Football Fans

[UtterBlitz]

Football fans are everywhere. Football jerseys are a common fashion statement. Look around at any event, a concert, in the grocery store or in the mall. You will see fans showing off their colors.

Here on a football internet site, you will find that everyone is a football fan, and the majority of those fans are hard-core fans.

A hard-core fan is a die-hard fan. They love their team more than their wives and their dogs. They will never quit on their team and they will never switch teams. These guys will follow their team to different cities, through a change in ownership, and through decades of time. They will watch players come and go, and they will stick like glue through good years, and bad ones too. Like the energizer bunny, they will never, ever, quit on their team. No amount of time invested is too much. Every draftee must be researched; every game must be watched and discussed in detail, every injury report shall be pored over. These fans consider the team relationship to be like a marriage that you are committed to for life.

But not all fans are hard core fans. There are plenty of other types. The hard core fans have trouble believing this, but it is true.

Another big group would be your local team fans. They are not as loyal as the die-hard breed, but they are still good fans to have. These guys follow the local team and they are faithful fans while they are local to the team. They read the news, listen to the radio shows, go to the games, and they scream and shout for the local team. If the team moves or the fan moves, than the relationship will be over. Easy come, easy go. They will find another local team.

There are loads and loads of casual fans. They are cute and likable; there are probably a lot of girls in this category. They have a team, but ask them to name 5 players on the team and they would be stumped. Ask them who the team is playing this weekend, and they won’t know. Maybe they liked the city that the team plays for, maybe they like the colors or the logo, or maybe they like the cute QB who throws lots of TDs. Casual fans find it easy to jump from bandwagon to bandwagon.

Some lesser known types of fans are; the tailgater fan, the painted fan, the obligated fan, the split-loyalty fan, and the fantasy fan.

The tailgater fan focuses on tailgating. They come early, stay late, cook lots of tasty food, and drink lots of beer, wine and booze. The pig skin will be tossed around, the opposing fans will be heckled, and there will be many visits to the porta potties. Some tailgaters just stay in the parking lot and watch the game on TVs in their special equipped RVs.

The painted fan wants to be noticed. They paint their faces and bodies, they wear wigs and costumes, and they act the part of a mascot for their team. They might wear big horns, pig costumes, or cheese blocks on their heads. Some go half naked in freezing weather and paint words on their bodies, and it is not usually, because they are beautiful to behold. The camera guys love these fans.

The obligated fan is obligated to like a certain team since Dad and/or Mom are big fans of a certain team and they had no choice in the matter. They must cheer for the family team or be banished from the family.

A split-loyalty fan walks a difficult line. They may be a hard core fan for one team, and they follow the local team as well. They may have a close friend, spouse, or sibling that supports a team and the loyalty kind of rubs off on them. The hard-core fan has a great deal of trouble understanding the split-loyalty fan.

The fantasy fan is in love with playing fantasy football and they don't really have a favorite NFL team. This type is fairly new but gaining in popularity.

There are all many kinds of football fans, and those fans should be getting excited, because football season is here.

[laram0]

I guess then I'm a painted-hardcore-diehard-tailgating fan !

GO RAMS !

[laram0]

Oh, I forgot, Speaking of fantasy fans....watch out for the Gr8stshowonturf,Blue league.

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

You've touched on an interesting subject that I wanted to respond to, and get feedback on. What IS a fan?

I recently got into a rather heated debate about this very subject matter with a co-worker, who is also a huge Ram's fan.

After some debate (and disagreement) about another local team that we both follow, he declared me to be "a fair-weather fan" because I pointed out that our teams were not "all-world". He thinks that you can't say anything negative about the team when things go bad, or you're a fair-weather fan.

Do you agree with him and suggest that if I don't put my blinders on and always say; "all is well, ...all is well", when it clearly is not, that I'm a fair-weather fan?

..or shouldn't I be the first one (being a fan of the team) to point out our deficiencies and admit that we need improvement, and that maybe, just maybe, we're not the greatest team ever to put on a uniform? HOPING, WISHING, and ROOTING for my team makes me a fan. As with the Rams, I'm hoping and rooting for them to go all the way this year, because they're my team. But do I honestly think they will? (I didn't say "can, I said "will") ...and if they don't I'll be rooting, and hoping and making suggestions for their improvements next year. Why, because I'm a fan. What do you think?

[laram0]

For what it's worth I strongly feel you are right on the money.

[UtterBlitz]

You've touched on an interesting subject that I wanted to respond to, and get feedback on. What IS a fan?

What is a fan? That is the question that got me going on this topic. My Dad was asking me that very question. He does not understand being loyal to a team at all.

A fan....what is a fan? Here is the definition from the dictionary.

Fan - noun - an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.

A general fan must admire something or someone. I think that being a fan of a team sport has to involve a fan's need or desire to be part of a larger group.

I recently got into a rather heated debate about this very subject matter with a co-worker, who is also a huge Ram's fan.
After some debate (and disagreement) about another local team that we both follow, he declared me to be "a fair-weather fan" because I pointed out that our teams were not "all-world". He thinks that you can't say anything negative about the team when things go bad, or you're a fair-weather fan.

Do you agree with him and suggest that if I don't put my blinders on and always say; "all is well, ...all is well", when it clearly is not, that I'm a fair-weather fan?

..or shouldn't I be the first one (being a fan of the team) to point out our deficiencies and admit that we need improvement, and that maybe, just maybe, we're not the greatest team ever to put on a uniform? HOPING, WISHING, and ROOTING for my team makes me a fan.

A fair weather fan in my opinion is one that bails on the team when the team is doing poorly. They are only a fan when the team is winning.

A regular fan should have the right to point out problems and deficiencies. I don't see a problem with that as long as it does not turn into an all out negative bash on the team.

What do you mean when you say a team is not "all-world"? I don't think I have heard that term before.

[r8rh8rmike]

After some debate (and disagreement) about another local team that we both follow, he declared me to be "a fair-weather fan" because I pointed out that our teams were not "all-world". He thinks that you can't say anything negative about the team when things go bad, or you're a fair-weather fan.

RAMFANRAIDERHATER, anyone like you who's Ram fan status remained intact through two moves and the 90's, is most definitely not a fair-weather fan.

Your co-worker however is a classic myopic fan, suffering from defective vision. Surprising that he is a Ram fan because myopia is normally associated with the clowns that sport chains, spikes, studs and skulls on thier shoulders up in Choaktown.

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

"All-world" essentially says that we're the best at what we do.

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

RAMFANRAIDERHATER, anyone like you who's Ram fan status remained intact through two moves and the 90's, is most definitely not a fair-weather fan.

Your co-worker however is a classic myopic fan, suffering from defective vision. Surprising that he is a Ram fan because myopia is normally associated with the clowns that sport chains, spikes, studs and skulls on thier shoulders up in Choaktown.

"Myopic" is the perfect word to describe these guys. Like Colonal Clink use to say in Hogans Heroes; "I see nothing!"

[THEFIELDGOAL]

Diehard= Never giving up and through thick and thin of times-Always supporting the colors and tradition tell death do us part.
My request as a diehard= Drape the team flag on my casket and honor tradition. It's like honoring a soldier. Because we supported every battle and contest in the franchise and it's a fans wish to show total team loyalty and pride no matter the seasonal outcome.
The only game i expect to win? Is all the games. But especially the rival games.
The Field Goal

[Curly Horns]

Like Colonal Clink use to say in Hogans Heroes; "I see nothing!"

Poor Sgt. Shultz - He gets zero credit for looking the other way.