"Real" fans and the right to hold an opinion... (1 Viewer)

[The Commish]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

 

[Ted Mullins]

Agree with most of the people above, I totally disagree. Seems like he needs to feel like more of a fan than everyone else. The psychology of sports fandom fascinates me because there is so much one upsmanship, and because of that oftentimes the worse the team is, the more some people will try to point out their diehard fandom. Not saying it's wrong or bad to be loyal to your team, I but it'd be like if you boasted to everyone about how loyal you are to a gross restaurant with bad service or something.

Anecdotal evidence, but one of my old job's had really nice season ticket seats to Wizards games and I'd get them occasionally. Many of the people that sat down there were spending a ton on those tickets every year, but I did not have a very high regard for their opinions on the NBA.

 

[Ted Mullins]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

FWIW, I thought this same thing for a long time, but have realized I do it on here sometimes - it is convenient and can become a habit when reading other people do the same thing.

 

[ghostguy123]

Agree with most of the people above, I totally disagree. Seems like he needs to feel like more of a fan than everyone else. The psychology of sports fandom fascinates me because there is so much one upsmanship, and because of that oftentimes the worse the team is, the more some people will try to point out their diehard fandom. Not saying it's wrong or bad to be loyal to your team, I but it'd be like if you boasted to everyone about how loyal you are to a gross restaurant with bad service or something.

Anecdotal evidence, but one of my old job's had really nice season ticket seats to Wizards games and I'd get them occasionally. Many of the people that sat down there were spending a ton on those tickets every year, but I did not have a very high regard for their opinions on the NBA.

If someone wants to say they are a bigger and better fan, that's ok I guess. Pointless and dumb, but acceptable to an extent.

But when they tell me nobody elses opinions matter, that's a whole other level of idiot that I just don't need to associate with.

 

[ghostguy123]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

FWIW, I thought this same thing for a long time, but have realized I do it on here sometimes - it is convenient and can become a habit when reading other people do the same thing.

I say "we" because it's shorter and easier to say during conversation. Do i actually think I am part of the team??? duh, no

 

[Abraham]

I think people take sports way too seriously.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I think only people with Ph.D.'s in philosophy should have opinions about which other people should have certain types of opinions. Anyone else's opinion on the subject doesn't matter. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Agree with most of the people above, I totally disagree. Seems like he needs to feel like more of a fan than everyone else. The psychology of sports fandom fascinates me because there is so much one upsmanship, and because of that oftentimes the worse the team is, the more some people will try to point out their diehard fandom. Not saying it's wrong or bad to be loyal to your team, I but it'd be like if you boasted to everyone about how loyal you are to a gross restaurant with bad service or something.

Anecdotal evidence, but one of my old job's had really nice season ticket seats to Wizards games and I'd get them occasionally. Many of the people that sat down there were spending a ton on those tickets every year, but I did not have a very high regard for their opinions on the NBA.

Be a fan of the real Washington team, the Generals, and then come talk to me. And I'll show you my programs from every single game. When we won a game in 1971, it was better than sex.

 

[drummer]

Dr. Milk Carton errrrrrrr Dr. Awesome used to pull the "real fan" card all the time. That sort of thought disappeared along with him.Then I saw Seahawk fan pull it on one of theirs.

 

[comfortably numb]

This is like guys arguing about penis size. At the end of the day they are both #####.

 

[drummer]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

The ones who use "we" are the worst. Of course, when the team sucks, it's "they".

 

[Sinn Fein]

Reminds me of a joke that I read the other day:

Jesus walks into a town and sees a man about to be stoned to death. He speaks up and tells the crowd that only those who are free from sin should throw their stones. A murmur goes through the crowd, and one-by-one they begin to drop their stones. Then a rock goes flying by Jesus' head and strikes the condemned man, killing him. Jesus turns to the crowd and says "Mother, sometimes you really piss me off!"

 

[DiStefano]

I think only people with Ph.D.'s in philosophy should have opinions about which other people should have certain types of opinions. Anyone else's opinion on the subject doesn't matter. Just my humble opinion.

Do you have a Ph.D in Philosophy? I suspect not, because I have never met one of them who had a humble opinion. So your opinion does not matter.

 

[Zow]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

 

[ghostguy123]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

 

[Zow]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

90% of fans didn't go to a university for which they could cheer for?

I think the more accurate statement is that "90% of fans like to bandwagon onto the top 5% of teams."

