Tell Me When To Cheer And I’ll Do It For A Short While, Then Become Disinterested
Over the years I've attended numerous sporting events, ranging from High School Volleyball to Pro Hockey and I've always found myself very interested in the crowds for these games. Factors like how many are in attendance, how vocal they are, their general knowledge of the game, what they're wearing, etc. have always piqued my interest. I'm generally not a huge fan of thousands of people in the same place at the same time, but the possibilities of the crowd intrigue me.
Growing up a big soccer fan, I've always looked on in envy at their supporters-the chants, the jerseys, the flares, the flags, the booze, etc. They seem like they are really into what's going on. Granted, I've never been to a European or South American soccer match before. It may be quite the same as sporting events are here. Though, when I go to or watch some of the American professional or college games of any sport on TV, I find most all the time that the atmosphere is nothing like when I watch European soccer games on TV. It just seems... lacking. Fans routinely show up late and leave early, are mostly docile - except when "Welcome To The Jungle" comes on - whereupon they cheer wildly because Axl is telling them to do so, then revert back to a low murmur once the music stops, and people always seem to be more interested in the scoreboard, concessions, music or others around them than the actual game they're watching. I always thought that the purpose of playing the loud pump-it-up music was to encourage the crowd to start cheering, and then keep it rollling through the duration of the play. This almost never happens. When the fans miraculously continue to cheer, it's only until the next closing action in whatever sport they're watching (pitch, basket, play, whistle or zone clearance). It just feels so... contrived, or forced, or boring.
Don't get me wrong, I'm just as guilty of doing all of the things I've just mentioned as any other. The difference with me I guess is that I'm not even that into attending live games, except for hockey, which I find to be much better live. I just prefer to watch it at home, or a bar, or anywhere on TV for that matter. I just prefer that to sitting very far away, paying a ton of money for tickets, parking, beer, etc., all to sit in a lifeless stadium (especially the Metrodome) that completely drains the marrow from the event. When I do attend an event, I'll admit I'm not doing my all to contribute to the atmosphere of the event and am a hypocrite for doing so. My only arguments to this are that a) I don't or even really want to attend most games, and b) I'm not as hardcore as most people when it comes to rooting for teams. I like it when the teams I am rooting for do well, but I'm not going to go apeshit about it or paint my face, buy a ton of jerseys, buy season tickets, etc. I do, however, like it when other people do that stuff. I guess this is where I get selfish. I want raucous, enthusiastic, knowledgeable crowds across the country, but I don't really want to be a part of them. I just want them to enhance my experience of the event I'm watching, even if I'm probably only watching it on TV.
I think that College Football and Basketball come the closest to having a solid fan experience. Passionate, intoxicated fans, traditional cheers, chants and bands, historic stadiums, and the players aren't multi-millionaires. Places like Kyle Field, Michigan Stadium, Neyland Stadium, and Tom Osborne Field all seem to have electric atmospheres, along with some basketball venues like Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Allen Fieldhouse in Kansas. (Actually after finding the pictures and reading about some of these places, specifically the football stadiums, I'm not sure why any good football player would want to play at the Metrodome.)
Pro sports seem to be the worst at generating any electricity during games. Twins games are like sitting in a library, T-Wolves games are like sitting in Jimmy Jam's basement studio, Wild fans like to think they're great, but they're pretty quiet during the run of play, and the Xcel is too nice to not want to walk around and drink $9.00 beers. Gopher hockey fans have become detached, quiet and pretty sober. St. Cloud, North Dakota and Wisconsin have better student sections, and that's gross.
I guess I just want to see some crazy fans that can really influence how a team plays, I want to see real home field advantage, and not just travel advantage, I want to hear entire stadiums chanting the same thing. I want people to care. Can you imagine it?? Wouldn't it be great? ...I'll be at home watching.
Over the years I've attended numerous sporting events, ranging from High School Volleyball to Pro Hockey and I've always found myself very interested in the crowds for these games. Factors like how many are in attendance, how vocal they are, their general knowledge of the game, what they're wearing, etc. have always piqued my interest. I'm generally not a huge fan of thousands of people in the same place at the same time, but the possibilities of the crowd intrigue me.
