What is a real fan?

[gtexan02]

So I had no idea where to post this, since its not about a Houston sports team or the Texans, or even football.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2597721

Yesterday, 1,000+ angry Orioles fan walked out of their home game at exactly 5:08 PM in a protest meant to send a signal to the management of the team.

So you tell me? Are these people fans?
There was so much debate last season because Texans "fans" left the games early, refused to attend games, refused to cheer at games, and finally wanted the team to lose just so McNair would get the message that something drastic needs to happen.

Are these two very different?

It worked in Houston, the dwindling attendance, excitement, and increasing loss totals drove McNair to boot out the old regime and start with a fresh, new prospect. Do you think it'll work in Baltimore?

[powerfuldragon]

[texplayer2]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

So I had no idea where to post this, since its not about a Houston sports team or the Texans, or even football.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2597721

Yesterday, 1,000+ angry Orioles fan walked out of their home game at exactly 5:08 PM in a protest meant to send a signal to the management of the team.

So you tell me? Are these people fans?
There was so much debate last season because Texans "fans" left the games early, refused to attend games, refused to cheer at games, and finally wanted the team to lose just so McNair would get the message that something drastic needs to happen.

Are these two very different?

It worked in Houston, the dwindling attendance, excitement, and increasing loss totals drove McNair to boot out the old regime and start with a fresh, new prospect. Do you think it'll work in Baltimore?

I think a fan is someone who has no control over a situation, but hopes it turns out good through others endeavors. These people were not fans of the current game they were at. (more like protestors). They could have cared less about the games results, they were trying to send a message.

[HJam72]

I'm not sure, but I think to be a real fan you have to get really drunk and throw stuff at the other team, but DO NOT throw stuff at players' wives! (unless it's the other team's players' wives)

[santo]

Originally Posted by PowerfulDragon

Hey PowerfulDragon, I borrowed your pic for my avatar...hope you don't mind

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

So I had no idea where to post this, since its not about a Houston sports team or the Texans, or even football.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2597721

Yesterday, 1,000+ angry Orioles fan walked out of their home game at exactly 5:08 PM in a protest meant to send a signal to the management of the team.

If 1,000 fans walked out after game 15 of the season after we endured another awful season I could see it and would understand their lament. I personally will not be going there.

Starting threads talking about how bad players are or fans wearing bags on their heads after two games and this situation with the Orioles fans walking out in the twilight of their season is reaching to promote some sort of agenda in my opinion.

[HJam72]

Hey, if they lose and the clock runs out, I'm leaving and I won't be back for about a week!

[Double Barrel]

The Texans wealthiest fan doesn't like losing, either. That's why he fired Capers & Co. and installed a new regime.

I won't define "fan". But I know it comes from "fanatic", which is defined as 'a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics [or sports team].'

So take it FWIW.

[aj.]

Originally Posted by Kaiser Toro

Starting threads talking about how bad players are or fans wearing bags on their heads after two games and this situation with the Orioles fans walking out in the twilight of their season is reaching to promote some sort of agenda in my opinion.

What's wrong with promoting an agenda on a message board? Everyone has one... or two...or a hundred. One of yours appears to be beating down the 0-2 bag wearers.

If a person considers themselves a real fan, they are a real fan I guess. Expressing an opinion - good or bad - is better than apathy. I don't worry too much about what others do, although I do hate it when the locals in 140 try to start the wave when we have the ball. If goofballs want to wear bags over their heads, knock your lights out. I'll be watching the game while you're trying to get the camera's attention.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by aj.

If a person considers themselves a real fan, they are a real fan I guess. Expressing an opinion - good or bad - is better than apathy. I don't worry too much about what others do, although I do hate it when the locals in 140 try to start the wave when we have the ball. If goofballs want to wear bags over their heads, knock your lights out. I'll be watching the game while you're trying to get the camera's attention.

Bagheads and people dressing like clowns and the like are not just attention hos. They taint all the rest of the fans there because people will perceive all Texans fans to share that opinion, even if it isn't so. The media seeks the lowest common denominator.

If you are a free agent, and given equal money, do you want to go to the team with the better fan base or the bagheads?

[aj.]

I've attended hundreds of NFL games since 1972 and I've observed my fair share of bagheads, clowns, and fools. For some reason I've never felt 'tainted' by any of them.

And at the bottom of my to-do list is worrying that the 'good reputation' of our fan base is somehow being eroded because some guy with a bag on his head makes the paper on Monday morning.

I'm far more worried about the possibility of being 0-3.

The media seeks those who seek it - that and train wrecks.