 

[ghostguy123]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

90% of fans didn't go to a university for which they could cheer for?

I think the more accurate statement is that "90% of fans like to bandwagon onto the top 5% of teams."

Probably. The top 5% of teams does cover a pretty large portion of good teams.

Most fans cheering for a college probably didn't go to ANY college.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

Callers into STL sports radio shows that start with "I'm a season ticket holder to (insert sports team)", get mocked endlessly. It's pretty awesome.

 

[TheIronSheik]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

I say "we" all of the time. And I do it because I'm a part of my Philly teams. When we lose, it hurts me. And when we win, I celebrate with all of us. When I hear people talk about not wanting to say we, it only makes me think that they aren't as invested into the teams they support.

 

[TheIronSheik]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

This doesn't always bother me. If you grew up in the area, then I get why you cheer for them. When it really bother me is when I would be at a bar in Houston and the school that I went to would lose to a team like North Carolina and some hillbilly with no teeth would get in my face and be like, "My team just whooped your team!"

Yeah. But at least I can spell my team.

 

[The Commish]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

I say "we" all of the time. And I do it because I'm a part of my Philly teams. When we lose, it hurts me. And when we win, I celebrate with all of us. When I hear people talk about not wanting to say we, it only makes me think that they aren't as invested into the teams they support.

They probably aren't as invested. They are probably invested an appropriate amount

 

[NCCommish]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

90% of fans didn't go to a university for which they could cheer for?

I think the more accurate statement is that "90% of fans like to bandwagon onto the top 5% of teams."

Given that something like 30% of the adult population holds a bachelors degree I would say a lot(maybe most?) people rooting for a particular college team likely aren't graduates of that University. They root for it for other reasons.

 

[NCCommish]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

I say "we" all of the time. And I do it because I'm a part of my Philly teams. When we lose, it hurts me. And when we win, I celebrate with all of us. When I hear people talk about not wanting to say we, it only makes me think that they aren't as invested into the teams they support.

They probably aren't as invested. They are probably invested an appropriate amount

I say we. I don't consider myself over invested.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

I say "we" all of the time. And I do it because I'm a part of my Philly teams. When we lose, it hurts me. And when we win, I celebrate with all of us. When I hear people talk about not wanting to say we, it only makes me think that they aren't as invested into the teams they support.

They probably aren't as invested. They are probably invested an appropriate amount

I say we. I don't consider myself over invested.

People who complain about the use of "we" are the weird ones.

 

[TheIronSheik]

JB,

Are the people saying this to you the same people who use "we" while discussing sports teams? If not, I found a group more dumb than the "we" people.

I say "we" all of the time. And I do it because I'm a part of my Philly teams. When we lose, it hurts me. And when we win, I celebrate with all of us. When I hear people talk about not wanting to say we, it only makes me think that they aren't as invested into the teams they support.

They probably aren't as invested. They are probably invested an appropriate amount

I should have cleared up my thoughts by saying that I don't look down on people like that, or think I'm better. We just root for our teams differently.

 

[SWC]

i do not want to come out and call your buddy a jag but hey what he said is pretty insulting to a lot of the guys i know they are never going to afford tickets to games galore or sit in the nice seats and do not even think about season tickets hell the best that they can hope for is a nice sweatshirt or jacket for a team they like at christmas but according to your buddy they do not get to have an opinion wtf on that one see the great thing about liking a team for a guy like me is that i can get in to miller park once in a while or to camp randall or watch the game on my tv same as the rich guy in a mansion now his seats will be better and his tv will be bigger but we both get to root for the same team equal as can be so with all due respect to your buddy what he says is crap and if it were not for a whole lot of guys like me buying most of the tickets when we can he would be sitting there in his box seat with only a couple hundred other guys watching the game in the last season before the team folded so bam take that to the bank brohans

 

[The Commish]

SPIT OUT THE HOOKS!!!! I was joking...JFC people!!!!

 

[TheIronSheik]

SPIT OUT THE HOOKS!!!! I was joking...JFC people!!!!

FTR, I knew you were making a joke. The only reason I added my last post, GB, was because I wanted to make sure I didn't come off like I was thinking I was better than other fans.

 

[The Commish]

SPIT OUT THE HOOKS!!!! I was joking...JFC people!!!!

FTR, I knew you were making a joke. The only reason I added my last post, GB, was because I wanted to make sure I didn't come off like I was thinking I was better than other fans.

