Help bestow the title of #1 IU fan on this Jasper-native

Congratulations to Josh Vollmer for winning the Ultimate Hoosier Fan contest.

Personally, I’ve always felt that before you can have one of those license plates that says “#1 Fan” of anything, you need to have won some sort of contest. Otherwise, are you really the #1 fan?

Imagine two fans standing on a narrow plank over a pool of empty chili dog wrappers and nacho boxes from the most recent Big Ten game. They face off wearing nothing but giant foam fingers and face paint, thfwapting each other into submission and a short ride into rancid left over nacho cheese and discarded ends of chili-soaked hotdog buns.

Greatest American Ninja watch out as hundreds of wannabe #1 fans clamor through single elimination brackets to become the Last Standing Fan. You deserve that license plate, mug, T-shirt and commemorative giant foam finger. Display that #1 Fan license plate with pride until next year when you return to defend your #1 status.

Alas, we live in a civilized society (the denigration of our election process aside) and this may never occur, but we can always dream. In the meantime though, Indiana University is giving us a chance to choose the “Ultimate Hoosier Fan”, and Jasper has another chance to shine by winning something (it’s been a great year for that).

Josh Vollmer is a 2012 graduate of Jasper High School who is attending IU and majoring in Psychology. He says there was no other college he wanted to go to.

“I really became obsessed with Indiana and Indiana Basketball my senior year in high school,” he explained. “IU was the only school I applied to. I applied the first day I could, and I found out that I was accepted the first week of school. Since then, I’ve been collecting any memorabilia I can find.”

Josh isn’t the only fan in the family, most of them follow IU as well. “My dad, two of my uncles, my aunt, and two of my cousins have attended IU,” he said. “My dad left IU right before they won the championship in 1981, and my uncle was a freshman here when they won the championship in 1987.”

As many fans have, Josh has his own first great Hoosier moment. “My first great Hoosier moment was being at the Ohio State game on New Year’s Eve, when IU beat #2 OSU in a very close game,” he said. “It was a magical experience because it was only my second game at Assembly Hall.”

With all of this family history and passion for IU, Josh applied for the “Ultimate Hoosier Fan” and was chosen as one of the final eight. Now he is asking his community to come to his assistance in winning the title by voting for him here. (You need a Facebook account to vote. Scroll down until you find Josh’s name, click the “Vote” button and it will open a Facebook App. Vote today and everyday until November 16)

If he wins, he’ll receive two VIP tickets to the December 19 game against Mount Saint Mary. He says he won’t reveal who he plans on taking; it’s a secret.

So go vote and then we’ll be home to the top Super 46 Sandwich, State Band Champion, and Ultimate Hoosier Fan. And who knows, maybe some Wednesday night I’ll turn on the TV and there will be Jeff Probst having starving Survivor contestants beat each other up with giant foam fingers adorned with tribal logos for a prize of unlimited chili dogs, nachos and beer. Survivor, I’m your #1 fan.