[Chron] Houston Fans Show their Support in a Variety of Ways

OrangeRowdy95 · Jun 22, 2008

I thought the article could have been better written and sourced. Red Rowdies mention. No love for the Dynamo though.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/5850341.html

Houston fans show their support in a variety of ways
Look around these days, and there's a growing number of people clad in odd attire, cheering for specific players and showing again that fans are fanatics

By JOSEPH DUARTE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Carlos Lee - Los Caballitos

Lance Berkman - Little Pumas

Roy Oswalt - O's Bros

Tim Byrdak - Byrdak's Nest

They bought $20 costumes off the Internet and the cheapest tickets available, then found a cozy standing-room-only spot along the home run porch in left-center field at Minute Maid Park.

Membership is open in the Little Pumas. All you have to do to join is root for the Astros, specifically All-Star first baseman Lance Berkman.

Claws and tails will cost you extra.

"We're not fair-weather fans," said Steven Fairdosi, the group's founder. "We're not doing this just because he's having a career year. He's a franchise player and didn't really have a fan club. It was just good timing."

Fairdosi admits he didn't know what to expect when he, younger brother Kevin Fairdosi and college buddy Nathan Brittain got together to form a fan club to pay homage to Berkman, who goes by the nickname "Big Puma."

Since debuting May 23, the group has welcomed new members, set up pages on Facebook and MySpace, and launched a Web site (www.thelittlepumas.com) for fans to share photos and discuss all things Big Puma.

"The first time anybody saw us, a security guard told us, 'This isn't a zoo,' " said Kevin Fairdosi, 21, a University of Texas student.

The Little Pumas are not alone, as fan clubs supporting teams and specific players can be found at professional sports venues across the city.

The Rockets have the Red Rowdies. The Texans have the Bullpen. The Dynamo have the Texian Army and El Battalion.

And Roy Oswalt has O's Bros.

Occasional road trip
Located in section 255 in Minute Maid's upper deck, O's Bros gather every fifth day the Astros are in town to watch Oswalt pitch. Since forming in 2002, O's Bros have attracted anywhere from 15 to 20 members for each game and occasionally make a road trip, such as to Arlington last month for a series against the Rangers.

"It was basically a bunch of guys on the message board that decided to get together and pick a player to cheer for specifically," said attorney Tom Zakes, 45. "We discussed several options and settled on Oswalt. He was young and up-and-coming."

One of the members interrupts to tell Zakes that Oswalt just got another strikeout.

"One ... two ... three ... Roy," the group of a half-dozen fans shouts in unison.

They complete the dance by putting their arms together above their heads to form an "O."

"That's our super-secret O's Bros strikeout dance," Zakes said.

Before he takes the mound at home, Oswalt said he looks for the group.

"They've been true ever since I came up," Oswalt said. "A lot of times you see them one year, and you don't see them next. The guys that stick around for a while are true fans of the game."

Besides the occasional wave or tip of the cap, players generally have no contact with their fan groups other than at autograph sessions or team-sponsored events.

Astros left fielder Carlos Lee, whose nickname El Caballo translates to "the Horse," invited 10 members of his fan group, Los Caballitos, to watch batting practice on the field before a game last season. There are plans for a similar meet-and-greet this season, said Ernesto Quijada, one of the group's original members.

Pop-A-Shot with Bull
During his nine seasons with the Rockets, Matt Bullard said he twice interacted with his fan club, playing one-on-one games of Pop-A-Shot at a local entertainment hangout.

"They were regular guys with regular jobs who were pretty passionate. It was a lot of fun," said Bullard, who serves as color commentator for Rockets games on FSN Houston. "When I was playing, I wasn't playing for the notoriety, but because I loved it. When you do get a connection with the people cheering for you, it makes it that much more fun.

"I never felt like I was famous. I was just a regular guy who happened to play with some famous people. Hakeem (Olajuwon) was famous. Clyde (Drexler) was famous. Charles (Barkley) was famous."

Hunter Pence, in his second season as an outfielder for the Astros, said finding a fan club can be tricky. He has seen signs at Minute Maid Park for "Pence's Posse," "Over the Fence Pence" and fans wearing camouflage with a sign "Hunter Season."

The latest: "Pence's Peeps."

"There's a lot of stuff I see out there," he said. "I like all of them. I don't know if there is a set one for me yet. We haven't figured it out yet."

Astros reliever Tim Byrdak, who played at Rice, has developed a following in the less than three months since he was called up from the minors. "Byrdak's Nest" — started by college buddies Eric Lambert, Joey Paffel and Josh Lefkowitz — sit on the top row in the right-field upper deck wearing the pitcher's signature black-rimmed glasses.

