Fan Transference
 

Watching the NBA playoffs I noticed something interesting about fan loyalties, particularly on cb. It goes something like this: the Jazz rule but they suck this year so lets not talk about them. Instead, let's cheer for the Phoenix Suns. The Suns rule. I love the Suns. The Suns are going to win it all against all odds. What, the Suns lost? Who beat them? The Mavs. I hate the Mavs. Who plays the Mavs in the finals? The Heat? The Heat rule. I'll be glad when they beat the Mavs. Because they beat the Jazz, uh, I mean the Suns.


I call this the 'Seahawks Phenomenon.'

Cheering for someone to win doesn't mean you're a fan, in my opinion. I was cheering for the Heat to win, but that's mainly because I can't stand Dirk's sneer and Cuban's big mouth. And because I enjoy watching Wade play.

Being a fan means you know everyone on the team and watch every game of theirs you can. You wonder about their draft picks and know the team history. I'm not a Miami fan.

Sounds like you have some issues to resolve, though.

Good points, Lingo. I agree that one doesn't have to be a fan to cheer for a team. Personally, I didn't cheer for one team over another, but have several friends who were either pulling for the Mavs or Heat.

I also enjoy watching Wade play. The dude is a gamer with a killer instinct. He just gets it done and it's fun to watch.

Excuse me? Are you intentionally being an ass?


My 'issues' that you speak of are observations of behavior on cougarboard. Why do you automatically assume that I am talking about you?

I have yet to observe 'Dirk's sneer' and I have already commented on Cuban's big mouth. And you are cheering for the Heat because you hate the mavs? Why that sounds EXACTLY what I was talking about.

Um, no.

Um, yes.

I do that all the time. In fact, I have an entire heirarchy of hate for teams. I think I have basically slotted every major team in college so on any given week, I cheer for the team I hate the least (as a fan, I only have one team I can love). Since I love watching all the games, though, I have developed this system so every game is interesting to me!

Crazy? Perhaps. But I love Saturdays in the fall!

(And yes, I do the same thing with the NBA and NFL).

That's fine. Perhaps I should have used a word other than fan. Fan can mean whatever you want, I guess. It is interesting to see people switch teams and cheer for another for what is sometime a fairly arbitrary(imo) reason.

I do the same thing, actually. Maybe later I'll go into my heirarchy(or lowerarchy(tic)). My original post was intended to be more about what 95% of cb seemed to be doing. The same teams, the same transference. I found that to be very interesting.

Yeah, it's not a black and white thing. It's a combination of liking Wade's style of play and disliking Dirk's attitude and Cuban's mouth. I like Howard. I think Harris will be a great point guard. I don't like Jason Williams. I don't like Shaq's style of play. There's a lot of gray.

I apologize... you are apparently unable to understand all the complications involved.

Wow! That's one heck of an apology! I feel much better now.


I wasn't able to read what you didn't type. Huh, how about that? I was just supposed to know that these 'complications' that you speak of included that you like Howard and Harris, that you don't like Williams, and that you don't like Shaq's stlye of play. I really need to learn how to read between the lines better. Somehow the main message that I got out of your post was that 'I' have issues.

What I know is what you posted; that you didn't like the Mavs because of Cuban and Dirk. To assume all of these other things would be conjecture. But I'm supposed to know what you're thinking I guess.


Also, try posting something that doesn't end in a personal insult.

I do. All the time.

All I'm saying is that you seem to take a lot of umbrage from the general dislike of the Mavs on CB. There are a lot of posters who also dislike the Yankees, Lakers, and Dodgers. It's part of sports.

Nothing to get upset about.

I wasn't so much upset about what people say about the mavs(believe me I hear A LOT about Cuban) I was more upset that you felt the need to end your posts to me with insults. And why shouldn't I get pissed off about that?


People cheer who they cheer for. That's fine. I was just making an observation about the trends on cb, something that no one has seen fit to disagree with me on(other than generaly banter about what a 'fan' is).

I don't have a problem with Dirk's alleged sneer; I just couldn't bring myself to root for someone who gets motivated by David Hasselhoff music.

Meanwhile, I think more people were cheering for Miami not because Dallas beat Phoenix, but because they wanted to laugh at Kobe and Jerry West. And in this years playoffs, Kobe lost to the team that lost to the team that lost to Shaq.

There are a few teams I hate. For example, in the NBA, I hate the Jazz, Pistons, and Kings. In the NFL, I hate the Broncos, Chiefs, and Pats. In the MLB, I hate the Braves, Yankees, Giants, and Angels. Do they still play hockey?

Now an observant fan, can probably guess who my favorite teams are based on the teams I hate. And outside my favorite teams, I have no transference. I do enjoy certain players, and I do hate other players which will cause me to pull or root for one team or another, but I really have no vested interest unless I have fantasy leaguers involved or am sitting at the parlay.

Let's see... Lakers, Raiders, and Dodgers?

And the Oakland A's. Baseball's two leagues are so different that really they are like two different games. So the Dodgers are my favorite National League team and the A's are my favorite American League team. I was very conflicted in '88.