Quote Originally Posted by Unknown Entity View Post

Die-hard fans are usually noisy and obnoxious about their teams. They'll have more than a few drinks and seriously scream down a stadium/pub when they root for them - they'll probably be arrested for being too drunk to stagger/drive home afterwards, or for disrupting the peace by being too loud, or both. They're abusive to the opposite team and fans of the opposite team no matter who wins or loses - if they win, they won't let the other team live it down; if they lose, they'll most likely be a drunken fight with a fan who supports the winning team.

Casual fans are probably better off because of their slightly apathetic attitude towards a sport, whereas die-hard fans will probably end up with deafness, alcohol poisoning, obesity, bankruptcy, high blood pressure, injury and quite possibly a criminal record.

You can be between a casual fan and a die-hard too.
I'm going to have to disagree with this. I'm a die-hard Mets, Jets, and Islanders fan, and I don't get drunk, rowdy or obnoxious at games, and neither do any of my friends. Granted, we have the occasional "Let's get drunk at a baseball/ hockey game" night, but it's few and far between. We don't start shit with other people, or even berate the other team's fans, except for when they come into our stadiums and begin to berate us. It never escalates between petty insults though... at least on our end.

A true die-hard fan is someone who knows their team, knows their sports and the teams history. It doesn't mean that you have to recall who the starting lineup was in 1953, or knowing a stars birthday, but it's keeping up to date with what's going on, and actively following how they're doing.

A real fan still supports their team even when they suck, and doesn't just start to pay attention when the team is playing well. Yes, I'm looking at you, Yankee and recent Jets fans.

The people you're describing are your hooligans and assholes in general. And the whole thing about the risks of being a die-hard fan are true, but really involve more signs of addiction and taking adverse risks than anything else. You can use the same thing to describe people who attend concerts and live the whole party lifestyle.



And now that that's out of the way, I consider myself a die-hard fan. I love my teams, and I can tell you about the histories and the rosters, and all that good stuff. The teams I love are all local, and largely influenced because of my dad. He grew up watching the Mets, Jets and Islanders, and you can bet that's what I grew up watching in my house. Over time, and going to games with him, it's just something that's a part of me.

Oh, and fun fact, I'm also a Twins fan! I have no idea why, but I remember being really little and watching them in the World Series, and I've always followed them. When it's Mets vs Twins though, I always root for the Mets.

As for rival teams, I don't really HATE anyone, but there are certain teams that have players that always just seem to come up in the clutch and ruin things for us. Case in point, the St. Louis Cardinals.

I dislike the Phillies and Yankees also, but mostly because of their fanbase and the way they have come to be so dominant as of late. The Yankees have always been New Yorks team, for as long as I've been alive, with the Mets always looking like the little brother. The same thing goes for the Jets in regards to the Giants, and the Islanders with the Rangers.

I do suppose that had I lived in Minnesota, I'd be a Vikings and Twins fan, because that's how I roll. I follow my local teams, since that's what I've always been able to get to, and one of the main things I have in common with my friends. However, that doesn't mean that I can't watch other teams play. If there's a good game on or a rivalry, I'll pop myself down in front of the TV and watch a bit of it, but I'd much rather play the sport myself.

Do I get upset when my teams lose? Sometimes, especially if it's a game they had lost because of stupidity or an easy mistake. The Jets loss on Sunday hurt, because they sucked in the first half, and did not play like they usually do, and then in the second half, they gave me so much hope, and then couldn't come through. Same thing with the Mets in 2006, 7 and 8. They were so close to making the playoffs, and almost going to the World Series, but some crap player, who always seems to ruin it for them... ruined it for them. I was upset, but it only lasts a day or two though.