The art of sports fan hatred [Archive]

WickerBill

09-15-13, 03:36 PM

As I was sitting on my couch yesterday, it occurred to me that I was doing something almost impossible to imagine -- I was rooting, hard, for Alabama to win a college football game. It turns out, my hatred for A&M is significantly stronger than my hatred of Alabama and Nick Saban. This hatred had me transfixed on the game, seething every time they showed the Dolphin Killer on the screen, but almost foaming rabidly when they showed the bizarre A&M cadets. It was not dissimilar to yanking a dislocated finger back into place; very painful, but better than the alternative.

Naturally, I began to wonder if I am an outlier; a factory of hate unlike a typical sports fan, or if my predilections are more mainstream than strange.

Therefore, some questions for my Off Camber friends; respond to these thoughtfully if you know how.

1. Would you rather see your favorite and least favorite teams both lose or both win?
2. Is it more satisfying to see your team obliterate an opponent or see your least-favorite obliterated?
3. In college sports, do you root for your conference rival teams when they play against other conferences (e.g. a Florida fan wanting all SEC teams to win their bowl games)?
4. Would you ever consider a bet which, if you lost, would require you to promote your least favorite team (wearing their logo, getting a tattoo, etc)?

For me, my least favorite team on earth is a difficult decision. So much hate. Likely, it is anything Indiana University, but Liverpool FC are right up there.

dando

09-15-13, 04:03 PM

1. Would you rather see your favorite and least favorite teams both lose or both win?

I was rooting for the Akron Tressels yesterday. Need I say more? :)

2. Is it more satisfying to see your team obliterate an opponent or see your least-favorite obliterated?

I prefer my team...that wears a certain red and gray...to be dominant. The better the league competition, the better the ranking (SoS).

3. In college sports, do you root for your conference rival teams when they play against other conferences (e.g. a Florida fan wanting all SEC teams to win their bowl games)?

I root for all B1G teams except one in foosball. The other exception is hoops when I root for the B1G except the candy pants from Bloomington. Of course I did have a chuckle when Ohio beat TUN two years ago in the NCAA tourney. OK, it was more than a chuckle... :D

4. Would you ever consider a bet which, if you lost, would require you to promote your least favorite team (wearing their logo, getting a tattoo, etc)?

I have made such bets in the past...just to wear the colors/swag. Tats not ever an option.

cameraman

09-15-13, 05:20 PM

I root for BYU to lose, the opponent/sport is immaterial.

Beyond that I really don't care about collegiate sports. I'll watch a game or two but I usually don't care who wins although my Big-8 roots has me enjoying any bad things that come the way of Nebraska or Oklahoma.

Andrew Longman

09-15-13, 06:11 PM

As for the A&M game yesterday, I checked to be informed as I have headed to Texas in the morning, and I am familiar with your dilemma. But my hatred to Bama goes back to Bear Bryant and George Wallace. Maybe the Civil War, i don't know. And A&M? Nuff said. My solution however was to turn it off and cook some outstanding herb crusted pork loins.

I always root for Big Ten teams against anyone else in football but other than football and hockey I don't care much for big time college sports. I will watch any high school play football if they are not factories who recruit players and I will watch any DII and DIII football.

When I watch the Giants play an NFC East team, or the Yankees play the Bosox, UofM play tOSU, a proper trouncing is always appreciated but I don't mind a close game. And I don't mind if rivals win against other teams. In part that is because I want a worthy opponent deserving of respect and in part it because it is my team's job to win every game possible and it is not my job to "help" my rivals get beat by teams I don't give a crap about.

That said certain rivals in certain years get far too much bravado, or their fans do, and it is just fine to see them brought down to earth with a thorough neck stomping .

And no I would not take a potentially humilitating bet. Its just not that important. That's why they call it sport.

TKGAngel

09-15-13, 06:43 PM

College football has never been a thing up here. From a basketball perspective, St. Bonaventure and Niagara are Canisius' biggest rivals. (I'll wait while you google these schools. ;)) But during March Madness, if any of the three schools make the tourney, you root for them. Regional pride briefly takes the wheel from school loyalty.

On the pro side of things, the Flyers, Bruins and Leafs are teams that I cannot stand to see win. Fan behavior is probably the biggest reason for my feelings here.

dando

09-15-13, 07:14 PM

On the pro side of things, the Flyers, Bruins and Leafs are teams that I cannot stand to see win. Fan behavior is probably the biggest reason for my feelings here.

TKG, I'm shocked....how can you not like the Phlyers with fans like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS_92eKcGMI

:gomer:

Elmo is a big Philly fan, too. ;)

dando

09-15-13, 07:45 PM

Philly phans rock...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWvza6en5Rg

;)

nrc

09-15-13, 09:11 PM

1. Would you rather see your favorite and least favorite teams both lose or both win?

Both win. Unless my team is out of contention and then, both lose.

