Fan "Rules" 101 - College & Pro

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: hdeck
So you're saying that since I graduated from UT, the only team I can cheer for and still be a "real fan" is UT? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Cheering for a team just because they are doing well makes you a bandwagon fan. Living in Houston, if I want to cheer for UH I'm going to do it, and I fail to see how it makes me a wannabe.

Pro teams are the ones you change. If you graduated from a school, that is your team no matter where you go.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: hdeck
So you're saying that since I graduated from UT, the only team I can cheer for and still be a "real fan" is UT? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Cheering for a team just because they are doing well makes you a bandwagon fan. Living in Houston, if I want to cheer for UH I'm going to do it, and I fail to see how it makes me a wannabe.

Where did I say "the only"?

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: jbourne77

Originally posted by: TheAdvocate
2. Always root for your hometown team above all else, and the city you grew up in second.

WRONG

(agree with the rest)

Why? That's the one that gets the most negative response from my friends. I think I can understand cheering for your original hometown team above all others, though. I would probably change that one if push came to shove.

 

[meltdown75]

I HOPE WE BEAT THE SHARKS TOMORROW NIGHT.

 

[Unheard]

Stupid rules. I'm a Gamecock fan because I'm from SC. There is no way in hell you're going to get me to root for the Volunteers because I live in TN. In the same regard, I'm a semi-seasonal ticket holder of the Nashville Predators, and you won't catch me cheering for the Hurricanes any time soon.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: Unheard
Stupid rules. I'm a Gamecock fan because I'm from SC. There is no way in hell you're going to get me to root for the Volunteers because I live in TN. In the same regard, I'm a semi-seasonal ticket holder of the Nashville Predators, and you won't catch me cheering for the Hurricanes any time soon.

As long as you don't cheer for the Titans it's all good. We will still welcome you if you want to drop the cocks and put on the orange!

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
First off, being a fan has zero to do with what you wrote. You pick a team for different reasons and cheer thru good and bad. Where I went to school, many of the 100,000+ fans in attendance did not go to school there and many do not even live in the state.

Ahh, a fellow Tennessee fan. Personally, I cant stand all the bubbas that run around saying "we" this and that, when most of them havent ever done more than buy a putridly bad taste t-shirt, a trucker hat, and a half price game ticket with their rent money.

You have proved your opinion on athletics should be considered crap from here on out.

Likewise, buddy.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: Unheard
Stupid rules. I'm a Gamecock fan because I'm from SC. There is no way in hell you're going to get me to root for the Volunteers because I live in TN. In the same regard, I'm a semi-seasonal ticket holder of the Nashville Predators, and you won't catch me cheering for the Hurricanes any time soon.

Where did you got to college?

And actually, if you read them correctly, I've asked no such thing of you.

 

[R Nilla]

these rules go against the very definition of "fan"...

fan
?noun
an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.: a baseball fan; a great fan of Charlie Chaplin.
[Origin: 1885?90, Americanism; short for fanatic]

?Synonyms supporter, enthusiast, partisan, booster, addict.

limits based on geography and academic attendance are irrelevant and erroneous.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: R Nilla
these rules go against the very definition of "fan"...

fan
?noun
an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.: a baseball fan; a great fan of Charlie Chaplin.
[Origin: 1885?90, Americanism; short for fanatic]

?Synonyms supporter, enthusiast, partisan, booster, addict.

limits based on geography and academic attendance are irrelevant and erroneous.

I'm not trying to define ALL fans, just REAL ones. No bandwagoners, Fairweathers, Socialites, Wannabes, etc need apply.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: TheAdvocate

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
First off, being a fan has zero to do with what you wrote. You pick a team for different reasons and cheer thru good and bad. Where I went to school, many of the 100,000+ fans in attendance did not go to school there and many do not even live in the state.

Ahh, a fellow Tennessee fan. Personally, I cant stand all the bubbas that run around saying "we" this and that, when most of them havent ever done more than buy a putridly bad taste t-shirt, a trucker hat, and a half price game ticket with their rent money.

You have proved your opinion on athletics should be considered crap from here on out.

Likewise, buddy.

