Maybe you don't believe Scott Bottoms. Maybe you think his 30-second clip on ESPN.com isn't persuading enough to convince you that he deserves to be named the No. 1 fan in the country. Maybe you need to hear it from someone in authority who has been impacted by Bottoms' devotion. Someone like, say, Al Groh.
At the end of Virginia's 29-17 win over Georgia Tech last November, the Virginia football coach was so moved by the fan support that he decided to jump into the stands, Lambeau-leap style. He chose to jump right into the arms of Bottoms.
"He's a die-hard fan," rising fourth-year College student John Nader said of Bottoms, also a rising fourth year in the College. "His enthusiasm is amazing and he always makes it out to games. He travels to away games as well. Weather is not going to stop him -- he's going to do whatever it takes."
The intensity of Bottoms' devotion was enough for ESPN.com to nominate him, along with 24 other fanatics for the honor of being crowned the nation's No. 1 fan.
The contest began last Friday and continues for the next four weeks. The first period of voting ends tomorrow, and the top 15 vote-getters will advance. Over the following three Fridays, the field will be narrowed to 10, five and finally, the sole winner -- the No. 1 fan in the nation. If Bottoms finishes first, he wins a free vacation and a Toyota Tacoma.
Each contestant has a brief video clip on the Web site explaining their commitment to his or her team and what they believe it means to be a real fan. Bottoms spoke with ESPN right after last season's Virginia-Virginia Tech basketball game on the eve of the yearly football contest between the two heated rivals.
"I'm going to camp out tonight," Bottoms said in the clip. "It's going to be like 30 degrees, I don't really care. I have to be in the front row. I'm going in body paint, it doesn't matter -- all out."
Bottoms, who transferred to Virginia for the spring semester of his second year, was shocked and thrilled when he found out he was a contestant.
"I was incredibly excited, I didn't expect it at all," Bottoms said. "I had no idea. When they interviewed us, they didn't mention it. I wasn't performing for anybody when they filmed me."
Bottoms said that the ESPN officials told him that they were filming clips they might use on the network at a later date. On July 12, he received a letter informing him that he might be one of the contestants. A week and a half later, he checked the Web site and saw his face and video posted.
ESPN did wind up using some of the footage they filmed of Bottoms in a commercial for its network. The spot includes Bottoms stating his name and his hometown, followed by him screaming "Go Hoos!"
But airtime on a national basic cable network is not enough for Bottoms. He is determined to earn the title as the nation's No. 1 fan.
"I've scoped out the competition and I think my chances are great," Bottoms said. "I'm one of the only young, college-age contestants. The bright orange color and the helmet stands out and I seem more passionate than most of the others."
The orange construction helmet Bottoms is donning in the video is part of his "uniform" during basketball games. He wears the helmet, equipped with cup holders on each side, along with a bright orange construction vest to each game -- where he can usually be found in the front row of the student section. He even tried to add big orange duck feet to his costume, but found that they were too much of a nuisance going up and down the stairs when he had to use the bathroom.
Bottoms is hoping that his crazy antics and hard-core fanaticism will translate to votes in the ESPN.com contest.
"I represent the passion not only of a true U.Va. fan, but of every dedicated fan out there," Bottoms said. "I have as much passion, dedication and loyalty as anybody."
On at least one occasion that passion, dedication and loyalty has exceeded that of even the most dedicated supporters that Bottoms cheers with.
"He's always the first one to volunteer to body-paint himself at football games -- even when it's 20 degrees," rising fourth-year College student Lee Martin said. "At the Virginia Tech game, he wanted to get seven or eight people to spell out each letter of 'Virginia' on their chests, but that didn't work out. It was just too cold, no one else was willing to do it."
No, the weather or the possibility of public embarrassment are never obstacles to Bottoms. It's only other people's sanity that sometimes stands in his way.
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