Opponent Fans in another Team's Country/Message Board

[dwmyers]

I've lived a bunch of places. I've lived in Houston, Philadelphia, Durham NC, Orlando FL, and these days I live in Atlanta.

My tendency is to stick to the Cowboys and retain a secondary rooting interest in the team I'm living around. I don't begrudge the Falcons their team, really. I rather liked Dan Reeves as the coach there. Michael Vick doesn't upset me, he's great fun to watch.

I don't think though, you gain anything as a fan unless you're a "sticker". You should root for the team you like through thick and thin. And I have to regard myself as a little spoiled, spoiled that is by the great rivalries in the NFC East over the years. When the teams in the East have been competitive and dominant, that's when the East teams owned the NFL (Witness the early 1990s).

The Eagles have suffered in recent years because they don't have that spur to push them over the top. For the Cowboys in the early 1990s, it was the great Giants and Commanders teams that pushed them, and later in the 1990s, a resurgence from the Eagles. The more winning teams in the NFC East, the more likely one of these teams becomes the "top dog" of the NFL.

David.

 

[TobiasEagle77]

The Eagles have suffered in recent years because they don't have that spur to push them over the top. For the Cowboys in the early 1990s, it was the great Giants and Commanders teams that pushed them, and later in the 1990s, a resurgence from the Eagles. The more winning teams in the NFC East, the more likely one of these teams becomes the "top dog" of the NFL.

I like that thought. I think the Eagles could benefit from a little more competition. Last year, for example, they could have benefitted from a couple more close games, instead of a bunch of games that were decided before the 4th quarter started. They could have benefitted from playing more 3-4 teams (although the Pats beat them with a 4-3).

Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

Born in D.C., I grew up in Silver Spring, MD--- suburb right outside of D.C. My dad was a skins season ticket holder for years yet I turned out to be a boys fan. Hating the Commanders comes second to loving the cowboys for me. I love the terps, Hoyas and I somewhat follow the Wizards but I can't stand those damn skins.

 

[Chief]

I don't mean to quibble, but Roger was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He played one year at the New Mexico Military Institute, a college prep school, in order to get into the Naval Academy. I think because of his grades but I don't remember for sure. You can read all about Roger and his life history in his book: First Down, Lifetime to Go

Hundreds of college athletes, and eventual NFL players, have attended prep schools due to poor grades in HS in order to get into college and a chance to play football.

You're exactly right.

He went to high school in Cincinnati and went one year of junior college at NMMI. He had good grades in high school but came up short on the English part of his entrance exams and went to Roswell to become eligible to go to the Naval Academy.

 

[TheSkaven]

I was born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs. I'm a big fan of the Sixers, Phillies and Flyers. I never did like the Eagles, though, and there are a few reasons for that.

First, when I was growing up (in the 70's), the Eagles just weren't any good and the Cowboys were. Every night on television, the Eagles would play at 1pm and the Cowboys at 4pm. So, I grew up watching the Eagles, but I also grew up watching the Cowboys. Roger Staubach is still my favorite player of all time.

Though I rooted for the Cowboys, I didn't dislike the Eagles either. I used to like and watch both teams, strange as that may sound.

All that changed in the 90's, mostly because of the fans. The fans were always passionate about their teams, but somehow Eagles fans were different. They were arrogant, belligerent, and ignorant. Don't take that personally, btw, I know nothing about you, I'm just giving you a generalization for most Eagles fans that I meet here.

During the Cowboys' Superbowl run in the mid 90's, it became even worse. I saw the fans dump beer on a 7 year old child who had a Cowboys hat on. I saw people physically assaulted and hurt. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the verbal abuse, especially if you're going to wear another team's colors into a stadium. But the Eagles fans were, and continue to be, over the top.

So somewhere along the line there, I started actively disliking the team. I'm a true blue Cowboys fan, and I have been for as long as I can remember. I fly my Cowboys flag in front of the house and wear my jersey proudly. And when I get the inevitable question, "How can you be a Cowboys fan and live in Philadelphia", my response is always the same: I'm an American, so I root for America's team.



Let me add this: Cowboys fans in Philadelphia have a bum rap as being front runners. I hear it all the time on the local sports radio station. That just doesn't make sense. If anything, with the Eagles winning the division and the Cowboys having less than 7 wins three of the last four seasons, being a Cowboys fan and living in this area is not an easy thing.

 

[Hoov]

I've always lived either close to Philly or in philly, and always been a cowboys fan. My dad used to watch the cowboys games when they were on TV and got me inetersted in football by watching them with me.

Always had fun debating football with eagles fans and bantering back and forth, just never took the smack talk personally. It was fun watching cowboys - eagles games with eagles fans most of the time, it actually makes the game more intense cause you know your gonna get ragged on immediately if the game starts to go in the eagles favor....but it also makes the victories even better.

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

Always had fun debating football with eagles fans and bantering back and forth, just never took the smack talk personally.

Hoov, I think you said it best when you stated that you had fun, and you never took the smack talk personally. I think you and several others here have good healthy discussions that got your point across and slam dunked a few non-personal jams at the same time. That's the way I expect it to be on an opponents MB.

One posters (not necessarily here), was insulting to me even in a PM. Of course, I discontinued contact at the poster's request. But the point is that for me, this is about fun -- fun hurts sometimes, so I back off. But none of this is personal!

