Some of the biggest sports front-running a-holes, though, can be found at the college level. Two big offenders are those hicks who "love" IU basketball even though they couldn't complete a semester there if their lives depended on it and those jackasses who "love" Notre Dame football (when they're good, anyway) because, as many of them say, "I'm Catholic." Well, in that case, you should love Boston College, too, you dope.
I suspect there's a lot of front-running for Ohio State in the heart of it all, and that was confirmed for me when I was able to snap this photo as the OSU-Ohio game was heading to halftime:
Alright, so we've got two tools cheering for.... well, not sure which team here. It was 7-6 Ohio leading as we went to halftime. And you'll see the two dolts here both have Ohio University shirts on -- and OSU hats. And the even worse part is the guy on the right has a shirt mocking OSU! And yet he's got a Bucks hat on? I don't get it.
I sent a note to Jason at Eleven Warriors about this and here was his response:
I know that 95% of all Ohio U students also cheer for Ohio State. Mainly b/c the school is only 90m outside of Columbus and also because the Bobcats have traditionally stunk -- even for MAC standards.
Front-running is always a problem whenever a team has sustained success. Columbus is a metro of about 2m people (about same size as Indy) and the Buckeyes are really all the town has (the NHL team, the Blue Jackets are terrible).
I would just like to point out that any d-bag still rocking hoop earrings is not welcome as a fan. No offense because I know the male earring thing just caught on really big in Indiana last year. ;)
Now, leaving aside his shot at Indiana (which, to me being from the East coast, it's funny to see midwesterners make fun of each other -- like watching a special olympics fight), you see that his explanation is that there isn't a lot to cheer for if you went to Ohio. Okay, fair enough, but that doesn't give the "right" as a fan to just cheer for whomever... or does it? I guess, again, people can do whatever they want. But can you at least choose one or the other for the given game that you're at? You just know these two buttmonkeys were cheering wildly when OSU pulled out the win, yet had Ohio won they would have been hollering about their loyalty to the Bobcats.
I remember Brady Quinn's sister wearing that half and half jersey when she had her loyalties divided by being Quinn's sister but also regularly mounting AJ Hawk. (To be fair, Brady probably was jealous.) So maybe these two gentlemen are gay parents and have a son on each squad.
That's probably it.
19 comments:
I don't care how bad it makes the big ten look, I hope they get crushed this weekend. Especially now that their fans keep saying they were sandbagging it this past weekend and didn't want to show USC too much. Yeah right. They needed a dropped punt and a block in the back to win.
I'm with you, E...I really don't give a warm damn about the Big Ten at large.
aOSU fans are a pretty unlikeable bunch...I like the see them lose quite a bit.
You have to remember that a lot of OU alums and students were OSU fans before they ever decided to go to OU. A lot of the people I know went to OU because they weren't accepted into Ohio State.
As a Purdue alum and fan, nothing could make me less proud than to read a blog by a fellow Purdue fan who thinks it's funny to mock Special Olympians.
In that one instant you actually managed to display less class than the idiot in the "OS WHo" shirt and pirate earrings.
I think mocking the special olympics is funny too, Jason. As a matter of fact, I did it today too in my latest post (written before I read yours, I swear).
But then, I'm an Ohio State fan so I probably don't have class anyway.
Did I really just call you Jason?
Sorry, J Money. I must be retarded today.
Patrick...it's funny how wrong you are right now.
Hey, Patrick, lighten up. Making jokes is allowed around here. I actually have a brother with cerebral palsy who has participated in the NJ Special Olympics for about the past 20+ years -- and let me tell you, each of the guys in those wheelchairs have a much better sense of humor than you.
It's okay to laugh sometimes.
Jordan -- not accepted at OSU? Come on, now..... aren't there like 60,000 undergrads there? Who doesn't get accepted?
I was born in Ohio. I live in Ohio. I have lived in Ohio my entire life, outside of my years at Purdue.
It's the blatant FACT that there are so many Buckeye bandwagon fans that makes me detest them.
I went to a sports bar near here for the championship game and very nearly wore a yellow and purple shirt just for the occasion. I didn't want the classy fans to dump beer all over me though...
I have lots of college clothing. Anytime I visit a school for whatever reason, I grab a t-shirt. I like to cheer on a number of schools. I graduated from two different schools. I think the difference is that I have an absolute favorite - Purdue. If Purdue played Utah, I sure as hell wouldn't do a half n' half jersey. It would be gold and black all the way.
People that cheer on IU or Notre Dame because there is nothing else around there, fine, whatever. I hate those that bounce around, like the picture you posted.
