11-07-2011, 12:44 PM
My apologies to the true Stanford fans that care about winning and losing, and actually stand and scream for Stanford at football games. This message isn't for you. This is a little outside perspective for those who cast aspersions on people who do stand and scream at sports events, and are still interested enough in sports to read this board...
You can't pretend something isn't that important until it is, and then complain when people are dismissive of you when you do show you care.
Reminds me of when Stanford upset USC. The default position for Stanford fans at the time was "we're better than USC because we're not a football factory. Who cares if they beat us in football." Then, after the upset, you see Stanford fans going around in T-shirts touting the victory, as if it was a meaningful accomplishment. If it was meaningful to win it was meaningful to lose. Not too many Stanford people had the courage to admit losing mattered, but a whole lot eagerly proclaimed winning did.
If Stanford loses to Oregon it doesn't matter. Stanford is really superior because it doesn't recruit Cliff Harris. But if Stanford wins there will be a hue and cry about why Stanford isn't #2 in the BCS rankings. That attitude is a brobdingnagian turnoff. You'll be liked a whole lot more by admitting losing sucks (you can even add it isn't the end of the world). Don't act like anyone that stands and cheers for a team - more frequently than you have deemed appropriate - just isn't as good as you, and you'll even earn respect.
California fans suck because they tolerate and rationalize losing too much. However, at least they are strong enough to admit losing hurts, don't need instructions on how to support their team, and will show it long before a 9-0 record. Some Stanford people need a game with national title implications to declare football means something. And then they need instructions on how to support their team because they have never done it before. Well guess what? If you do make any noise and do support the team against Oregon, you'll be just like Alabama fans. Are you sure you really want to sink to that level?Â
Go on and fool yourselves into thinking you are better than everyone else because you won't stand and yell for a meaningless game. But the reality is we all know you do care or you wouldn't be reading this. C'mon, it will liberating to come out of the closet and let your inner fan out. Not only will you be free and not be so hypocritical, but you'll also have more fun! Where else in your life do you get to yell at the top of your lungs for 3 hours and root for the same thing as thousands of others around you?
You can't pretend something isn't that important until it is, and then complain when people are dismissive of you when you do show you care.
Reminds me of when Stanford upset USC. The default position for Stanford fans at the time was "we're better than USC because we're not a football factory. Who cares if they beat us in football." Then, after the upset, you see Stanford fans going around in T-shirts touting the victory, as if it was a meaningful accomplishment. If it was meaningful to win it was meaningful to lose. Not too many Stanford people had the courage to admit losing mattered, but a whole lot eagerly proclaimed winning did.
If Stanford loses to Oregon it doesn't matter. Stanford is really superior because it doesn't recruit Cliff Harris. But if Stanford wins there will be a hue and cry about why Stanford isn't #2 in the BCS rankings. That attitude is a brobdingnagian turnoff. You'll be liked a whole lot more by admitting losing sucks (you can even add it isn't the end of the world). Don't act like anyone that stands and cheers for a team - more frequently than you have deemed appropriate - just isn't as good as you, and you'll even earn respect.
California fans suck because they tolerate and rationalize losing too much. However, at least they are strong enough to admit losing hurts, don't need instructions on how to support their team, and will show it long before a 9-0 record. Some Stanford people need a game with national title implications to declare football means something. And then they need instructions on how to support their team because they have never done it before. Well guess what? If you do make any noise and do support the team against Oregon, you'll be just like Alabama fans. Are you sure you really want to sink to that level?Â
Go on and fool yourselves into thinking you are better than everyone else because you won't stand and yell for a meaningless game. But the reality is we all know you do care or you wouldn't be reading this. C'mon, it will liberating to come out of the closet and let your inner fan out. Not only will you be free and not be so hypocritical, but you'll also have more fun! Where else in your life do you get to yell at the top of your lungs for 3 hours and root for the same thing as thousands of others around you?