After every strike, the group makes a bird noise.

"We did that until our voices went hoarse," said Paffel, a senior at the University of Houston. "(The ticket sellers) gave us funny looks because we asked for the seats in the nosebleed section."

Unwavering devotion
Win or lose, the fan groups' allegiances have been unwavering during a roller-coaster first half for the Astros. The team went 2-7 on a recent homestand and fell into last place in the NL Central after losing Saturday at Tampa Bay.

"I'm sure everybody has their own favorites or own rooting section," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "It's great that fans get behind them like that that. I'm sure the players like it, too."

Stephen McDaniel, who teaches sports marketing and media at the University of Maryland, said fans often develop rooting interest for star players — and those with quirky personalities — as a form of entertainment.

"As adults, what other domain can we go into outside of a Halloween party and costume ourselves and behave in a very primitive, childlike way?" McDaniel said. "Whether it be painting things on ourselves or wearing costumes, it's socially acceptable."

Berkman, who leads fan voting for National League first basemen for next month's All-Star Game, admits being embarrassed by all the attention.

"I'm honored that something that I'm doing on the field would make people want to dress up in a puma outfit," he said. "Baseball is fun, and they are having fun. I certainly never envisioned it or intended for it to be anything like it has become."

At Toyota Center, section 114 near the Rockets' bench is where larynxes are tested every game. The Red Rowdies, a group of fans started by former coach Jeff Van Gundy in 2006, begins the "Romp" in the arena's concourse 30 minutes before tipoff.

To become a member, fans go through an open casting call to be selected to receive a season-ticket package. Van Gundy originally purchased 50 season-ticket packages from team owner Les Alexander for a discounted group price of $50,000, and Tracy McGrady jumped on board for 20 sets of tickets. McGrady and coach Rick Adelman continued the tradition this season.

"It's worked out better than I could have ever hoped and expected," said Van Gundy, an NBA analyst for ESPN/ABC. "I came back as part of the broadcast crew for a game at Toyota Center last season, and they yelled my name. That was pretty cool. I'll always remember that."

Fans are required to attend nearly every game, which included 47 preseason, regular-season and playoff games this season.

The Red Rowdies have chants for most of the Rockets, including a quacking sound for guard Aaron Brooks, who played college ball for the Oregon Ducks.

"I eat, sleep and drink the Rockets," said David Rojas, 21, a student at San Jacinto College Central and member of last year's Red Rowdies. "It's about being there for your team."

Loyalty to a T
Nothing is out of bounds when it comes to proving loyalty. In need of tickets for last weekend's series against the New York Yankees, Steven Fairdosi, a member of the Little Pumas, won a local radio contest as the Astros' biggest fan. The only catch: He had to be handcuffed to a Yankees fan for nine innings.

"If you could handle that, you got tickets to the game the next day," said Fairdosi, who got an early pardon when stadium security wouldn't allow the two fans to pass through the gates in handcuffs.

Many of the star pro athletes in town have fan clubs; Texans wide receiver Jacoby Jones has one die-hard supporter. His mother, Emily, sits in the front row of the Bullpen, the rowdy section in the north end zone of Reliant Stadium.

"I made sure I got her tickets so I could hear her whistle before every game," Jones said. "It's a real loud whistle. It sounds really manly. I know it's her."

How does Jones feel about his mom being in the rowdiest section of the stadium?

"You must not have seen my mom," he said. "She's rowdy, too."

joseph.duarte@chron.com
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mrm32 · Jun 22, 2008

San Jac Represent! In all seriousness good for the city of Houston to have such passionate fans. I wish I could be a rowdy

mtbrays · Jun 22, 2008

Yeah, I was a bit surprised that the Dynamo got no respect. In comparison to anything out there at Astros or Texans games, El Batallon and the Texian Army are incredibly passionate. Along with the Red Rowdies, the Rockets and Dynamo trounce other Houston teams in terms of die-hard, visible, and audible support.

ferrari77 · Jun 22, 2008

dumbartonbass said:

Yeah, I was a bit surprised that the Dynamo got no respect. In comparison to anything out there at Astros or Texans games, El Batallon and the Texian Army are incredibly passionate. Along with the Red Rowdies, the Rockets and Dynamo trounce other Houston teams in terms of die-hard, visible, and audible support.
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As a fan of all sports, I'm always extremely proud of the support I see from El Batallon and the Texian Army. They always represent well when they come up to dallas for Dynamo-FCD matches.

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