Great article on american sport fans

[yoyo913]

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000039&refer=columnist_soshnick&sid=a5f7hE82YrEk

U.S. Pro Sports Fans Don't Know What a Fan Is: Scott Soshnick
March 23 (Bloomberg) -- American fans of professional sports are a contradiction, especially when you consider the word ``fan'' is derived from fanatic.

Truth be told, we sit on our hands until some scoreboard cartoon or inspirational movie clip manages to elicit a lukewarm reaction.

While rowdy fans made the World Baseball Classic a nightly exercise in sensory overload, the state-of-the-art cathedrals that house the U.S. sports leagues are more akin to sensory deprivation tanks.

``They're horrible,'' former U.S. national soccer team member Alexei Lalas says of American fans. ``There's a blase, spoon-fed generation that really has no idea what it means to have passion not only for your team but for the sport.''

Amen to that.

At the recently completed World Baseball Classic, fans of teams from the Dominican Republic, Japan and Puerto Rico stood and stomped. Flags waved. Whistles blared. Drums echoed.

``The atmosphere out there is something that pretty-much every Latin person has going on in their blood,'' said Boston Red Sox slugger and Dominican David Ortiz.

We Americans must have sedatives in ours then.

Having a Party

Contrast the party atmosphere at most international sporting events with your typical Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League or National Hockey League yawners.

No flags. No drums. No nothing, except for, perhaps, some sort of thumping noise emanating from the scoreboard. If you're lucky, the sound system might blare a few bars of the Guns N' Roses anthem ``Welcome to the Jungle,'' which gets the joint jumping for a few seconds. Then it's back to quiet time.

Has anyone out there witnessed a British soccer game recently? Talk about a lively bunch. They're waving flags and chanting songs. And Americans wonder aloud how a 0-0 tie can be entertaining.

Fans outside the U.S. create their own fun, sort of like American college basketball aficionados.

The Cameron Crazies at Duke University do it right. Like fans at the World Baseball Classic, they stand, stomp and cheer. They pester the opponent. Win or lose, a good time is had by all. Sadly, there seems to be an expiration date on such behavior.

``In college, the fans cheer the whole game, from start to finish,'' says New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson, who played basketball and football at the University of Washington. ``In the NBA it's really laid back.''

Fireworks

A decade ago, the atmosphere at one Euroleague basketball semifinal in Munich was so rambunctious the public address announcer reminded fans in English and German that it was illegal to ignite fireworks in the arena. By comparison, P.A. announcers in the U.S. remind fans of bobblehead giveaways.

It's hard to imagine a fireworks-related announcement being necessary at oh, let's say Dodger Stadium, where the crowd is known for arriving late and leaving early no matter the score.

Unfortunately, more American sports fans aren't like Ed Anzalone. You might know him as ``Fireman Ed,'' who, from atop his brother's shoulders, attempts to whip fans of the New York Jets into a frenzy by conducting his J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets chant. It works -- for a moment.

Absent Ed, about the only action in the stands would be the occasional wave. And sure Oakland Raiders fans dress oddly, but their idea of zealous pales in comparison to their international counterparts.

Sam's Army

American fans can learn plenty from Sam's Army, the unofficial fan club of the U.S. national soccer team. Founded 12 years ago by two fans in upstate New York, the group's membership now totals several thousand.

According to the organization's mission statement, Sam's Army wants soccer fans who will ``PARTICIPATE'' at games. ``We want people who will stand and sing for the duration,'' the organization says on its Web site.

``As the Jumbotron generation came around, things switched from letting the fans generate the atmosphere to the teams making it,'' says Mark Spacone, the group's co-founder. ``The attitude nowadays is, `I'm going to a sporting event so entertain me,' instead of `I'll entertain myself.'''

NBA Commissioner David Stern earlier this season said he lamented the abundance of artificial noise inside his arenas. So dismayed was the commissioner that he suggested teams experiment with a so-called silent night.

Just the thought of all those squeaking sneakers gives me a headache.

Exchange Program

Perhaps we can organize a sort of fan exchange program. Our fans go elsewhere and, hopefully, learn a few things. It won't be easy winning converts, Lalas warns.

``It's very difficult to explain to an MTV generation what it means to go to a professional sporting event in other countries,'' says the general manager of Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls. ``You can have all the bells and whistles you want, but when it's organized and from the heart, whether it's singing or chanting, it's 100 times more powerful than any fireworks display, dry ice or video board.''

Think about that the next time an arena scoreboard asks you to scream ``Charge.''

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Student Sections at college sports are just as rowdy and crazy as many European Sporting events. The problem with NBA games and the other sports, is that it's mostly a very mature crowd who is going to a game as something to do, not going to the game to cheer on the crowd. It's more of a social event than an important event. And honestly? Sports are just a game. I don't see a problem with people not lighting fireworks in arenas, it's just a game. Most people around the world take sports way to seriously.

And also I think it has something to do with back when sports were just beginning in America (baseball in the early 20th Century), going to the game was a gentleman's event. You dressed up in a full suit and hat, you weren't a fanatic, you were a gentleman. I think some of that attitude still persists.

 

[Kibe Kru]

I guess Shifty's right... Tennis was/is an "elite" sport, and the crowd is quiet, while football is mostly a "people's" sport, or at least it is around here...