As a UT fan you should realize how much $$ comes into the Univ from sources besides alumni and people who live in Knoxville. I know many who are neither alums nor residents who spend quite a bit of money to watch the Vols play. They also help support the local community more than you realize. I would much rather go to a game with someone like that than someone who thinks they are above them because of a piece of paper.

 

[mpitts]

I'm gonna ask you a question and I want an honest answer:

Do you really think I WANT to use "we" when referring to the Detroit Lions?

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
I would much rather go to a game with someone like that than someone who thinks they are above them because of a piece of paper.

A piece of paper + several years of tuition, involvement in school programs and institutions (both before and after graduation), frequent season ticket holder, and alumni giver.

Otherwise, yeah, you're all over it.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: mpitts
I'm gonna ask you a question and I want an honest answer:

Do you really think I WANT to use "we" when referring to the Detroit Lions?

Quality. :thumbsup:

 

[imported_bum]

Dumbest set of rules I've seen on anything in awhile. Why do you even care that much about how other people enjoy their sports? If some bandwagon panzy started trash talking your team, then you have a problem. But if some rich guy wants to go cheer at a game or someone watches a couple games to talk about it at work, who cares? Do you really think you should call people "wannabes" because they aren't as crazy about football as you?

Paying hundreds or thousands of dollars to watch your team play does not, in any way, make you a better fan. I DARE you to go into a local bar and tell them to be quiet because they are douchebag bandwagon fans.

I was born and raised near Chicago, but all of my family is from Wisconsin. I grew up with Packers fans. I am a Packers fan, and I always will be. I don't give a sh!t what you think of that, and that's why I'm a fan. And yes, I use the word "we."

And just for clarification, why is it okay to suddenly switch teams if your team is "repeatedly making the blooper reels" after all that ranting?

edit: I had to go back and read this to make sure you meant it... but how the hell can you be a real fan of a team if you switch loyalties when moving cities?

better question... Why did I bother to respond to OP...

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: mpitts
I'm gonna ask you a question and I want an honest answer:

Do you really think I WANT to use "we" when referring to the Detroit Lions?

ROFL touche my man, TOUCHE

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[jlbenedict]

What a crock of $hit!

I'll be a fan of whoever the fvck I want to be a fan of. I purchase merchandise that is officially endorsed and labeled by the NCAA & NFL, so yes.. I have the right to say "WE".

Sports exist because of the fans.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Originally posted by: bumWhy do you even care that much about how other people enjoy their sports?

Try spending more than 15 minutes in a room with a Tarheel fan who picked his affiliation cause they won a championship and K-Mart had a sale on powder blue trucker hats. Now imagine he works in your office and talks trash about your alma mater while sitting in front of his cheaply framed degree from Lizard Lick Tech.

If some bandwagon panzy started trash talking your team, then you have a problem.

That's pretty much what the "rules" (notice the quotes) are intended to cover.

Do you really think you should call people "wannabes" because they aren't as crazy about football as you?

I'm more of a hoops fan. I wouldnt call someone a wannabe on that basis.

Paying hundreds or thousands of dollars to watch your team play does not, in any way, make you a better fan.

Didn't say it does. It does entitle you to say we. And if you're a PSL owner in Pro sports, it really does, since you have a stake in the team's main physical asset.

I DARE you to go into a local bar and tell them to be quiet because they are douchebag bandwagon fans.

Why would I do this? I do and have called a bandwagon wannabe precisely that though.

I was born and raised near Chicago, but all of my family is from Wisconsin. I grew up with Packers fans. I am a Packers fan, and I always will be.

Splendid. See the "rule" about it being okay (aka not a wannabe) to root for your original hometown team.

I don't give a sh!t what you think of that, and that's why I'm a fan.

Obviously, you do. You got pretty worked up about it. Enough that you didn't read the rules for comprehension.

And just for clarification, why is it okay to suddenly switch teams if your team is "repeatedly making the blooper reels" after all that ranting?

I don't believe I used the word "switch" one time in my "rules". For good reason. It's better to claim no loyalty to anyone than to be a wannabe.

 

[JulesMaximus]

How about this rule: I'll root for whatever team I want for whatever reason I want.

Take your stupid rules and shove 'em.