Then you're not a "real" fan

 

[Zow]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

90% of fans didn't go to a university for which they could cheer for?

I think the more accurate statement is that "90% of fans like to bandwagon onto the top 5% of teams."

Given that something like 30% of the adult population holds a bachelors degree I would say a lot(maybe most?) people rooting for a particular college team likely aren't graduates of that University. They root for it for other reasons.

Given the plethora of professional sports teams, I find those those "reasons" to be quite odd.* Then again, I also think college sports are significantly less impressive/entertaining/as good as professional sports aside from March Madness (which is just a brilliantly awesome gambling format).

*I guess I kind of understand it in the areas like Alabama where there just are no professional sports teams, but caring so much about a group of unpaid kids just sorta weirds me out.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

90% of fans didn't go to a university for which they could cheer for?

I think the more accurate statement is that "90% of fans like to bandwagon onto the top 5% of teams."

Given that something like 30% of the adult population holds a bachelors degree I would say a lot(maybe most?) people rooting for a particular college team likely aren't graduates of that University. They root for it for other reasons.

Given the plethora of professional sports teams, I find those those "reasons" to be quite odd.* Then again, I also think college sports are significantly less impressive/entertaining/as good as professional sports aside from March Madness (which is just a brilliantly awesome gambling format).

*I guess I kind of understand it in the areas like Alabama where there just are no professional sports teams, but caring so much about a group of unpaid kids just sorta weirds me out.

If you lived in a college town, you would get it.

 

[NCCommish]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

90% of fans didn't go to a university for which they could cheer for?

I think the more accurate statement is that "90% of fans like to bandwagon onto the top 5% of teams."

Given that something like 30% of the adult population holds a bachelors degree I would say a lot(maybe most?) people rooting for a particular college team likely aren't graduates of that University. They root for it for other reasons.

Given the plethora of professional sports teams, I find those those "reasons" to be quite odd.* Then again, I also think college sports are significantly less impressive/entertaining/as good as professional sports aside from March Madness (which is just a brilliantly awesome gambling format).

*I guess I kind of understand it in the areas like Alabama where there just are no professional sports teams, but caring so much about a group of unpaid kids just sorta weirds me out.

I'm not a huge college sports guy personally. But I did grow up in Miami. The Canes were a huge part of every weekend when they were playing. We did have the Dolphins of course but that didn't dampen enthusiasm for the Canes in any way. Orange Bowl was just as full when they played as when the Dolphins played the next day. People followed the baseball team religiously. It was just a huge part of the social life of the town when I was a kid.

 

[TheIronSheik]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

90% of fans didn't go to a university for which they could cheer for?

I think the more accurate statement is that "90% of fans like to bandwagon onto the top 5% of teams."

Given that something like 30% of the adult population holds a bachelors degree I would say a lot(maybe most?) people rooting for a particular college team likely aren't graduates of that University. They root for it for other reasons.

Given the plethora of professional sports teams, I find those those "reasons" to be quite odd.* Then again, I also think college sports are significantly less impressive/entertaining/as good as professional sports aside from March Madness (which is just a brilliantly awesome gambling format).

*I guess I kind of understand it in the areas like Alabama where there just are no professional sports teams, but caring so much about a group of unpaid kids just sorta weirds me out.

I'm not a huge college sports guy personally. But I did grow up in Miami. The Canes were a huge part of every weekend when they were playing. We did have the Dolphins of course but that didn't dampen enthusiasm for the Canes in any way. Orange Bowl was just as full when they played as when the Dolphins played the next day. People followed the baseball team religiously. It was just a huge part of the social life of the town when I was a kid.

Exactly.

It's the one's who grew up in Colorado and are HUGE Alabama football fans. Even then, it doesn't bother me too much. But when they start bragging about how much better "their" team is compared to your team. That's when it's annoying.

 

[Thunderlips]

My only criteria for being a real fan is you need to make the effort to see the team you like on the road and in their home.

If you're one who likes a team nowhere near where you live....IMO, you owe it to the team to make a "pilgrimage". If you live near the team and regularly go to their home games....you owe it to the team to at least once be a "missionary" and help spread their word in foreign lands.

 

[Zow]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

90% of fans didn't go to a university for which they could cheer for?

I think the more accurate statement is that "90% of fans like to bandwagon onto the top 5% of teams."

