I'm sick of this now. Really.
We need to dispel some myths about being a "real fan."
First, there's no such thing as a "real fan." Everyone who is a fan is a fan on his or her own terms. To say that a person's terms of fanhood are invalid is absurd. There are no rules for being a fan. Nobody is owed anything.
If you think that being a "real fan" means never questioning anything that happens with your team, you probably think that being a "real American" means never criticizing policy. This is backward logic.
If your team goes out and gets beaten 45-0 and you're still rah-rah and ranting about how big a fan you are, you're just blind. You've buried your head in the sand. And if that's the way you want it, fine. But know this: fans allowed to be displeased. It doesn't make one less of a fan if one isn't happy with the way things go.
If you unquestioningly support your team, regardless of what happens, of what, exactly, are you a fan? The uniform? The logo? I'd say you'd be completely justified in complaining about poor performance.
This is your chosen team. For many of you there's an emotional investment. When your expectations or hopes are dashed, you should probably be a little upset.
The term "fair-weather fan" gets tossed around a lot. It's used on those who boo. It's used on those who leave games early. It's used on those who criticize performance. But again, nobody is owed anything. The team is not owed unfailing loyalty. The team is not owed the attendance of the crowd. The team is not owed the continued support of anyone in the face of poor performance.
And it goes both ways.
Fans are owed only what they pay for: a seat. They are not owed a certain number of wins. They are not owed championships. They are not owed the adoration of a frustrated coach.
But to say that they shouldn't be unhappy or critical is silly.
Yes, most of this is in reference to the recent events surrounding the comments from one Bo Pelini. He said some off-color things about the fans of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. But, you know, he's allowed that. He's allowed to have the opinion that fans shouldn't boo or leave at halftime. But those same fans are allowed to do exactly those things.
Everybody just needs to grow up and accept that the actions of others are their own. And fans will choose to support or criticize those actions. That's the nature of the fan.
We need to dispel some myths about being a "real fan."
First, there's no such thing as a "real fan." Everyone who is a fan is a fan on his or her own terms. To say that a person's terms of fanhood are invalid is absurd. There are no rules for being a fan. Nobody is owed anything.
If you think that being a "real fan" means never questioning anything that happens with your team, you probably think that being a "real American" means never criticizing policy. This is backward logic.
If your team goes out and gets beaten 45-0 and you're still rah-rah and ranting about how big a fan you are, you're just blind. You've buried your head in the sand. And if that's the way you want it, fine. But know this: fans allowed to be displeased. It doesn't make one less of a fan if one isn't happy with the way things go.
If you unquestioningly support your team, regardless of what happens, of what, exactly, are you a fan? The uniform? The logo? I'd say you'd be completely justified in complaining about poor performance.
This is your chosen team. For many of you there's an emotional investment. When your expectations or hopes are dashed, you should probably be a little upset.
The term "fair-weather fan" gets tossed around a lot. It's used on those who boo. It's used on those who leave games early. It's used on those who criticize performance. But again, nobody is owed anything. The team is not owed unfailing loyalty. The team is not owed the attendance of the crowd. The team is not owed the continued support of anyone in the face of poor performance.
And it goes both ways.
Fans are owed only what they pay for: a seat. They are not owed a certain number of wins. They are not owed championships. They are not owed the adoration of a frustrated coach.
But to say that they shouldn't be unhappy or critical is silly.
Yes, most of this is in reference to the recent events surrounding the comments from one Bo Pelini. He said some off-color things about the fans of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. But, you know, he's allowed that. He's allowed to have the opinion that fans shouldn't boo or leave at halftime. But those same fans are allowed to do exactly those things.
Everybody just needs to grow up and accept that the actions of others are their own. And fans will choose to support or criticize those actions. That's the nature of the fan.
I am in total agreement! Well said...
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