On Thu, 4 Oct 2001, Jim Sharkey wrote: > So that's my theory. The next time someone says "I hate the > Yankees/Cowboys/Celtics/Lakers/Bulls/Red Wings/fill in the blank here," ask > him if he hates the team, or the team's fans. You might be surprised at the > answer, if the he takes the time to think about it.
Huh. I hate Giants fans and Eagles fans not because their teams are arrogant powerhouses but because the fans are thuggish psychopaths. :-) Otherwise your theory is pretty good. Owing to the geography of my upbringing I'm a fan both of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers, so I can attest to the difference in mindsets. When it's football season, I'm a pathetic whiner who constantly worries about whether the 'Boys will do well enough; I bitch and moan and act like a person who thinks he's entitled to a Superbowl-winning team every year. And on those occasions when we do win, I'm insufferably smug about it. That, or I'm more relieved than actually happy at my good fortune as a fan. When it's baseball season I'm far more relaxed. I *know* the Rangers will lose. I *know* that we'll trade away young players who turn into All-Stars after a couple of years for the sake of getting a big-name almost over-the-hill player whose salary is way too high (this has been going on for a long time before A-Rod came on the scene). Knowing all this ahead of time, I can actually watch and appreciate the game and love the losers even though they frequently suck. Marvin Long Austin, Texas Allah is great, but Miss February ain't half bad, either.