[aj.]

Moulds is probably a fair example of that. Not a FA but essentially he was like a FA -- he could have chosen to go elsewhere.

Our stadium was 1/3 full for the last 1/3 of last season. I'm guessing climate, proximity to his home in MS, contract, no state tax, and a chance to work opposite Andre in Kubiak's new offensive system came before "do they have 'real' fans?" when he made his decision tree.

[HJam72]

Originally Posted by aj.

Moulds is probably a fair example of that. Not a FA but essentially he was like a FA -- he could have chosen to go elsewhere.

Our stadium was 1/3 full for the last 1/3 of last season. I'm guessing climate, proximity to his home in MS, contract, no state tax, and a chance to work opposite Andre in Kubiak's new offensive system came before "do they have 'real' fans?" when he made his decision tree.

Ah, man! I thought it was tha fans.

[Speedy]

All I know is that I'm a fan. Win or lose. That doesn't mean I follow them blindly. I'm as pissed as anybody when they play poorly and will be celebrating with the best of them when they win. But win or lose, I will be in the stands from start to finish for every home game they play like I have for the last 43 games(including pre-season). And when they win, I'll know that I was there the whole time they were a really bad football team and it will be that much more special to me. The Oilers went through a horrible stretch in the 80's, much worse than we're seeing now, IMO, and then they went to the playoffs for 7 straight years. This is a 5 year old team that started from nothing. They have the same exact winning percentage as the Dallas Cowboys in their 1st four seasons plus 2 games. I seem to recall that team has 5 trophies or something.

That said, you don't have to go to every game for every second and spend boat loads of money to be a fan. I'm a huge, huge Astros fan and have only been to about 7 games this year. Doesn't mean I'm less of a fan of the Astros than I am the Texans. Hell, I'm a big Rockets fan as well and I haven't been to a Rockets game since I was 10 years old. But I'm just as much a "fanatic" about the Rockets and Astros as I am the Texans.

Personally, I'm not the bag wearing type. Wouldn't fit over my Texans helmet anyway. Takes a lot to get me to boo my team. I usually just sit there in disgust while the rest of the "fans" give it to them, but I have been known to boo when I feel it's warranted. I'm a fan, I have that right.

I don't get player haters who seem to thrive on a player failing just so they can say "I told you so" on a freaking message board, and people who want the team to lose to get a better draft pick. That is such a loser mentallity to me.

The only thing I wish we all could get on the same page though, for those at the game that is, is know what the hell is going on. You don't make noise when the Texans walk to the los, you scream your ass off when the opponent has the ball. If you go there just to have cocktails, or think you're at the library and want me to keep the noise down, or you're trying to start the lame as hell biggest reason soccer sucks wave, you'd probably be better off being a "fan" somewhere else. I mean, this is TEXAS...a football state...let's act like we know the freaking game. Indianapolis hasn't had pro football anywhere near as long as we have and their fans sure seem to have it down. You can leave early to beat traffic or whatever, but when you're there, let's act like we know our football.

[TheCD]

Per Dictionary.com:

fan

–noun an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.: a baseball fan; a great fan of Charlie Chaplin.


To get a better idea of what this means, let's define enthusiasm:

enthusiasm

–noun 1. absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit; lively interest: He shows marked enthusiasm for his studies.



So, then...by these definitions (the traditional sense of the word, that is) a "real fan" is merely someone who has an great interest in something (such as football) regardless of his attitude towards that interest.


According to the literal definition, people who walk out of games, wear bags on their heads, etc. are just as much a fan as the others...it's merely a different expression of their enthusiasm for their team.


That said...I think the "downers", as I like to call them, are no fun and should stay at home sulking away from those of us who just want to support our team and have fun each week watching them play.

[powerfuldragon]

Originally Posted by TheCD

Per Dictionary.com:

fan

–noun an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.: a baseball fan; a great fan of Charlie Chaplin.


To get a better idea of what this means, let's define enthusiasm:

enthusiasm

–noun 1. absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit; lively interest: He shows marked enthusiasm for his studies.



So, then...by these definitions (the traditional sense of the word, that is) a "real fan" is merely someone who has an great interest in something (such as football) regardless of his attitude towards that interest.


According to the literal definition, people who walk out of games, wear bags on their heads, etc. are just as much a fan as the others...it's merely a different expression of their enthusiasm for their team.


That said...I think the "downers", as I like to call them, are no fun and should stay at home sulking away from those of us who just want to support our team and have fun each week watching them play.

eh. semantics. a real football fan is a supporter through thick and thin.