I enjoy the other perspective. You can only go so far with the other perspective from someone on your same fan base. Sure you can disagree with another fan from your same franchise, but ultimately, both objectives are for your team to win. That means, justifying, compensating, and even giving a response that you know is biased, but in favor of your team. And that's the way it should be to some degree.

Most men love football (that's a fact)! Think about it ...the opponent team is an important part of the game; just like the opponent fan base with perspectives that you may not see (that's applies across the board to all MB everywhere).

If this is still fun for you; like it is for me, then you're having a great time. Don't hate the poster, hate the poster's team! (the key is not taking things as a personal attack).

Even if you are rooting for the wrong team (nothing personal)

 

[DallasEast]

This topic may dirrectly impact on some of you, others may empathize, while still others may Not give a damn at all. But it is the off-season, and looking back Of soem of the topics, this one should merit a few responses.

Will those fans (regardless of your franchise affiliation) who live in areas where the predominant NFL team is not your fan base, please stand up! Even if you were'nt born and raised in that particular town, but you know live/work there, would Like to know your feelings about constantly hearing about a team that you may not like/hate.

I was born and raised in Saints territory. My father (God bless his soul) was a true Saints fan. His devotion to that team never waivered. No matter how badly they played, he rooted for them. When the front office made stupid or ridiculous changes in personnel or coaches, he followed them--almost unquestionably. My father taught me what it meant to revere a sports team franchise. I'm forever grateful that he lived long enough to see New Orleans enjoy limited success during the Jim Finks/Jim Mora years.

Even though I've only loved the Cowboys for the 30 years that I've followed the NFL, I don't harbor ill feelings for Saints fans. In my experience, I have found that the majority of Saints fans not to be braggarts. They initimately know and respect the history of their team. Even during the Mora years, they kept their enthusiam within a proper respective--hoping and waiting for the organization to make that "next step". That's where their focus remains, even to this day. So, they don't really engage into much anti-Dallas discussions with the typical Cowboys fan like myself.

Similar to that, do you think existing on another team's message board is a positive, a negative, or indifferent?

It depends. If it's a short-term stay of a couple of days or so, I would say no. It doesn't matter if another team's fan engages in good-natured football discussion or good, old-fashioned smack talk, it involves conversation with other NFL fans. Exchanges between different team fans gives perspective for why we follow our teams and the NFL.

But, like the NFL schedule itself, interaction between NFL fans should be brief like the games themselves. During the season, one team will usually play another team only once; twice if the other team is a divisional team; or not at all. What point does it serve to surf to another team's message board on a long-term basis? A fan's focus should remain on the big picture and not singularly on one other team.

Take me for instance. I, myself, count the Steelers (which skewered Dallas' success during the 70's), 49ers ("The Catch", the subsequent ESPN/Chris Berman fanaticism and ultimate 90's reversal of fortunes) and the Commanders ('nuff said) as the Cowboys only true NFL rivals. Yet, I don't make prolonged visits to even their fans' sites. Any real, tangible information can be gleamed from the various sports news channels, newspaper and sports websites, etc.

No. Extended stays on another team's board are for personal reasons, imo. For those who do so can keep their "other team anti-bias" in check, that's one thing. But for those who can't, well, it's like I said: it's for personal reasons. And those reasons are usually counter to those who count themselves as fans of that particular board and the results are usually counter to that of the board's member/fanbase. JMO, though.

It's easy to bash another team because of several reasons ...jealousy, envy, projection, or just going along with the majority to be accepted.

True enough. It also begs the question, "If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it fall, does it make a sound?"

One cannot read what one does not see. If someone who is loyal to a particular team bashes another team on their own board, only those who frequest that board for affiliation sake read it. If an unaffiliated visitor frequents that same board and reads what has been written, it may be unfortunate, but any misgivings felt are misplaced. Again, one cannot read what one does not see.

I visit several team message boards to obtain information about opponent teams ...who to be concerned about, what's the chances of a win from one-week-to the next. I'll admit, I've actually picked up some respect along my travels through MB systems (even on the Cowbozoys MB -- couldn't resist).

What's your take ...and why do you hate so much ...if you do?

I never knew that a team's fans had so much relevant information to provide to others. We should all pat ourselves on the back for being integral parts of our team's successes. Of course, I can't say the same for those Saints fans.

 

[Dat mans bro]

Grew up in Commanders country all my life. But find that as others mentioned..there is a large fanbase of Boyz fans in the DC area. Prior to getting the sunday ticket, I would always hit the sports bars with fellow friends/fans on Sunday to cactch the games. During the run in the 90's, there seemed to be a lot of bars in the area that were "COwboys Bars" where we all gathered for games. But they seem to have died off since our string our 5-11 seasons.

But there are still many fans. In fact, I used to have the license plate "H8DSKNS" on my car and I would get more support honks than fingers and keys on my car. But there are still plenty of fans around here that fly down to big D for the games or go to the skins game here. The skins games here I have been to are at least 50-60% boys jerseys in the beginning and nearly 90% by the end....ol.

As far as the opponents boards. I don't check them regularly except for major news and to see their opinions (i.e Sean Taylor). But I do check out their official sites to see gameplan stuff, stats, and try to get some advance scouting. Also helps out on Fantasy to scope out all possible free agents and who to play.