JaMarcus Russell's #1 Caucasian Fan 0 Report post Posted October 22, 2008 In Los Angeles' case, we haven't had a pro football team since 1994, so I don't see anything wrong with liking USC football (and UCLA to a lesser extent) more than certain professional teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0 Report post Posted October 22, 2008 I don't understand people who seriously root for a college team from a school they never attended. It's like, University of Michigan football doesn't represent the whole state, it represents the University of Michigan. If you didn't go there, why the fuck should you care? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RepoMan 0 Report post Posted October 22, 2008 I enjoy college football and basketball more because they have a more interesting style of play. In football I enjoy watching teams play the option or a spread offense. I basketball, I enjoy seeing a whole variety of offenses and defences. I enjoy seeing a good zone trap wreak defensive havoc, I love a good give and go, I love a well timed pick. I'm nerdy like that. Plus, I have a really hard time getting into an 82 game regular season. And atmosphere is an important factor. I enjoy seeing schools from East bum fuck middle America getting national attention. I enjoy having students right on top of the action instead of the best seats going to the ultra rich who are there just to show off their status and can't be bothered to get into the game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RepoMan 0 Report post Posted October 22, 2008 I don't understand people who seriously root for a college team from a school they never attended. It's like, University of Michigan football doesn't represent all of the state, it represents the University of Michigan. If you didn't go there, why the fuck should you care? Ohio State fans are the worst. At lot of kids going to the MAC Ohio schools well sit in there dorm to root on anther school than to go to an actual game at the school they actually go to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Zoidberg 0 Report post Posted October 22, 2008 In San Jose, the most loved is definitely the Sharks. Last season was when I REALLY started to notice it. Second would be...I guess, the SF Giants. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest C*Z*E*C*H Report post Posted October 22, 2008 I don't understand people who seriously root for a college team from a school they never attended. It's like, University of Michigan football doesn't represent all of the state, it represents the University of Michigan. If you didn't go there, why the fuck should you care? I love a good give and go, Because it's basketball, with Mr. Kurtis Blow! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 The Grizzlies are better than the Tigers. They play better teams than the Tigers, and those games yield a higher level of basketball than NCAA games do. If you take away the vaunted ATMOSPHERE, and the sentimental attachment to the myth of try-hard white guys, what is college basketball? Little more than bad basketball. Watch an NBA game directly after a college game and it's never more evident. Sports is more than just the actual game itself though. Atmosphere, community- it's a big part of what makes sports "sports". I'm not arguing the quality of college v. pro sports, but I will say I'd rather watch Memphis play than the Nets, my favourite pro team. You're just being blind if you can't see why a community would prefer college over pro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumMan831 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 Cleveland is a pretty fickle town. Whomever is making a playoff push is our most loved team. In our defense, there has been no championships here in 44 years covering 123 combined seasons of championship-less sports. 1. Ohio State Football - It pains me to no end but people up here are obsessed w/ the Buckeyes. OSU flags flying everywhere. Unless you went to the school or have a kid/sibling that goes there, I don't see the point in being so passionate about them since they play 2-3 hours away. What kills me is when I'm bumming about a Browns loss, and a chach coworker will spout off with "Who cares?!? The Buckeyes WON!!!" 2. Cleveland Browns - Sure some would say the Browns are #1. For me, they're #1. The city rocks during Steeler week even though deep down everyone knows what the outcome will be. But we gather and cheer for the Browns in the hope that we're wrong. A Browns win seems to make everyone in a better mood for the next couple days. 3. Cleveland Cavaliers - If not for LeBron, they'd be #4. Plus, they've accrued quite a bit of ongoing success under Gilbert/Ferry/Brown for Cleveland standards. 3 straight years in the playoffs and a Finals appearance. Though, people are starting to get pissed about LeBron showing up to the Indians game cheering the Yankees and the Browns game rooting for the Cowboys. But once he rips a few dunks and a 50pt game this season, it'll all be forgotten. 