Mike Works
Member
First off, here's the question:
Of the following sports listed above, whose (diehard) fans do you think have the least amount of passion and, for lack of a better term, "heart" invested in their teams? If a team were to lose in the Championship Final (or win), if the team were in jeopardy of moving cities, if the team was in the basement (would the fans still care) or at the top of the league (would there be a ton of bandwagoners that would still stick on after the winning ways leave), would NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, or (big soccer league.. MLS is it?) fans be the most noteworthy to embody a general entity that shows the least devotion to the sport, and more importantly, the team?
I hope I phrased that concisely. I was just reading the sports section while eating dinner upstairs half an hour ago, and there was a small headline for each sport on the front page. The aforemention question popped into my head, and for me, the answer was easy.
Basketball.
When I think of football, I think of all the nutso diehard fans that pack in stadium that hold tens of thousands each and every game. The guys who wear nothing but a team color washed g-string in freezing weather. The pastime glory and storied championships of teams like Green Bay, Dallas, San Fransisco, and the passion that the majority of the players show.
When I think of soccer.. well, do you even need a description? I'm not a soccer fan, but I'd honestly be surprised if soccer got one vote in this poll.
I'm a huge hockey fan of course, this is the sport that holds the team that I have an undying passion for. But since I'm more knowledgable of the sport than I am any other, that has allowed me to research and understand how rich the league has been when it comes to storied franchises and fan support. The Canadiens, Leafs, Rangers, Blackhawks, Oilers, Red Wings, Bruins, Islanders, all have had dynasties. But then you look at other teams. Calgary's run for the cup this year, the support for that team was insane. Colorado's support the year they got the Nordiques and won the cup. Even teams like Buffalo who've never had much success, you can see it in their die hard fans.
With baseball, I think it can safely be summed up with the Red Sox. There are other teams like the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, and so forth that have had diehard fans throughout the ages too. Baseball has an insanely rich heritage, and the fanbase, especially amongst the older set of fans, displays this.
And of course, that leaves basketball. When I see basketball, I don't see substance. Basketball has a history of great players, amazing players, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Big Country (just kidding), and amazing plays. There have been dynasties in teams like the Lakers, Bulls, Celtics.
But when I watch a basketball game.. I don't know, I just don't see it in the fans. They seem just as flashy and lacking substance as many of the players. When I was watching the great Lakers vs Kings feud in early 2000, I could see the intensity each set of fans represented. But after the playoff and regular game series were over, I just didn't see it. It seemed like they were in it in order to claim bragging rights over their enemies, and when Sacramento lost, it just felt like the fans were more angry that they wouldn't be able to make fun of the Lakers than they (should've been) disheartened.
But I'm sure many of you have different opinions on the matter. So lets hear them.
Just to restate this once more in case I wasn't clear, this is not a "which sport do you hate the most" thread. I find basketball more interesting to watch than soccer and baseball, and a lot of the time football. Please read and understand the question before you vote, and try to post your reply as to why you voted for whichever sport. The reason I made this thread in the first place was to get a different perspective (ie an American one).
Of the following sports listed above, whose (diehard) fans do you think have the least amount of passion and, for lack of a better term, "heart" invested in their teams? If a team were to lose in the Championship Final (or win), if the team were in jeopardy of moving cities, if the team was in the basement (would the fans still care) or at the top of the league (would there be a ton of bandwagoners that would still stick on after the winning ways leave), would NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, or (big soccer league.. MLS is it?) fans be the most noteworthy to embody a general entity that shows the least devotion to the sport, and more importantly, the team?
I hope I phrased that concisely. I was just reading the sports section while eating dinner upstairs half an hour ago, and there was a small headline for each sport on the front page. The aforemention question popped into my head, and for me, the answer was easy.
Basketball.
When I think of football, I think of all the nutso diehard fans that pack in stadium that hold tens of thousands each and every game. The guys who wear nothing but a team color washed g-string in freezing weather. The pastime glory and storied championships of teams like Green Bay, Dallas, San Fransisco, and the passion that the majority of the players show.
When I think of soccer.. well, do you even need a description? I'm not a soccer fan, but I'd honestly be surprised if soccer got one vote in this poll.
I'm a huge hockey fan of course, this is the sport that holds the team that I have an undying passion for. But since I'm more knowledgable of the sport than I am any other, that has allowed me to research and understand how rich the league has been when it comes to storied franchises and fan support. The Canadiens, Leafs, Rangers, Blackhawks, Oilers, Red Wings, Bruins, Islanders, all have had dynasties. But then you look at other teams. Calgary's run for the cup this year, the support for that team was insane. Colorado's support the year they got the Nordiques and won the cup. Even teams like Buffalo who've never had much success, you can see it in their die hard fans.
With baseball, I think it can safely be summed up with the Red Sox. There are other teams like the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, and so forth that have had diehard fans throughout the ages too. Baseball has an insanely rich heritage, and the fanbase, especially amongst the older set of fans, displays this.
And of course, that leaves basketball. When I see basketball, I don't see substance. Basketball has a history of great players, amazing players, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Big Country (just kidding), and amazing plays. There have been dynasties in teams like the Lakers, Bulls, Celtics.
But when I watch a basketball game.. I don't know, I just don't see it in the fans. They seem just as flashy and lacking substance as many of the players. When I was watching the great Lakers vs Kings feud in early 2000, I could see the intensity each set of fans represented. But after the playoff and regular game series were over, I just didn't see it. It seemed like they were in it in order to claim bragging rights over their enemies, and when Sacramento lost, it just felt like the fans were more angry that they wouldn't be able to make fun of the Lakers than they (should've been) disheartened.
But I'm sure many of you have different opinions on the matter. So lets hear them.
Just to restate this once more in case I wasn't clear, this is not a "which sport do you hate the most" thread. I find basketball more interesting to watch than soccer and baseball, and a lot of the time football. Please read and understand the question before you vote, and try to post your reply as to why you voted for whichever sport. The reason I made this thread in the first place was to get a different perspective (ie an American one).