Too many #$%# Northerners in this town...

[Bobcat99]

Bobcat, your calling into question national loyalty and a political beliefs system vs. a group of men/women who play a game on the weekend.

First of all, it's "you're." You (and others on this board) keep making that mistake and it's driving me crazy. It reflects pretty badly on our university that its students and alumni don't know a basic of grammar learned in the fifth grade.

Anyway, having gotten that pet peeve out of the way, I'll simply answer that "national loyalty" (i.e. belonging to a country) is as socially constructed a concept as the team you cheer for. There's no difference. Indeed, one might say the team you cheer for is more a part of your identity, as that is a personal decision you take upon yourself. You had zero control over the country you were born in; the idea that you should support it regardless of all other events is something society taught you.

Am I supossed to tell a kid that grew up an Alabama fan, went to every home game, his parents were 3 generations of alumni that he can no longer root for Alabama because he didn't have the scores to get in and has to now go to UAB?

I would say that you have demonstrated the perfect example. Yes, I would say unequivocally that he should stop cheering for Alabama. THEY TOLD HIM THEY DIDN'T WANT HIM. Indeed, they told him that despite his long family history of being Crimson, they STILL didn't want him. Why would you support someone who rejected you in such a demeaning manner?

(Or, on the flipside, one would simply say that if you liked that team so much you wouldn't have f*cked around so much in high school. It's not like Alabama is hard to get into.)

Let me reverse it he's a genius and gets a full ride to Vanderbilt. Does he have ot quit being an Alabama fan because of that?

If he loves Alabama that much, he'll go to Alabama. If he doesn't go to Alabama, then clearly he didn't have the love for it he thought he did. If he goes to Vandy, absolutely he should quit being an Alabama fan. They're in the same conference!

You dance with the one that brought you. Supporting a team is not monolithic and everlasting; this is just something the businesses that sell you crap want you to believe. It's not true.

That is just one senerio of millions that are out there. Professional teams, large colleges, small college, minor leagues, national team, amatuer teams, whatever fancies you...One Rule: Be there threw thick and thin. Plain and simple.

Seriously, man, do some spell-checking next time. Augh. I will agree with you on one point. "Be there through thick and thin" applies to the NFL. The NFL has a level of parity unmatched by any sports organization in the world, and thus I don't really begrudge someone holding onto their home affiliation. After all, there's no incentive to do so; teams generally don't stay "great" for very long, though that's changed a bit in the past few years. Certainly my hometown Browns haven't been good at all since their return to the league.

[Joe]

I apologize for the grammar, I hadn't had my coffee yet.

I completely disagree.

I know your a smart guy, but not everyone is. Alabama is a top 100 school and is very hard to get into. The use of that example was real life, except it was 2 brothers.

The one brother who went to UAB was a hard worker, he had decent grades in high school, unfortunately his SAT score was very low. It turned out he was dyslexic.

His brother is a freaking genius who got a full ride to a top 20 school in the country, how the heck can you turn that down? Why turn down the prestige and notoriety of a Vanderbilt degree because you like the football team at another school...It's college, you're going for an education, not a football team.

Does that mean they hate their respective universities? No. But they grew up in the Alabama football culture and nothing is going to pull them out of it. They're fans.

You're assuming that all people are basing their college education on the love of sports and a University, again a fallacy. While there are many out there who might select a University because of the football team, or another sports team, it's not as common as you would think.

Like I said there are a [highlight]million [/highlight]different stories out there as to why someone is a fan of one team and not the fan of another. Why complicate things by requiring someone to meet certain standards and requirements to fit in that fan class? (And then to create the "Bobcat" exception so that your love of the Browns fits into the definition you are trying to create)

ONE REQUIREMENT, REMAIN FANS...Through thick and thin. It's really not that hard of a concept to grasp.

(I hope my spelling on a message board was adequate for you, I apologize for any problem my spelling or any other spelling might have caused you.)

[Mag Pie]

If he goes to Vandy he's choosing academics.  Why would he choose a sport over academics?

Like Joe says, everyone has their own story.  It would be completely stupid for someone to give up their loyalty to a team just because they've moved.  You can't just start liking a team like that, you like a team because you like to, not because you're forced to.  People wouldn't know the teams traditions and history..hell, after they've learned them they'd probably move and have to learn new ones, that'd be frustrating.  I can guarantee you that many people that believe this would be called bandwagon fans by the real ones.

And "Be there through think and thin" applies to the NFL?  Not to baseball, the NBA and college?  Some people make being a fan so complicated when it doesn't have to be.

[BiggTipp]

I am born and raised in central florida in Brooksville in Hernando County...people moving here doesnt bother me as much as it used to... it seems like the entire Westside of hernando County is from Long Island or Brooklyn or upstate NY, yes it annoys me but only they come down here and try to change the local govt. and the way we live up here...now people who come here and dont say "thats not how we do it in (blank)" then I dont care. people root for who they do...when it comes to pro sports, you wont get people to chenge but college is possible...it just takes wins wins winsand more wins....to me these people are part-time fairweather fans...they will root for Uof wherever all the time but living here and next to a constant winner they will also be USF fans until another 2004 like season

[Bobcat99]

If he goes to Vandy he's choosing academics.  Why would he choose a sport over academics?