Given that something like 30% of the adult population holds a bachelors degree I would say a lot(maybe most?) people rooting for a particular college team likely aren't graduates of that University. They root for it for other reasons.

Given the plethora of professional sports teams, I find those those "reasons" to be quite odd.* Then again, I also think college sports are significantly less impressive/entertaining/as good as professional sports aside from March Madness (which is just a brilliantly awesome gambling format).

*I guess I kind of understand it in the areas like Alabama where there just are no professional sports teams, but caring so much about a group of unpaid kids just sorta weirds me out.

If you lived in a college town, you would get it.

The irrational affliction for some college-aged kids who aren't near the best in the world at their sport attending a school I have no other connection to other than geographical? I'll pass.

 

[Zow]

My only criteria for being a real fan is you need to make the effort to see the team you like on the road and in their home.

If you're one who likes a team nowhere near where you live....IMO, you owe it to the team to make a "pilgrimage". If you live near the team and regularly go to their home games....you owe it to the team to at least once be a "missionary" and help spread their word in foreign lands.

 

[ghostguy123]

My only criteria for being a real fan is you need to make the effort to see the team you like on the road and in their home.

If you're one who likes a team nowhere near where you live....IMO, you owe it to the team to make a "pilgrimage". If you live near the team and regularly go to their home games....you owe it to the team to at least once be a "missionary" and help spread their word in foreign lands.

Yep. Crazy. No fan "owes" the team a damn thing.

I have only been to maybe a dozen indians/browns/cavs games in my life, and I don't plan to go to many more, if any. I don't particularly care for the experience of being there, and a lot of times I downright can't stand it. The money is only part of it, and the crowds and overall entertainment factor is not remotely close to what I get watching at home with friends or at a bar with friends.

I think the weird people are the ones who actually care what people root for and why. It's like religion. Root for you team, I'll root for mine, and we mind our own business with it.

If you think you are a bigger fan than me because you go to the games in person, then you are a ####### moron. If you actually CARE that you are a bigger fan than me, you are an even bigger ####### moron.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

I'm not sure how it is other towns, but in a town like Knoxville where I live, the University of Tennessee is basically the "local team". I think a lot of people are like me in that they'll cheer for the team, but aren't alumni. It's just our local team.

J

 

[TheIronSheik]

I'll admit, I think cheering for a University you didn't attend is pretty ####### ridiculous.

Then pretty much 90% of fans are ridiculous, lol

I'm not sure how it is other towns, but in a town like Knoxville where I live, the University of Tennessee is basically the "local team". I think a lot of people are like me in that they'll cheer for the team, but aren't alumni. It's just our local team.

J

This is the point I was trying to make. There is absolutely nothing wrong for rooting for a college team when you are in their area.

 

[ghostguy123]

This is the point I was trying to make. There is absolutely nothing wrong for rooting for a college team when you are in their area.

Why is there something wrong with rooting for a team if you don't live and never have lived anywhere near that area??

I am not talking about bandwagonning the #1 team each year, but if I live in Ohio and I am a Boise State fan (which I am, and have been since 2001), what the #### would be "wrong" about that?

Not sure someones fandome should be limited because they happen to come out of a ##### in a particular area.

 

[SWC]

you do your thing i will do mine and that is what i say i am with you ghosty take that to the bank brohans

 

[Thunderlips]

My only criteria for being a real fan is you need to make the effort to see the team you like on the road and in their home.

If you're one who likes a team nowhere near where you live....IMO, you owe it to the team to make a "pilgrimage". If you live near the team and regularly go to their home games....you owe it to the team to at least once be a "missionary" and help spread their word in foreign lands.

Yep. Crazy. No fan "owes" the team a damn thing.

I have only been to maybe a dozen indians/browns/cavs games in my life, and I don't plan to go to many more, if any. I don't particularly care for the experience of being there, and a lot of times I downright can't stand it. The money is only part of it, and the crowds and overall entertainment factor is not remotely close to what I get watching at home with friends or at a bar with friends.

I think the weird people are the ones who actually care what people root for and why. It's like religion. Root for you team, I'll root for mine, and we mind our own business with it.

If you think you are a bigger fan than me because you go to the games in person, then you are a ####### moron. If you actually CARE that you are a bigger fan than me, you are an even bigger ####### moron.

Sure you owe the team something. You owe them for whatever enjoyment you get out of watching them. They're the primary creator of your enjoyment.