To be fair, I think you are forgetting how these things go. Most people develop a rooting interest at a young age, and if you grew up in Ohio, especially central/eastern Ohio, it was probably for the Buckeyes. Then, when you realize a school with 60 thousand people in it isn’t for you, or you realize that there are certain programs that are flat out better at other schools like OU, Miami OH or Case Western…you go there because education is a little more important than validating your fanhood. However, because the sports programs and sports culture are pale at these places when compared to aOSU, you simply don’t give up your interest in OSU football. The people in that picture probably go to OU, know someone on the football team, or are from Athens…to them, it’s like the AAA team is playing against their parent in the majors. Sure, they want the AAA team to do well, but they root for the competing team, probably have their entire life, and so the situation exists where you could wear an OU shirt and aOSU hat.
I think that the IU basketball/ND football combo is the worst sports fan in America.
There are only 3 reasons to support Notre Dame: 1) You in fact went to ND; 2) You grew up in South Bend; or 3) You are Catholic. I hate adding the third reason, but I understand the point (as long as the person also roots for other Catholic colleges).
thank you marvin. i can't stand those iu basketball/nd football fans!
I distinctly remember when my distaste for OSU fans began: 2004 in a sports bar here in Portland, Oregon. I wore my Purdue colors to see the PU-OSU game, and the Bucks fans were there in force, hootin-and-a-hollerin' the entire time for a team that was supposed to bury the overmatched Boilers. Well, it didn't really turn out that way: OSU won in a squeaker 24-17, and you'd think they won the BCS from these superfan's reactions. Strangest part: head a-hole superfan passing around actual Buckeye nuts to other OSU folks, instructing them to roll them between their palms on dicey 3rd and longs. I've got absolutely nothing against going to the pub and supporting your team-- but folks, be classy and save the taunts for teams you're supposed to lose to, and can the salty language, OK? This was an all-ages joint, and there were plenty of kids present.
It should be interesting to see how Oregon fans behave themselves at Ross-Ade this weekend. Talk about your classless rednecks... my insurance agent and her husband, both middle aged Washington State grads, went to Autzen a few years ago wearing Wazzu colors. The Cougs won, and as they were leaving, these people were *spat* on, and the husband was bum rushed and hoisted aloft by Duck "fans" and nearly tossed him into the creek immediately adjacent to the stadium before he wriggled free. Stay classy Ducks. If I go to next years' Boilers-Ducks tilt in Eugene, I probably won't wear my Purdue gear-- far too many of my friends have told me similar horror stories.
Gregg Z.
Portland
James, when I was a young fella, I wore short shorts and underoos. Things change as you get older, at least they do for those who progress into manhood. Simply because you made mistakes growing up doesn't mean you have to continue to do so when you get older.
Next, Marvin, your #3 is a very illogical statement. Do you think all Catholics should also be rooting for Xavier and Boston College as well? Should all Irish root for UND too (even though UND's name is French)?
Simply being Catholic is not a good enough reason to root for that God-forsaken place that regularly blends Catholocism and Voo Doo in their traditions.
This bothers me greatly as well. Bill Simmons wrote a good column about it 5 years ago. He calls them sports bigamists. Its sickening.
On the subject of rooting for multiple teams, Paul makes a good point in my opinion. He lives in Salt Lake now and he kinda likes Utah. Good on him. This is NOT the same as, say, liking Notre Dame when you live in NJ just because you're Catholic and they're on NBC a lot. And it's DEFINITELY not the same as wearing both teams colors to a game you're attending. There has to be a hierarchy.
I never thought I could root for multiple baseball teams, but I live in Houston now and I admit I pull for the Astros. But if the Yankees and 'stros made the World Series? It wouldn't even be a contest. I am friends with Astros fans when I attend games here, but when the Yanks were here in June, I was the enemy -- and treated as such... and my New York fan-ness came out, I'm sorry to say. But it happens. Wait, where am I going with this? I'm hungry.
Anyway, sports bigamy is okay in some ways... like Paul liking Utah or me enjoying the Astros. It's not okay, though, if I go to the Purdue-ND game wearing an ND hat and a Purdue jersey so I can straddle the issue more than Barack.
Oh, snap!
All I was saying is that I understand if people root for ND because they're Catholic. I don't like it, but I understand how someone who is religious would align himself with the "lore" that is ND. It's likely that the ND fandom was engrained in them by their parents, who grew up with ND in the days when Catholicism was much more stigmatic in society.
This still does not excuse anyone who likes Fat Charlie.
I guess that my overall point is that if you are a "die hard" IU fan for basketball, then you should be stuck with their shitty football team as well.
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