Labeling an entire fanbase

I just wanted to vent quickly about pro sports and their fanbases.

I often here from various people, esp. when their team is part of a heated rivalry, things like

"The Eagles have the worst fans!"

"Steelers fans are the most obnoxious!"

"Yankees fans are dirt bags!"

"Red Sox fans are classless!"

"Michigan fans are horrible people!"

"Ohio State fans are idiots"

And so forth.

And it drives me nuts.

To me, labeling an entire fanbase a certain negative attribute or stereotype is wrong and borders on being dangerous. I mean, "Red Sox Nation" or whatever sports "________ Nation" you want to talk about, is comprised of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans. They come from all walks of life. As you go from city to city, the demographics might change slightly, but I would say they are probably more similar than they are different.

And to me, the danger is that labeling all Steelers fans as "drunken morons" is only 1 step away, in human psychology, from labeling "all Armenians are drunken dogs" or "all Serbs are dirty" or whatever.

Now of course, in sports, the stakes are generally lower. Wars do not break out because "Ravens fans" think "Steelers fans" are "obnoxious." But to me, falling inline with sentiments like these is dangerous.

Now, to a certain degree, it adds to the flavor of sport; I get that. But I still try not to buy into it, at all times. I think personally, I do a good job of it. And I have to report that It doesn't stop me from hating Michigan, and it doesn't stop me from rooting against the Rangers and the Red Sox and the NFC East, not in the least. the rivalry is still just as strong.

Sorry for the rant!

Better dead than Red!

Football fans are the worst.
Just after baseball fans.
Who are nothing compared to basketball fans.
Who make hockey fans look like soccer fans.

"We played great last night!"
No, you didn't.

I agree. It sucks, but it happens.

There are certain members of this forum who frequently label ski area 'fan bases' as well.

stereotyping = lame

IMHO, what seems to happen, is that 95%+ of the fan base are good people that are passionate, but polite and courtious about their team alliegence. There's about 5% though who tend to take it beyond polite and courtious become a-holes. And it's that minority that can give a team a bad rep, and it's the emotional connection that a fan can have with one's team that can bring that out (okay in some instances a few drinks might also come into play :lol: )

Since I know that the starter of this thread might just be an Ohio State Fan It's this rivalry/passion between a fanbase that I think makes this ESPN commercial one of their best ever, especially for this thread! :lol:

drjeff said:

IMHO, what seems to happen, is that 95%+ of the fan base are good people that are passionate, but polite and courtious about their team alliegence. There's about 5% though who tend to take it beyond polite and courtious become a-holes. And it's that minority that can give a team a bad rep, and it's the emotional connection that a fan can have with one's team that can bring that out (okay in some instances a few drinks might also come into play :lol: )

Since I know that the starter of this thread might just be an Ohio State Fan It's this rivalry/passion between a fanbase that I think makes this ESPN commercial one of their best ever, especially for this thread! :lol:

Click to expand...

I think that is correct, Doc. And I can tell you that OSU people love these commercials, bc they portray the OSU male "macking" on the scUM female.

Steelers and are a bunch of drunken morans. You are correct.

I grew up a Browns fan. It was instilled into me to think so.

Mountaineer fans are amazing.....

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

yankees suck and so do their fans. it's a known fact. i think it's in the bible and the koran. i know i read it somewhere.

oh yea. jets also

ever met a serb? pee-yew

'Cuse fans bleed ORANGE and are the best fans in the world