Growing up a big soccer fan, I've always looked on in envy at their supporters-the chants, the jerseys, the flares, the flags, the booze, etc. They seem like they are really into what's going on. Granted, I've never been to a European or South American soccer match before. It may be quite the same as sporting events are here. Though, when I go to or watch some of the American professional or college games of any sport on TV, I find most all the time that the atmosphere is nothing like when I watch European soccer games on TV. It just seems... lacking. Fans routinely show up late and leave early, are mostly docile - except when "Welcome To The Jungle" comes on - whereupon they cheer wildly because Axl is telling them to do so, then revert back to a low murmur once the music stops, and people always seem to be more interested in the scoreboard, concessions, music or others around them than the actual game they're watching. I always thought that the purpose of playing the loud pump-it-up music was to encourage the crowd to start cheering, and then keep it rollling through the duration of the play. This almost never happens. When the fans miraculously continue to cheer, it's only until the next closing action in whatever sport they're watching (pitch, basket, play, whistle or zone clearance). It just feels so... contrived, or forced, or boring.
Don't get me wrong, I'm just as guilty of doing all of the things I've just mentioned as any other. The difference with me I guess is that I'm not even that into attending live games, except for hockey, which I find to be much better live. I just prefer to watch it at home, or a bar, or anywhere on TV for that matter. I just prefer that to sitting very far away, paying a ton of money for tickets, parking, beer, etc., all to sit in a lifeless stadium (especially the Metrodome) that completely drains the marrow from the event. When I do attend an event, I'll admit I'm not doing my all to contribute to the atmosphere of the event and am a hypocrite for doing so. My only arguments to this are that a) I don't or even really want to attend most games, and b) I'm not as hardcore as most people when it comes to rooting for teams. I like it when the teams I am rooting for do well, but I'm not going to go apeshit about it or paint my face, buy a ton of jerseys, buy season tickets, etc. I do, however, like it when other people do that stuff. I guess this is where I get selfish. I want raucous, enthusiastic, knowledgeable crowds across the country, but I don't really want to be a part of them. I just want them to enhance my experience of the event I'm watching, even if I'm probably only watching it on TV.
I think that College Football and Basketball come the closest to having a solid fan experience. Passionate, intoxicated fans, traditional cheers, chants and bands, historic stadiums, and the players aren't multi-millionaires. Places like Kyle Field, Michigan Stadium, Neyland Stadium, and Tom Osborne Field all seem to have electric atmospheres, along with some basketball venues like Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Allen Fieldhouse in Kansas. (Actually after finding the pictures and reading about some of these places, specifically the football stadiums, I'm not sure why any good football player would want to play at the Metrodome.)
Pro sports seem to be the worst at generating any electricity during games. Twins games are like sitting in a library, T-Wolves games are like sitting in Jimmy Jam's basement studio, Wild fans like to think they're great, but they're pretty quiet during the run of play, and the Xcel is too nice to not want to walk around and drink $9.00 beers. Gopher hockey fans have become detached, quiet and pretty sober. St. Cloud, North Dakota and Wisconsin have better student sections, and that's gross.
I guess I just want to see some crazy fans that can really influence how a team plays, I want to see real home field advantage, and not just travel advantage, I want to hear entire stadiums chanting the same thing. I want people to care. Can you imagine it?? Wouldn't it be great? ...I'll be at home watching.
posted by f theb at 12:20 AM
1 Comments:
Do you remember when we were in Eau Claire for homecoming? It was a year or so back and the Gopher football squad was in the middle of another misleading succesful start to the season?
We sat all morning - drinking heavily - watching the Gophers take the Badgers to task. We were in Wisconsin - and continued to cheer loudly and make anti-Badger comments in the directions and faces of Wisconsin natives. We sang the rouser repeatedly.
We went outside to sing the rouser to the party across the street to a round of boos - Rah Rah Rah for Ski-U-Mah. We even took turns squating on the front sidewalk (not as gay as it sounds - had to be there - but kind of gay).
We then watched the Gophers embark on an epic collapse culminating in the punter blasting the ball into the chest of an oncoming Badger - who recovered for the winning score.
For the rest of the weekend we were reminded of our antics. This is why I don't cheer.
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