I had my fourth away game experience when I went to Auburn, Ala., to see LSU play this past weekend.It was a good time, and I list Auburn as one of my favorite college gameday experiences. But one bad apple left a sour taste in my mouth.Nearly everyone was gracious in welcoming me to the city and hoped I enjoyed myself, but one guy thought he’d be bold enough to actually call me the “n-word.”I’ll admit, I don’t have high regards for the state that tried to force Rosa Parks to the back of a bus, forced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to march from Selma to Montgomery so people like my grandparents could have their basic civil rights and had a governor who defied the Alabama National Guard by refusing to let blacks enter the state’s largest college.But with all that negative history, I never expected to be told to “Move out of the way, nigger” while lining up outside the stadium to get in.The instance reminded me of a quote by my favorite comedian, Dave Chappelle:”Have you ever had something happen that was so racist that you didn’t even get mad? You was like, ‘God damn that was racist!'”That’s exactly how it felt. I didn’t even have the capacity to respond because I was caught so off guard.To top things off, this wasn’t the first instance of racism I’ve had to deal with while trying to enjoy a football game. I had the unfortunate experience of driving to Oxford, Miss., in 2007.Aside from Oxford being where fun goes to die, I had to see dozens of confederate flags and listen to men sing “Dixie.”I respect other schools’ traditions no matter how backward or racist I perceive them to be, so that didn’t bother me.What bothered me was a grown man asking me when I was let out of prison to come see the game as if — just because I’m black — I’ve committed enough crimes by the age of 20 to warrant serving hard time. I’ve only had one run-in with the law, and it was for speeding.Maybe I’ve been sheltered growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, but I honestly can’t recall an instance when an “adult” picked on me because of my race.It was only these two idiots coming to see teams — ironically enough — comprised mostly of people who look like me.My other two away trips saw no instances of bigotry. For that, I’d like to thank the lovely people of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Tulane fans in New Orleans.In 2008 — a year that has seen a black man leading most national polls to become the next president — there are still people ignorant enough to try to offend me because I don’t have to tan and my hair is a coarser texture. And I think it’s ridiculous.I don’t really care if people hate me. But if you are going to, at least have a real reason.Don’t hate me because I’m black. Hate me because I’m a national champion, and you aren’t. – – – -Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]