 

[BayernBoz]

I think that's the mentality that most have over here, that it's 'just a sport'. There is no passion whatsoever. In Europe, it's not 'just a sport', it's a way of life and that's how it is for me. For everyone it's different, there's no right or wrong. That article sums it up pretty nicely.

 

[Rochester Rhino]

If you go to any college or high school even you will see fans cheering rowdy, like for our school we have the Bleacher Creatures and the Corner Crew for our sporting events at my high school. AT the Rochester Rhinos games, most of the people there are families which aren't suppose to be rowdy. We do have our supporters section called the Stampede that creates tons of noise and havoc for the other team and are notorious in the USL, but they just shove us in the bullpen of the stadium(up untill this year we have played in a baseball stadium) where we are no where near the rest of the fans becuase we will upset all the soccer moms.

 

[$teauA]

American fans piss me off. I can't stand going to an NBA game or even an NFL game because I feel like an idiot when I'm the only one standing up cheering on my team. It's like they are embarassed to scream. There is no passion in professional sports in the US. Highschool and College fans are awesome though

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Yeah, you really do feel embarassed to yell at a professional sporting event; usually that work is left to the drunk people. With the exception of the Student Sections, college games are actually worse, because the Alumni are all 90+ rich people who sit on their hands the whole game. The Student Section: Amazing. But the 75% or more of the crowd is Alumni which is boring and silent. They never even want to stand.

 

[Voltaic Borusse]

I've watched a couple of Turkish and Greek b-ball games, actually. They're awesome.

 

[Parra Power]

whats the atmosphere like at MLS games ????

a similar thing could be said about australian crowds, aside from the A-League (top-tier national football competition) where there is actually some atmosphere.


oh and btw at least when you watch nba games on tv you cant hear the stadium announcer trying to start chants.... that happens down here

 

[$teauA]

whats the atmosphere like at MLS games ????

a similar thing could be said about australian crowds, aside from the A-League (top-tier national football competition) where there is actually some atmosphere.


oh and btw at least when you watch nba games on tv you cant hear the stadium announcer trying to start chants.... that happens down here

yeah u can

 

[Bobby]

whats the atmosphere like at MLS games ????

a similar thing could be said about australian crowds, aside from the A-League (top-tier national football competition) where there is actually some atmosphere.


oh and btw at least when you watch nba games on tv you cant hear the stadium announcer trying to start chants.... that happens down here

It's much better than the other professional leagues here, hell, USL (the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th divisions) games have better atmospheres sometimes.

College basketball always has a good atmosphere.

I know why the atmosphere sucks, the ticket prices. I can't get into a Bobcats or Panthers game without destroying my budget for a week. And I'm not at all poor.

And yea, you can hear him (the stadium announcer). He usually goes "MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!!"

 

[ShiftyPowers]

The stadium announcer never says that. It's a prerecorded sound bite.

 

[$teauA]

And yea, you can hear him (the stadium announcer). He usually goes "MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!!"

That fat guy that calls the Bobcats games is a joke, he sucks. The place will be dead quiet and he'll scream his lungs out, it's just sad. I'd prefer someone like the Spurs guy, he sounds about 80 years old but doesn't go out of the ordinary and scream players names out like it's the last thing he'll ever say on this earth. Oh btw it must be a joy for Pistons fans to hear Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-Billups and Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetroit Basketbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal that guy is awesome

 

[$teauA]

The stadium announcer never says that. It's a prerecorded sound bite.

Even sadder

 

[SlayerDeuS]

I think the teams in America are very detached with the people (cities and states) they represent. With College, alumni and students are proud of their school....in the NBA for example there are so many greedy players and owners, all they care about is sponsorships, etc.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

You can't blame the players, because soccer players over in Europe have just as much (or little) attachment to their club and community as players in American Professional Sports. It's a job. Obviously you are glad for the opportunity you have been given, but at the end of the day, it is a job and the #1 priority is a paycheck. Soccer players are not different.

 

[Yossarian]

Student Sections at college sports are just as rowdy and crazy as many European Sporting events. The problem with NBA games and the other sports, is that it's mostly a very mature crowd who is going to a game as something to do, not going to the game to cheer on the crowd. It's more of a social event than an important event. And honestly? Sports are just a game. I don't see a problem with people not lighting fireworks in arenas, it's just a game. Most people around the world take sports way to seriously.

And also I think it has something to do with back when sports were just beginning in America (baseball in the early 20th Century), going to the game was a gentleman's event. You dressed up in a full suit and hat, you weren't a fanatic, you were a gentleman. I think some of that attitude still persists.

Quoted for truth.

 

[-William-]

I hate it when I see those dumb american students at the stadium here in Florence They try to act all tough and cool...

 

[Avalanche]

I've been to a fair few sporting events, and I've noticed that fans where I'm from are even quieter than the rest of the country. For example, if you ever end up going to a college basketball game at either the Dunkin Donuts Center or Conte Forum (the home courts for Providence College and Boston College, respectively), you'll regret the experience. Why? Even the student section is quiet 95% of the time. Hell, even I make more noise then the students sometimes, and I don't even go to school!

 

[IceBlu]

I hate it when I see those dumb american students at the stadium here in Florence They try to act all tough and cool...

Whats new. You just hate everything.


Enjoy life a little more instead of using spite to compensate for your miserable existence.