American Sports Fans Are Boring
July 19th, 2006 by huphtur under archive, fans, sports, usaMy buddy Mike Matz IRC-ed me an article by Bill Simmons (the Sports Guy) who’s trying to pick his favorite English Premier League team. He spends a few paragraphs about how lame American sports fans have become. I totally agree with him on that.
“…the crowd waits to make noise until a monkey appears on the scoreboard.”
Basketball is one of my favorite sports to watch, but during the game, fans are totally obsessed by the Jumbotron. They’ll dance their asses off just to get on it for a split second.
I’ve also been to a Clippers vs Suns NBA playoff game. The noise level was a little louder as usual but that was probably because they handed out Thunder Sticks to everybody instead of regular people behind the baskets.
The chants were still the same and boring “DE-FENSE! [clap, clap] DE-FENSE!” I tried to start a fairly easy chant for Raja Bell (a player of the opposing team) “RAJA BELL, GO TO HELL!”, but the people around me looked at me like I was crazy.
In Europe people have multiple songs for their favorite team, its players, the opposing team, the opposing players (even their wifes!) and the refs.
My favorite Dutch chant is a very short one for when the ref makes a dumb call “HIJ IS EEN HONDELUL”, which literally means “He is a dog dick”. This was heard a lot during the game against Portugal.
Check out some of the Soccer songs & chants they got going on in Europe.
Drew Carey tried to start some fight songs for the US national team, but that didn’t go anywhere.
NHL games are no difference. The only chant I heard during an LA Kings game was “GO! KINGS GO!” I bet they got the same for other teams, “GO! <insert NHL team here> GO!”
I have yet to go to a baseballs game, and I can’t wait to try my hands on the ever exciting American national pastime of keeping baseballs stats!
The best live sporting experience I’ve had so far, was at a PGA event. Yes, golf. The fans (or gallery as they are called in golf) genuinely cheered when a player made a good shot, all without the aid of a Jumbotron!
However, I have high hopes for attending an MLS game. Supposedly LA Galaxy have a very fanatic following. Tania, when are we going?
Oh, and Brink, feel free to copy and paste this as your reply: "Sports suck, I skate"
July 19th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Keeping baseball stats is the epitomy of anti jumbotron! I’ve witnessed the crowds at one of those little eruo events, and while they’re crazy – they’ve got nothing on a game at shea.
July 19th, 2006 at 7:14 pm
Agreed. Take away the Jumbotron and American sports fans won’t know what the hell is going on. That was one of the complaints I heard from American fans at the World Cup – the Jumbotron wasn’t big enough! Sheesh, you’ve just paid a crapload of money for tickets and you want to watch ->TV
July 19th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
Dammit. Last comment should read that you’ve just paid a crapload of money for tickets and you want to watch TV?!!?! Stay home.
Guess I was too busy watching TV.
July 19th, 2006 at 8:03 pm
Ultimate Fighting is a good american sport. I like the odd sports here like the Lumber Jack Championships and Strongest Man.
July 19th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
Sports are gay. Everything about every sport is pretty damn homo…
July 19th, 2006 at 11:45 pm
Oh, and Brink, feel free to copy and paste this as your reply: “Sports suck, I skate”
July 20th, 2006 at 7:26 am
I cheer my ass off at all SCA events. I don’t even think they had a jumbo-tron in the days of yore.
Did anyone hear the rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” on NPR yesterday morning?
July 20th, 2006 at 8:28 am
I think your just looking at the wrong sports. I used to work at this horse racing track for many summers and I can tell you, when people have their whole month’s welfare check on the line, they get they asses off the seats.
July 20th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
I was on an airplane with “Raiders” fans and all they did was MOO: “RAAAAAIDERSS”. And Browns fans, they are creative with MAKE-UP! And the DAWG POUND?
Good Job, Huhu~!
