Genius Fan Rakes In Beer Money On College GameDay

By Will Burchfield
@Burchie_kid

For years, football fans have flashed creative signs on ESPN's College GameDay show. But never has anyone started a personal beer fund. Welcome to the new age.

With the ESPN pregame show at Bristol Motor Speedway to promote tonight's Tennessee-Virginia Tech game, a fan by the name of Sam Crowder used the platform to his advantage. He reached out to his mom for beer money and hundreds of viewers came to his aid.

Short on cash, thirsty for beer. It's a relatable situation.

Crowder's sign featured his username on Venmo, a popular app that allows for the speedy exchange of money between family, friends and...total strangers, as it turns out. While it's unclear exactly how much money Crowder has received, his profile page on Venmo is flooded with donations.

With a simple sign, Crowder has become one of the stories of the day in college football. Human empathy crossed with social media -- it's a powerful combination.

Some additional highlights:

The donations continue to roll in by the second, now numbering well over 1,000.  And somewhere in Bristol, a wobbly, bleary-eyed Crowder is likely raising a beer and smiling at his good fortune.