Talk about crazy!

 

[ghostguy123]

Sure you owe the team something. You owe them for whatever enjoyment you get out of watching them. They're the primary creator of your enjoyment.

Talk about crazy!

So what do I owe Chris Rock, Louie CK, Family Guy, and the 5000 other things that give me joy?

I you think you truly "owe" your team something, go see a psychiatrist and get on some meds. That's called a delusion........or a fixed false belief.

 

[Thunderlips]

Sure you owe the team something. You owe them for whatever enjoyment you get out of watching them. They're the primary creator of your enjoyment.

Talk about crazy!

So what do I owe Chris Rock, Louie CK, Family Guy, and the 5000 other things that give me joy?

I you think you truly "owe" your team something, go see a psychiatrist and get on some meds. That's called a delusion........or a fixed false belief.

I don't know....what do you feel you owe them? At the least I imagine its some sort of monetary compensation for the enjoyment they give you, the service they provide you...........be it thru buying a ticket, paying your cable bill or buying one of their DVD's or something.

 

[ghostguy123]

I don't know....what do you feel you owe them? At the least I imagine its some sort of monetary compensation for the enjoyment they give you, the service they provide you...........be it thru buying a ticket, paying your cable bill or buying one of their DVD's or something.

What a coincidence, the same monetary compensation I give to all those entertainers via my able bill also "buys" my entertainment from my sports teams.

I don't go to the live studio audience to watch them film my favorite TV shows, and I don't go to the stadiums to watch my teams play (outside of a rare instance here and there). If I enjoyed going to the event more than watching it at home, someone house, or a bar or something, then I would. But I don't. And I sure as #### am not going to go lessen my entertainment level because I "owe" it to them.

 

[Thunderlips]

I don't know....what do you feel you owe them? At the least I imagine its some sort of monetary compensation for the enjoyment they give you, the service they provide you...........be it thru buying a ticket, paying your cable bill or buying one of their DVD's or something.

What a coincidence, the same monetary compensation I give to all those entertainers via my able bill also "buys" my entertainment from my sports teams.

I don't go to the live studio audience to watch them film my favorite TV shows, and I don't go to the stadiums to watch my teams play (outside of a rare instance here and there). If I enjoyed going to the event more than watching it at home, someone house, or a bar or something, then I would. But I don't. And I sure as #### am not going to go lessen my entertainment level because I "owe" it to them.

Good for you. Glad to see you've found your comfort zone.

 

[Christo]

 

[drummer]

My only criteria for being a real fan is you need to make the effort to see the team you like on the road and in their home.

If you're one who likes a team nowhere near where you live....IMO, you owe it to the team to make a "pilgrimage". If you live near the team and regularly go to their home games....you owe it to the team to at least once be a "missionary" and help spread their word in foreign lands.

Yep. Crazy. No fan "owes" the team a damn thing.

I have only been to maybe a dozen indians/browns/cavs games in my life, and I don't plan to go to many more, if any. I don't particularly care for the experience of being there, and a lot of times I downright can't stand it. The money is only part of it, and the crowds and overall entertainment factor is not remotely close to what I get watching at home with friends or at a bar with friends.

I think the weird people are the ones who actually care what people root for and why. It's like religion. Root for you team, I'll root for mine, and we mind our own business with it.

If you think you are a bigger fan than me because you go to the games in person, then you are a ####### moron. If you actually CARE that you are a bigger fan than me, you are an even bigger ####### moron.

Sure you owe the team something. You owe them for whatever enjoyment you get out of watching them. They're the primary creator of your enjoyment.

Talk about crazy!

 

[TheIronSheik]

This is the point I was trying to make. There is absolutely nothing wrong for rooting for a college team when you are in their area.

Why is there something wrong with rooting for a team if you don't live and never have lived anywhere near that area??

I am not talking about bandwagonning the #1 team each year, but if I live in Ohio and I am a Boise State fan (which I am, and have been since 2001), what the #### would be "wrong" about that?

Not sure someones fandome should be limited because they happen to come out of a ##### in a particular area.

There was more to my statement earlier. I've said in this thread that I don't care who roots for who, really. The only thing that bothers me is if (in your situation) you were to start talking about how your school beat my school. And really, it only applies to when people root for Duke or Kentucky or another powerhouse, and talk about how great "their" team is and how much your team sucks. That's really only when it bothers me. Otherwise, root for who you want, really.