July 20th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
I’m a season ticket holder for the Cleveland Browns, and my step father has been for the last 30 years and I tell you it’s one of the best sports atmospheres period, the crowd is so hyped the whole season even if we’re getting blown out and losing. Yeah so, everyone at our games dresses up and has gimmicks and all kinds of crazy stuff. So what? It’s called team pride. What would you rather watch? A team like the Colts where everyone watches the game indoors in their expensive versace suits or a team where everyone makes a big event for every game, tailgates in the masses in subzero weather and shows their team pride in anyway possible. This city lives by football, and lives to hate the steelers!
July 21st, 2006 at 6:18 am
That’s great and all Joe, but I bet you don’t got such shakespearean songs as this one from Liverpool FC:
Posh Spice…
She takes it up the arse,
She takes it up the arse,
She takes it up the arse,
Posh spice…
July 21st, 2006 at 2:31 pm
No, can’t say we do hahahaha, that’s classic.
July 22nd, 2006 at 12:06 am
BROMG! Look how FUN baseballs is!!!
July 22nd, 2006 at 8:02 am
hahahahhah, that is hilarious, good find huph.
July 23rd, 2006 at 10:03 am
Burp and Blow
July 26th, 2006 at 2:21 am
Fucking is a sport. I cheer pretty loud while I watch porno…
July 26th, 2006 at 12:18 pm
“He shoots, he scores!”
(sorry, couldn’t resist)
July 29th, 2006 at 11:03 am
I just can’t say that I really enjoy any sports at all. Bunch of people shouting at each other so that someone can watch a ball get kicked around or thrown. wow. I am so glad that you put my life into perspective. what’s next? A cure for cancer?
All sports are dumb, so are you idiots who like them and don’t have any intellectual idea or thought above the level of a pre-pubescent teen.
Enjoy!
-An American who actually values his education.
October 9th, 2006 at 7:41 pm
Whoa, that’s good stuff!
September 1st, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Easy there American Intellectual/ Musician. I also am an intellectual and a musician. I have an MBA and a PhD. I play five instruments and have been trained in operatic vocalization. I also played American football, and baseball for Notre Dame. One should not assume that ones distaste for sports, and obvious lack of participation in the time honored tradition of gaming competition, is related in any way to ones education level. Many Ivy League graduates, that I personally know, are major contributors to various sporting franchises. Such statements, in my opinion, are often the result of hazing, and school yard taunting when someone SUCKS AT EVERYTHING they try to do at a young age. In summary; perhaps one should not criticize sports fans for enjoying what that individual does not. Sports teaches valuable lessons on teamwork and the true meaning of competition. Hard work does, in fact, produce reward, and that is the purpose of education. Education, after all, is the ability to recognize success and the process of giving one the tools to achieve it.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Although its be nice and better that every player is playing first for his nation and team and winning the match is the motto behind hard working , But every player should be taught first the lesson of team spirit and how to play friendly . Moreover game are played for rejoice and enjoyment and are the best source for spreading friendship. Now a game are played between overcrowded stadiums and the crowed cheers sometime create tension between players. Know more about team spirit and how to play in best way by
Navtej Kohli…
November 7th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Crza, UFC is not an American sport bro….
December 14th, 2008 at 2:37 am
its true that most American sports fans are civil compared to the UK. this is why we have fewer soccer riots. the best chants occur with fierce rivalries. if you want real fanatics, go to a Red Sox-Yankees game. those can get pretty ugly
May 28th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0rMe2Vyb9E – basketball fans should be like that – but you are too busy eating hamburgers during the game, even though you have the best league ;)
June 27th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
come to the northeast buddy new york,boston or philly and you will see the best fans on earth
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:17 pm
hahaha. its funny how alot of americans(im american) think we have the best sports fans. ive been to many a red sox yankees games. i love baseball football soccer and basketball. but i mean. seriously? even the weakest of rivalries in the soccer world is galaxies ahead of the red sox-yankees. and have you ever seen a japanese baseball game? we’ve got absolutely nothing on any nation’s sports fans. Oh, and to me screaming and yelling doesnt count as cheering. thats just me though. i need to hear chants, songs and people bouncing in sync to a song and waving their scarves/shirts in the air. thats what real support is. not yelling for your team every now and again when there could potentially be a big play.