4. Cleveland Indians - Crashed and burned in 2008 but people are generally mellow and forgiving about the team compared to other cities. Sure, people call in to shows and want Wedge out of town or to trade so-and-so for so-and-so but all in all people like the Shin Soo Choos and the Ben Franciscos and of course the Grady Sizemores quite a bit. 5. Cleveland State Basketball - Being one game away from the NCAA tournament last year for the 1st time in eons put a spark into the program. 6. Ohio State Basketball - People perk up for them if they're in the NCAA tournament. 7. Cleveland Gladiators - Arena Football team. Made the playoffs last year. Bernie Kosar welcoming the fans generally gets the 2nd biggest pop at the games trailing the "All fans have won a free Big Mac now that your Gladiators have scored 50 points!" pop. 8. Lake Erie Monsters - Affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. They're there. Fun to go to a game or two a year. 9. Lake County Captains - Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Popular on the east side of town. Not so much on the west side. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 Sports is more than just the actual game itself though. Atmosphere, community- it's a big part of what makes sports "sports". I'm not arguing the quality of college v. pro sports, but I will say I'd rather watch Memphis play than the Nets, my favourite pro team. You're just being blind if you can't see why a community would prefer college over pro But, again, if you're not a current student/alumnus then you're not actually part of that community. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 That's not true, universities located in the town become a part of the community. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest C*Z*E*C*H Report post Posted October 23, 2008 THAT'S NOT TRUE! No, it is true! It's tantamount to rooting for a high school because your uncle went there in 1978. Same principle. If you go there, it's an available entertainment option, if you don't, it's not something you're honestly part of. I know atmosphere is important, but maybe I happen to think this particular atmosphere sucks. Look, I served my time in high school playing "Smoke on the Water" and "What I Like About You" night after night for four years, in bleachers both metal and wooden. I don't derive one iota of enjoyment from that aspect of THE ATMOSPHERE. I didn't like it when I was making it, and I don't like it now. "We're all wearing red and we painted our faces red and their jerseys are red and everything's red!" Lovely. Stomp your feet at once. WhoooOOOOoooOOOOoOOOOooOOOaaaAAAAA. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 I know atmosphere is important, but maybe I happen to think this particular atmosphere sucks. That's fine, that's your opinion. I don't think it's right to think people are stupid though if they get caught up in the atmosphere v. the quality of the action on the field. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Star Ocean 3 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 If I included jpegs and "WhoooOOOOoooOOOOoOOOOooOOOaaaAAAAA." in my initial post would it have been less obnoxious? I even kinda agree with him, but still. I can't even stand it when college gets a lot of airtime on ATH and PTI. I can't care about USC or UCLA more than the NFL. But anything more than a passive rooting for a university in adulthood, when you have a pro team in that same sport just gets kinda weird. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 I grew up rooting for the Memphis Tigers, and I'm not going to stop now. I root for the Nets- do they even count as a pro team? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lomasmoney 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 I don't understand the argument that if you didn't go to the school, you can't be a "fan" of the team. My dad is one of the biggest Michigan football fans I know. He never attended a day of classes at the University, however he was recruited to play football there, but he didn't go because he wanted to go somewhere where he could actually start before his senior year. Does it make him less of a fan if he didn't go to school there? As a Michigan alum, I know people who go to school there for four years and treat the game as nothing but a giant sorority mixer. I would rather go to a game and sit next to Jim the truck driver from Lincoln Park that remembers the Rick Leach era, than some frat boy from New Jersey who only came to the school because his dad couldn't get him into Yale. Fans have attachments to teams for all kinds of reasons, and I don't thumb my nose down at someone who is supporting a team I follow just because they didn't actually go to the school As for the college sports vs pro sports argument, obviously the professional players are better, and the games at the pro level exhibit way more skill. The reason why I like college sports so much, especially basketball and football, is because the teams and playing styles are way less