2. Is it more satisfying to see your team obliterate an opponent or see your least-favorite obliterated?

The former. It's nice to see a hated team beaten but it does me no good if my team can't apply the beating themselves. When that happens it's sublime. One of my fondest memories is being there to see the Bengals crush the Oilers 61-7 in the '91 playoffs.

3. In college sports, do you root for your conference rival teams when they play against other conferences (e.g. a Florida fan wanting all SEC teams to win their bowl games)?

That's a tough one. Usually I'll root against my team's biggest rivals but for other teams in the conference. Generally I'm always going to root for what benefits my team the most.

4. Would you ever consider a bet which, if you lost, would require you to promote your least favorite team (wearing their logo, getting a tattoo, etc)?

Almost never. Now if someone wants to bet an absurd amount of money against me wearing a Steeler's jersey I might take that. But I would never risk such a thing on an even bet even if I was very confident in my chances.

TravelGal

09-15-13, 10:44 PM

1. Would you rather see your favorite and least favorite teams both lose or both win?

Both win. Unless my team is out of contention and then, both lose. Ditto from nrc.

2. Is it more satisfying to see your team obliterate an opponent or see your least-favorite obliterated?

The latter. Unless the obliteration by my favorite team earns them some advantage such as a bye or higher ranking somewhere.

3. In college sports, do you root for your conference rival teams when they play against other conferences (e.g. a Florida fan wanting all SEC teams to win their bowl games)?

Conference rivals? That's a good one. What conferences even have rivalries left? What conferences even have names we recognize? Assuming there is a historic one worth noting, still--no. I really don't about not-my-team in a non-conference game.

4. Would you ever consider a bet which, if you lost, would require you to promote your least favorite team (wearing their logo, getting a tattoo, etc)?

In a word, No. If they were offering pots of money as Andrew said and if Robert Redford was offering it (think Indecent Proposal), I'd have to think about it but to see me in Oakland Raiders gear, you'd need x-ray vision to get through the turf and then I'd be spinning.

gerhard911

09-15-13, 11:15 PM

For me, it's a fairly simple geographical formula.

The hate is directed (in descending order) toward any team located:

in Columbus
on Victory Parkway (in Cincinnati)
in Kentucky
in Pennsylvania
in West Virginia
in Indiana (Butler excepted for basketball)

Gnam

09-16-13, 01:47 AM

I hate Stanford. I take their continued existence as a personal insult.

That said, I cheered and jumped for joy when Stanford's unranked football team beat USC at home in front of a sold out crowd.

WickerBill

09-16-13, 06:46 AM

There ya go Gnam, that's exactly what I was feeling while rooting for Alabama on Saturday. Except it was less cheering at the outcome and more "thank God that's over."

My only way to judge who I hate most is to think to myself this scenario: Indiana is playing someone in basketball, Liverpool is playing, the Yankees are playing, and the Raiders are playing. Only one can lose. Who do I choose? It is Indiana every time. Even in football, where they normally lose, I find myself wishing for a news break that proclaims Assembly Hall burned to the ground while all the clones were at the football game.

Elmo T

09-16-13, 08:15 AM

Andrew Longman

09-16-13, 08:19 AM

Elmo, I think Giants fans generally hate the Cowboys more than the Eagles. Toss up if they hate Eagles fans more than Cowboys fans though. The nod may go to Cowboys fans because most I've met aren't even from Texas and IMO Eagles fans hate the Eagles as much as they love them and proudly see no issue with that.

dando

09-16-13, 08:31 AM

Funny timing - we were watching the Giants/Broncos game yesterday. My son asked who did we want to win. Of course we said "not the Giants". He said he thought it was the Cowboys we hated, so who do we hate when the Cowboys play the Giants? We ALWAYS hate the Cowboys.

As for the Philly fans - the family went to the Philadelphia Union game on Saturday night. The announcement of each opposing play was was greeted with a resounding "sux". I thought that was reserved for Flyers games. :rolleyes:

Elmo, soccer fans are a different breed. We have a section in Crew Stadium called the Nordecke. The fans there are rabid. Chants, profanity, and in some cases violent. I'll never take the girls o an NFL game due to fan behavior, nor a Crew/MLS game.

Oh, and YFTS. ;)

dando

09-16-13, 08:32 AM

Ed_Severson

09-16-13, 08:41 AM

My wife's in surgery and I'm bored, so I'll play along ...

1. I'd rather see both win. As long as my team wins, nothing else matters.

2. Generally, I'd rather see a rival get humiliated. If my team wins I don't care what the score is, but watching a rival get destroyed never gets old.