 

[jjones]

Is that the only rule for fans? As long as I can still spit on, throw beer at, kick in the groin, and use whatever blunt object handy against the opposing team's fans, we're good.

 

[Landstandr]

People routinely root for "local sports team" just because the local media covers them to the exclusion of all others - leading to legions of homers supporting "our team".

Homers suck.

Using "We" in sports is code for "I gain self esteem when the sports team I root for wins".

 

[mugs]

I think as long as you have a good reason for being a fan and you don't switch teams all the time, it doesn't really matter where you live.

My dad was a Rangers fan growing up. Then in 1982 the Colorado Rockies moved to NJ. Was he supposed to change affiliations because a new team moved 10 miles closer? Especially when it's a team that Wayne Gretzsky refers to as a "Mickey Mouse organization." Likewise, I've been a Devils fan since we got partial season tickets many years ago. I have a 10th anniversary NJ Devils cup as my pencil holder at work. By my count that cup is going on 15 years old now. I've been a fan since before they ever won the cup (3 times ). I've been a fan since the days when they had a hard time even making the playoffs. If I ever move, there's no way in hell I'm going to start rooting for the Phoenix Coyotes (a.k.a. Winnipeg Jets) or Carolina Hurricanes (a.k.a. Hartford Whalers). I'm a Devils fan!

My dad is a Kansas City Chiefs fan. I have no idea why. He's never lived in KC. It certainly wasn't because they were a dynasty back in the day. They're no Steelers or 49ers or Coyboys or Patriots. Maybe they had some players he liked growing up, I don't know. But he's always been a Chiefs fan, and he's been consistent. He goes to Eagles and Giants games because they're local teams and obviously more accessible, but he'd always root for the Chiefs over any other team. Likewise, my brother has always been a Raiders fan. He's never been to LA. I'm pretty sure he became a fan entirely because of Bo Jackson. Kids are funny like that, you know? They pick teams for stupid reasons.

So basically what I'm saying is, if you've been a fan for a long time (at least 10 years), and you didn't become a fan because the team won a national championship (or were consistently one of the best teams in the league), and especially if you've been a fan since childhood, your rules should not apply.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Landstandr
People routinely root for "local sports team" just because the local media covers them to the exclusion of all others - leading to legions of homers supporting "our team".

Homers suck.

Using "We" in sports is code for "I gain self esteem when the sports team I root for wins".

A homer is not just someone who roots for the hometown team - that's normal. A homer is someone who can't see past their loyalty to their team (even if it's not the hometown team). Someone who thinks every call against their team is bogus, and every play should result in a penalty against the other team. Someone who thinks their team is the best in the league when they clearly are not. Those people suck. People who root for the hometown team do not suck, that's normal.

 

[imported_bum]

Originally posted by: bum

Originally posted by: Advocate
Paying hundreds or thousands of dollars to watch your team play does not, in any way, make you a better fan.

Didn't say it does. It does entitle you to say we. And if you're a PSL owner in Pro sports, it really does, since you have a stake in the team's main physical asset.

Ok, fine. So you gotta own part of the team to use "we", now I see where you are coming from. The way you wrote it implies that the more tickets you buy, the more dedicated or "true" of a fan you are. ("recurring butt in the same seat through good times and bad")

Originally posted by: bum

Originally posted by: Advocate
I was born and raised near Chicago, but all of my family is from Wisconsin. I grew up with Packers fans. I am a Packers fan, and I always will be.

Splendid. See the "rule" about it being okay (aka not a wannabe) to root for your original hometown team.

I consider my hometown Chicago. I am not from Wisconsin. Maybe that's where we disagree? Anyway, to be more clear, I actually grew up around Bears fans, but I started watching football with my grandpa, who has been a Packers fan since they were founded. My dad and brother are Bears fans, but I was converted by Wisconsinite relatives early on.

Originally posted by: bum

Originally posted by: Advocate
And just for clarification, why is it okay to suddenly switch teams if your team is "repeatedly making the blooper reels" after all that ranting?

I don't believe I used the word "switch" one time in my "rules". For good reason. It's better to claim no loyalty to anyone than to be a wannabe.

The statement "Be proud of where you live/grew up and support your hometown team" is simply not clear, and others apparently didn't understand it either.

 

[imported_bum]