vanilla. In college football you have so many different offenses and playing styles where as in the pros everyone plays the exact same way. Even in basketball, a team like Princeton playing a totally different style than a team like Memphis. Also, in college sports the coaches leave a way more noticable imprint on their team than does the average pro coach. Think about all the iconic figures in college coaching and then compare it to the legendary coaches in the pro sports Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dh86 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 1.Michigan football 2.Lions 3.Tigers 4.Red Wings 5.Pistons 6.Michigan State basketball You're on crack The Red Wings are basically the Atlanta Braves here in terms of fan interest. There were scores of empty seats at Joe Louis all season and the Wings were barely a blip on the radar until the Conference Finals. The Lions had a fucking march during a losing season and has sold out every game since 2001 until this week. Any other pro sports team in Detroit would have been playing in front of crickets if they had a decade of losing like the Lions have had. The Red Wings sure did the last time they were a loser. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Kamala 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 I think the denizens of this thread might enjoy some perspective from someone who lives somewhere that neither has a major league sports team or a big college team. So here I am. 1. Boston Red Sox (Patriots might have had this crown for a while in the mid to late '90s when Parcells was coaching and for a year or two after the '01 season and the first Super Bowl win but other than that, The Sox have been #1 as far back as I can remember.) 2. New England Patriots (Have been a fairly close 2nd since Parcells came in. Before that, I imagine they ranked somewhere between the local minor league hockey team and The UMaine Women's basketball team) 3. Boston Celtics (Fell quite a bit during the post Bird era but they've been a solid #3 since they made the '02 Eastern Conference Finals. Will probably never surpass the Red Sox or Patriots up here though.) 4. UMaine Men's Hockey (Were incredibly popular around here for about a minute and a half during their National Championship run in '99. They'll always have a strong niche fanbase and sell out their yearly game in Portland.) 5. Portland Sea Dogs ( The Red Sox AA affliate. Wildly popular during the summer, regardless of their record. People just love going to minor league baseball games just for the sake of going to minor league baseball games. How popular they are outside of that depends on their record.) 6. Boston Bruins (Despite the fact that they've played a couple of pre-season games here in the past decade or so, I could probably count on one hand the number of Bruins fans I know.) 7. UMaine Women's Basketball (They were surprisingly popular in the latter half of the '90s and the first few years of the '00s when they were making the NCAA Tournament every year. Still got a few leftover fans from those days.) 8. Portland Pirates ( Buffalo Sabres minor league affliate. They were kind of popular when they first showed up in the mid '90s and won a Calder Cup in their first season but the reaction to them has been kind of apathetic since. I blame it on the fact that they've changed their NHL affliate three times in the past three or four years.) 9. UMaine Football (They've produced a few NFL players but I don't think anybody really cares about them. The fact that they're I-AA and not particularly good doesn't help. But hey they beat Mississippi State a couple years back and have managed to not get blown out by most of the I-A teams they've faced so huzzah! They do manage to draw half-decent crowds when they play in Portland though which puts them ahead of...) 10. UMaine Men's Basketball/Baseball (Again, both have produced pros but I don't think anybody really cares about either of these teams but they might if they were actually decent for a change.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 In defense of the Red Wings, I know the economy in Detroit is bad and I know the Red Wings have some of the highest ticket prices in league. Hence, the empty seats at the Joe Louis Arena. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest C*Z*E*C*H Report post Posted October 23, 2008 Also, in college sports the coaches leave a way more noticable imprint on their team than does the average pro coach. Think about all the iconic figures in college coaching and then compare it to the legendary coaches in the pro sports Oh, college coaches can kiss my ass. Egomaniacs who can't hack it in the pros. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 Also, in college sports the coaches leave a way more noticable imprint on their team than does the average pro coach. Think about all the iconic figures in college coaching and then compare it to the legendary coaches in the pro sports Egomaniacs who can't hack it in the pros. Czech, you're letting your hatred of college sports cloud your judgment here. While a lot of college coaches don't do well in the pros, it's a totally different game and a different style of coaching required to make it work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Your Paragon of Virtue 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 A big part of that is you can't deal with the adults the same way you deal with teenagers. Pete Carroll found this out the hard way when some of his sesame street style pep talks and cheers didn't work with Bledsoe, McGinest, et al. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Your Paragon of Virtue 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 Montreal: 1) Alouettes HA 1) Habs . . . 2) Alouettes 3) Local Mixed martial arts Toronto: 1) Leafs 2) Jays 3) Raptors 4) Argos Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest C*Z*E*C*H Report post Posted October 23, 2008 Also, in college sports the coaches leave a way more noticable imprint on their team than does the average pro coach. Think about all the iconic figures in college coaching and then compare it to the legendary coaches in the pro sports Egomaniacs who can't hack it in the pros. Czech, you're letting your hatred of college sports cloud your judgment here. While a lot of college coaches don't do well in the pros, it's a totally different game and a different style of coaching required to make it work. Sorry, but I'm not going to stand idly by while people laud those idiots. Remember that one guy here who referred to Bobby Knight as "Coach"? Oh man, that was something. Is he one of the iconic coaches we're talking about? I know Steve Alford left an imprint on his teams, the "rape a girl and then stage a coverup" imprint. Am I wrong on the "egomaniacs who can't hack it" assessment? That's basically what it comes down to. They can't hang with the real best of the best, so they're content to be the emperors of their campuses, "shaping young men" and bringing pride to The Community, with a healthy helping of the fire and the passion, no doubt. Does my fundamental distaste for the NCAA form my opinion? Of course, but why shouldn't it form that opinion, and for that matter, why shouldn't I have problems with the NCAA? As a neutral observer to big-money college sports, I just hate it all: the pretenses of unadulterated integrity and virtue are so completely belied by all the corruption, the internal obfuscation, all the filth. I'm certain there are seamy underbellies to professional teams, but athletic directors whoring girls out for recruiting, or bureaucracies trying to hush rape victims, that's all disgusting because it's happening under the auspices of a university. I want none of this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted October 23, 2008 Sorry, but I'm not going to stand idly by while people laud those idiots. Who are the idiots? College coaches overall, or college coaches deemed iconic? Remember that one guy here who referred to Bobby Knight as "Coach"? Anglesault referred to George Steinbrenner as Mr. Steinbrenner. I know Steve Alford left an imprint on his teams, the "rape a girl and then stage a coverup" imprint. Of course there are some coaches that do stupid things or make errors in judgement, I'm not denying that. Am I wrong on the "egomaniacs who can't hack it" assessment? That's basically what it comes down to. Yes, absolutely. As I said, the games are different, and some coaches are better at coaching other forms of sports than others. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RepoMan 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2008 Also, in college sports the coaches leave a way more noticable imprint on their team than does the average pro coach. Think about all the iconic figures in college coaching and then compare it to the legendary coaches in the pro sports Oh, college coaches can kiss my ass. Egomaniacs who can't hack it in the pros. I'd say college coaches have a harder job. They have to worry about recuirting, the acedemics of their players, and keeping college age kids from getting into any off field shenanigans (though these days a lot of pro atheltes don't seem any more mature than an 18 year old). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightwing 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2008 1.Michigan football 2.Lions 3.Tigers 4.Red Wings 5.Pistons 6.Michigan State basketball You're on crack The Red Wings are basically the Atlanta Braves here in terms of fan interest. There were scores of empty seats at Joe Louis all season and the Wings were barely a blip on the radar until the Conference Finals. The Lions had a fucking march during a losing season and has sold out every game since 2001 until this week. Any other pro sports team in Detroit would have been playing in front of crickets if they had a decade of losing like the Lions have had. The Red Wings sure did the last time they were a loser. That's the most retarded reasoning I've ever heard. Seriously, you suck at this. 1) The Red Wings had a sell-out streak since 1995 before it ended last year. Trying to argue that the Lions selling out since 2001 to this week does not mean that they are the most followed team out there. The fact of the matter is, Ford Field regularly has large contingents of away fans who are there. The reason they sell out is not because people pay attention to them, but because rival fans invade it every weekend. The Red Wings do not have that problem. And this doesn't even note the fact that it's a lot harder to keep a sellout streak for Hockey Teams than it is for Football teams. Football is the easiest sport today to follow; you only play one game a week, and you only have 16 games in a regular season. 