponent made the win personal.
Not if they are applauding the exact same behavior today. Either it is part of football’s emotional culture, or it is an unnecessary public shot. It cannot become acceptable only when the Memphis logo is on the screen.
Fans Will Feel Different
The truth is that most Memphis fans will feel differently when the script flips. They will see rival fans flooding the comments. They will see national accounts reposting it for laughs. They will see Memphis turned into the opponent’s content, its loss used as somebody else’s declaration of toughness. And the reaction will be predictable: anger, outrage, and demands for respect.
That reaction will be human. Fans are not supposed to enjoy their team being mocked. But it will also expose a clear double standard. Memphis fans cannot demand that other teams show restraint while celebrating their own team’s decision to show none.
Relevance Brings Return Fire
This is what Memphis wants, whether fans say it out loud or not. The Tigers want to matter enough that opponents circle the game. They want bigger stages, more recruiting battles, more national conversation, and more respect.
That also means Memphis becomes a target. Programs that matter get talked about. These same programs that win get mocked when they lose. Programs with swagger get their swagger thrown back at them. Memphis fans cannot want the attention while demanding immunity from the backlash.
So enjoy the attitude. Celebrate the fire. Believe that Memphis is building something worth defending. Just remember it the next time an opponent beats the Tigers, turns on a camera, and says, “F Memphis.”