I'm at USF because of academics. I'm here, on a USF sports site, as a USF sports fan. It is an alma mater, albeit not my initial alma mater, and thus it's a part of me, and that's why I cheer for the Bulls. (Please don't ask me anything about Eastern Michigan.)

People wouldn't know the teams traditions and history..hell, after they've learned them they'd probably move and have to learn new ones, that'd be frustrating.

Look, I moved here and adopted the Devil Rays in no time. If I can adopt the Devil Rays, it shouldn't be so hard for people to adopt the Bulls (insert team here). It doesn't take much effort to learn about the home team.

And "Be there through think and thin" applies to the NFL?  Not to baseball, the NBA and college?  Some people make being a fan so complicated when it doesn't have to be.

Baseball has a de facto system that ensures some measure of success for the rich. It's not a balanced system like in the NFL. The NBA is a bit better, but the lottery system ensures that occasionally you'll have four- or five- year runs of success and failure for given teams. College is the most imbalanced of all; not only do the rich teams have more money NOW than the poor teams, the system explicitly funnels more money to the rich teams than the poor teams.

That's why cheering for a team like UF if you didn't go there is so unbelievably lame. They have tons of money, the NCAA ensures they get even more every year, so what is the point of even cheering for them? They are provided so much opportunity before the season even begins that I can't see how anything other than a national championship would be satisfying.

Compare this to the NFL where there is revenue sharing and a direct-impact draft system (baseball has a direct draft but as we Devil Ray fans have observed there is no guarantee that #1 draft picks will eventually even be major league contributors).

If you can't get it through your head why it's wrong to cheer for another school (at your level) while a student of one school then I'm probably never going to be able to explain it to you. (Certainly there's nothing wrong with cheering for the Spartans as a USF student/alumnus. They don't directly compete with each other for students, recruits, or otherwise.) Be true to your school, now.

[hightechbull]

What is wrong with the North?  They did win that little Civil War years ago, and they let the South off pretty easy after they started that war.  They could have hung all the Confederates for, you know, treason against the United States.   :

Happy Presidents Day, President Abraham Lincoln.  Thanks for keeping the Union together, which opened the door for all us "friggin' Northerners" to relocate to Florida.

[jd77]

The best example that comes to mind at the pro ranks was with in 2003 early in the hockey season. The season in which the Lightning ended up winning the Stanely Cup.  There was a story that made local news and Philly news involving Keith Primeau.  

Basically Primeau and a few other Flyers were walking around the Forum several hours before the game when a group of Lightning fans recognized them and were getting autographs.  A Flyers fan noticed the crowd and the players and came running over and said something to the effect that the Lightning suck and to let him to the front.  Primeau took offense to that and asked the guy where he lived.  He said Tampa. Primeau asked him how long he had lived here. He said something like 7-8 years.  Primeau then basically told him that he needed to show more respect to the Lightning, because they play in that building behind him 41 nights a year busting their ass and representing this city. He also told him that they had plenty of fans in Philly and that he should support the Lightning because the Flyers only play here 2x per year.  He refused to sign anything for the guy and basically called him a jerk.  He then joked with group there and said "Hey I played for Detroit before Philly should I score in my own net when we play the Red Wings?"

They did a story on that guy during the Eastern Conference Finals and showed that he was now a Lightning fan on the local news.

[BigShoop]

I just read the post about the Syracuse chant at the bball game. I think this is a major issue that runs deeper than just a basketball game or two.

My wife and I went to Barnacles to catch an away USF game this past season, and you could barely find a TV with it on. They place was loaded with fans of other teams though. (Ohio State is the one i REALLY remember...they were everywhere).

The only thing I can really say about it is RIDICULOUS.  Im sorry, but if are THAT many of you that love your "home" team THAT much, then move the #$%$# back.  No kidding, the market is flooded, primarily with fans of NORTHERN teams.. It makes me so angry think to think of the weak souls that are all like "waaah, im cooold" so they move down here with their freakin Ohio State/Yankees/Red Sox shirts. ARGGH!

Im from Georgia, but I live in Tampa because its one of about 3 places in the entire US where I can do my job. Dont tell me these people moved down because they "had" to.  If you move down here because you like it, then support the local economy.

Not sure why this urks me so much...but I was fighting mad at the USF-ND game.  

Freaking northerners. Go back from whence you came.

Preach on brother!!!

[Mag Pie]

I do understand where you're coming from.  I'm just saying I disagree.

I'll make sure that next time a friend of mine graduates from another school and wants to attend a USF game I tell them, "NO!  DON'T  YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T CHEER ON FOR OTHER TEAMS -- ITS AGAINST THE RULES OF BEING A FAN!"

Again, I see your point.  I just think you need to think about it in another light.  What if it was supporting USF?  Would we have to turn them down?

I'm not for hoping the hometown team loses, they win the Superbowl, good for them, a Stanley Cup win--good for them, I still wouldn't care.  I don't think someone should have to like a team just because they play in their backyard.

[Mag Pie]

By the way, that Primeau guy sounds like a jackass.  Telling someone they have enough fans so they don't need him?  He's a moron.  Very rude.

As for the fan -- sounds like he can't think for himself.  He started to like the Lightning because someone told him to.