8 home games for a season ticket holder is a lot easier than the 30+ for hockey fans, and the Wings still beat them in that. Even with the massive time commitment, I still know many more Wings fans than Lions fans.' If they were only a "blip" on the charts (Which is absolutely untrue in my opinion), it was because of earlier failures and the fact that this was a distinctly different team than it was before. Last year's Conference Finals really re-cemented them as the most beloved team in Detroit, since they played damn good in the playoffs, even in losing. 2) News coverage always focuses on negatives before going to the positives. The Lions get more coverage because it's easier to focus on the massive flaws that they have, and what they need to do or haven't yet done to fix them, along with amazing amounts of criticism for their owner and organization in general. What do you say about a team that wins and keeps winning? "Uh... Keep it up?" You're interpreting the Lions getting a lot of coverage versus the Wings (Which is, to me, debatable when it comes to the news in Detroit) as them being more popular, but it's more along the lines of why a massive car crash gets more coverage than a successful road construction product: People will tune in to hear about negative things more often than positives. 3) The NFL is bigger than the NHL. It's an outright fact. To think that any NFL team is going to get ignored for losing is beyond stupid, especially with such a ridiculously dysfunctional team such as the Lions. That's the only reason the Lions get any coverage right now; they're in a sport where they can't be ignored. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 27, 2008 A big part of that is you can't deal with the adults the same way you deal with teenagers. Pete Carroll found this out the hard way when some of his sesame street style pep talks and cheers didn't work with Bledsoe, McGinest, et al. That really isn't true, with Carroll's first head coaching job being one at the NFL level. Not like he was a bad coach for the Patriots either, 2 playoff appearances in 3 years is fine. Also, in college sports the coaches leave a way more noticable imprint on their team than does the average pro coach. Think about all the iconic figures in college coaching and then compare it to the legendary coaches in the pro sports And I would say this is true. Pro coaches generally have a shelf-life at their job, but with college sports always rotating players in and out, the coach becomes the hallmark of the program, rather than a player like, say, John Elway with the Broncos. Joe Paterno IS Penn State. I don't really see how anyone could deny that. Bill Cowher was the only guy over the last two decades to have that impact with an NFL franchise. Shanahan is following in those footsteps, but otherwise, there isn't anyone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob_barron 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2008 Carroll was terrible on the Patriots, I remember openly laughing watching some of his coaching moves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 27, 2008 Winning is everything in that goddamn NFL. We ain't makin' men out of you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youth N Asia 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2008 (edited) The Red Wings had a sell-out streak since 1995 before it ended last year. Trying to argue that the Lions selling out since 2001 to this week does not mean that they are the most followed team out there. The fact of the matter is, Ford Field regularly has large contingents of away fans who are there. The reason they sell out is not because people pay attention to them, but because rival fans invade it every weekend. The Red Wings do not have that problem. . . . The NFL is bigger than the NHL. It's an outright fact. To think that any NFL team is going to get ignored for losing is beyond stupid, especially with such a ridiculously dysfunctional team such as the Lions. That's the only reason the Lions get any coverage right now; they're in a sport where they can't be ignored. The Lions only have 8 home game a year to sell out...and the bastards were blacked out today cause they couldn't sell out Edited October 28, 2008 by C*Z*E*C*H I decided you quoted too much text! -Czech Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
