Ban on signs ???

[E.T.]

Understand UVA has instituted this rule ... I think it's a bad thing. Fans have great idea's for signs.

Go BULLS !!!

[USFMikeB]

Given that UVA has the best Constitutional law program in the country, this is a surprising challenge to free speech on a college campus...

[Economics_Nerd82]

[KingBull]

A few very good, some ok at best, but most are horrible.

4 reasons to hate "fan signs"...

Terrible Television Acronym Signs

Nothing says "attention whore" more than a sign that includes a television call symbol like "ESPN" or "WGN" - especially when those letters exist in the middle of words - so that fan increases their chances of getting on TV.

This is like adding nacho cheese to any and every cooking recipe.  You recognize that you're not a 5 star chef, or creative enough to think of anything clever...but by golly, nacho cheese gets the freakin' job done, so use it.  On hotdogs...on Ramen noodles...on ice cream.  Whatever.  It just works.

The Good 'Ole Reliable "Priceless" Sign

By wikipedia's accounts, the first MasterCard "priceless" advertisement was run during the 1997 World Series.  Since then, millions of mockups have been seen across athletic venues - including the one below.

Our sign observers love the fact that the word "OUTSIDE" was written on a different shade of poster board and glued to the original - seemingly to overwrite a misspelling.

Creepy, Personal Fan Signs

Sometimes we - as fans - just don't understand the disconnect between us and the athletes we admire.  Then, you see a sign like the one below...and you understand why.  We're pretty sure even Manny would think this sign is a little odd.  That's like a guy from the mailroom coming up to your desk at work and commenting how he's been driving by your house alot lately and noticed that your wife cut her hair short...and he likes short hair.  Alot.

Note: Yes, we realize this kid is holding his precious sign backwards...but that's the least thing wrong with this picture.

The Terribly Unoriginal Fan Sign

Over past few months weeks, we've wondered about the professional emergence of the sports headline writers.  Where do they come from?  Debunked journalists?  Pop culture trivia champions?  We may have an answer after filtering through some of these signs.  Any player name, team name, or mascot that has another meaning in the real world....all fair game in the land of crappy sign manufacturing.

If I played for the Houston Rockets, or Astros, or any university based out of Houston, TX...I would make it a game to count the number of road games per year featuring the sign "Houston, You Have a Problem".

Courtesy JoesSportsFan.com

[JerseyBull06]

KingBull...your post almost makes me want to not bring the one sign I've ever made to this year's game...almost  ;D

thought this year's sign will drop 2 last minute additions to the original and not have the originals "I <3 Grothe" on the back...as that addition was mostly a joke from the second game of that season

[smazza]

another needless rule and attempt to control our lives

[smazza]

ny mets encouraged people to bring signs in 60's.

mets have the best fans because management included them from the begining

too bad leavitt closed his practices from the beginning 10 years ago

[E.T.]

LOL ... yeah, Leavitt is evil.

[Mission9]

Only smazza could write about the 1960's Mets (a great story which has one of the most horrid teams of all time rising up to win the World Series) and slam Leavitt in the same post.

[KingBull]

another needless rule and attempt to control our lives

From what I gathered on the Mad Cow, I thought you were a liberal "BIG government" type.