3. No, and I think that's a stupid concept. If you finish 7th in your conference and have to thump your chest to other fans about the six teams ahead of you, that's just pathetic.

4. No. I don't do tattoos, and you will never ever see me in a rival team's colors. Money or some other form of humiliation, sure, but I will never support anyone but my team.

Added bonus for WB:

540

Andrew Longman

09-16-13, 08:54 AM

Giants fans are afraid of Iggles fans...and they live closer to them. ;)I will grant you that I've witnessed the bodily harm inflicted on anyone stupid/brave enough to even wear blue into the Vet. And when my bro lived in south Philly a guy was murdered in a neighborhood bar for trying to watch an Eagle Giants game while wearing a Giants jersey. But about half the EAgles fans are from South Jersey and I will refer you to the episode of the Sopranos when two of Tonys crew got lost in South Jersey for how alien that place is. :D

Andrew Longman

09-16-13, 09:01 AM

3. No, and I think that's a stupid concept. If you finish 7th in your conference and have to thump your chest to other fans about the six teams ahead of you, that's just pathetic.
In that context I get your point. My point is that the Big10 as institutions have high academic standards and are justifiably a source of pride for their states for reasons well beyond football. And reflect a commitment to the future for their states

WickerBill

09-16-13, 09:07 AM

My point is that the Big10 as institutions have high academic standards

...aaaand then we added Nebraska.

WickerBill

09-16-13, 09:10 AM

Added bonus for WB:

(repulsive picture removed)

dando

09-16-13, 10:38 AM

Ed, I think you meant to post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfP2ABaKZIY

:gomer: :D

Andrew Longman

09-16-13, 12:53 PM

...aaaand then we added Nebraska.Yeah well there is that.:gomer:

But then again one of repeated reason given for the many year the Big 10 danced with Rutgers was that RU was consistent with the Big 10s value for excellent large research universities. That never came up as a reason for anyone including Rutgers to join or stay in the Big East

Elmo T

09-16-13, 02:57 PM

Elmo, soccer fans are a different breed. We have a section in Crew Stadium called the Nordecke. The fans there are rabid. Chants, profanity, and in some cases violent.

We have the Sons of Ben (http://sonsofben.com/about/) who have that section covered.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2qtfpti.jpg

1. Would you rather see your favorite and least favorite teams both lose or both win?

Both win. Never like to see us lose. We will boo and curse relentless our home teams poor play and our players - but we want to win.

2. Is it more satisfying to see your team obliterate an opponent or see your least-favorite obliterated?

Always like to see the rivals get crushed. Cowboys, Penguins, Cowboys, and especially the Cowboys.

3. In college sports, do you root for your conference rival teams when they play against other conferences (e.g. a Florida fan wanting all SEC teams to win their bowl games)?

Meh.

4. Would you ever consider a bet which, if you lost, would require you to promote your least favorite team (wearing their logo, getting a tattoo, etc)?

Nope - tattoos are permanent.

dando

09-19-13, 10:22 AM

On Philly Fan...Andy Reid returns to Philly tonight. This should be interesting. :gomer:

Andrew Longman

09-19-13, 10:28 AM

Elmo T

09-19-13, 10:38 AM

There will be plenty of booing and name calling. Whether it is for Reid or the Eagles? Good question... :saywhat::rofl:

dando

09-19-13, 10:47 AM

"Interesting" is a word.

The Kelly experiment isn't going well. I think teams will figure it out and the team simply doesn't have that much talent. And no QB can last the season in that system.

Meanwhile, Reid who did everything except win a super bowl in Philly and was threatened with bodily harm annually by fans is apparently creating miracles in KC (but he won't win a SB there either)

Are they also honoring McNabb tonight? If so, there might be snowballs saved from last winter being tossed. :gomer:

Reid is an interesting coach. I'm not close enough to Philly or bothered to pay attention...other than my summer in OCNJ when the TO spectacle was happening (workouts on the driveway? C'mon man!). I'm not sure how the front office was while Reid was the HC. They always seemed to be a player away from greatness, play in a great division, and always had drama. From the Iggles wiki page (and returning to the fan hate theme):

Along with their devotion Eagles fans were, however, also notorious for bad behavior, especially when the team played its rivals.[32] In If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer?, Jereé Longman described the fans of 700 Level of Veterans Stadium as having a reputation for "hostile taunting, fighting, public urination and general strangeness."[33] So many incidents occurred at a 1997 game against the 49ers that at the following home game Judge Seamus McCaffrey began presiding over a temporary courtroom at the stadium; 20 suspects came before him that day.[32] Fan behavior improved after the team's move to Lincoln Financial Field, and "Eagles Court" ended in December 2003.[34]

:gomer: