Can You Be a Fan of a School's Team If You Didn't Attend That School?

And vice versa - the only time I pull for Bama is when they are playing 1 of these 4 schools: Tennessee, Florida, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. If they are playing anyone else, I want to see them get their ass kicked and have it kicked hard.

I don't know if you remember a poster by the name of "Mr. Mooch" but IIRC, he was from Alabama but went to the U and as a result, he would pull for both teams. He may be the only person alive that likes both schools.

 

so glancing through the thread, it looks like the one thing we can all agree on is that notre dame likes pen15 juice.

 

Most people that root for UT, or IF it's a another national powerhouse, only root for them because the schools they graduated from SUCK. This is pretty much bandwagon at its finest unless they grew up rooting for that certain national powerhouse whether it is UT or not.

It is easy to root for WINNING programs, but the TRUE fan sticks with his/her team even if they suck.

Prime example, a lot of my friends hated Rockets basketball, but you better believe when we were on the verge of winning 22 and taking the Lakers to seven they were cheering like it was 1995. I find it pretty pathetic actually. Their argument for it was 'we like football better (keep in mind they don't watch Texans football) that's why we always watch UT football'. But if UT football was crap they would not watch a lick of it.

Sorry but that was a bit of a vent because I had an argument over this before last year's NBA playoffs.

 

because the horns were just amazing from the early 80s all the way until 97. just consistently spectacular football.

 

I don't give a **** who your root for or why as long as you're not a giant douchebag about it.

 

Maybe in your little mind. People gravitate towards winners. What's wrong with liking a team that wins? I don't dislike the cowboys because they were good. I dislike the cowboys because I dislike dallas. I have no personal feelings towards the Yankees in any way. They win a lot. Good for them. I wish some of the teams I follow would win that much.

You're right. It's easy to be a UT fan. They're good and I happen to live in Austin. It's hard work to be an Astros fan right now. I still am, but it's hard because they do so much wrong right now. Crappy major league team with a payroll that has them completely handcuffed, along with a crappy minor league system. Yeah, that's tons of fun right there. And how bout those Rockets? Woo-freaking-hoo...they got to the 2nd round for the first time in over a decade. In their 8th season, we're still waiting for the Texans first winning record. Why does fandom have to be difficult? It doesn't. It's a hell of a lot easier to be a fan of those teams when they're successful...especially if you've been a fan for a long time.

 

Dude, do you not get how average UT was from about, say, 1984-95? They were mediocrity at its finest, while A&M was the power school - from a football standpoint, particularly - of the state. Remember what a huge, enormous deal it was when UT won in College Station in November '95? Am I just supposed to jump ship, now that they're good? It would seem like that would be bandwagoning...

 

I voted no in the poll, but I would still consider Texas my #2 team when it comes to college football. Growing up, I was always an A&M guy, until about high school, when I switched loyalties. I didn't realize it at the time, but I guess I'm the quintessential bandwagoner from that standpoint.

But I went to BYU, which will always be a fringe school in college sports, so I don't feel too guilty rooting for Texas, especially since I live in Austin. (let's face it the Horns are the Austin pro team, and hence all anyone talks about here)

Still, at the end of the day, I'll always consider myself an outsider to Texas sports.

 

Hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa...

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/07/26/dirtiest-football-programs-3-texas-aandm/

Seriously? You're citing THAT era of aTm football as a "power school" from a "football standpoint"?

I'm just saying it's funny for ANYONE to bring up that era of football...

 

I think thats pretty freakin dumb.

 

It's ghey to root for a school you didn't attend, IMHO...If you didn't go to college or are too young to attend, maybe, but c'mon...

 

eh. i grew up as a longhorns fan. bled burnt orange with my whole family.

got into ut and baylor...chose baylor.

still love the horns. did nothing to change how i feel about the football team.

got together with my whole family this last weekend to watch the horns and eat pizza. good times.

i think you guys are taking all of this way too seriously.

 

as always, you say it better and calmer than myself.

 

Agreed.

 

Why is it OK to cheer for a professional team you obviously weren't a part of, but not a college? It makes no sense.

 

Like I said before, a college team represents the students/faculty/staff (past and present) of that college/university.

A professional team represents the residents of that city/state/region (past and present).

 

Who got to decide that definition? If you don't think there's some regional affiliation with the Houston Cougars, for example, or any other school, I think that's utterly bizarre. Colleges can represent the population of a given area, just as a professional team would. What is the difference? Why not "require" people to play or work for a professional team in order to support them, then?

 

I'm kind of in the middle but I voted 'yes'. For me, personally, I grew up a Pitt fan but ultimately went to college and ran track for Duquesne (Pitt's "rival" two miles down the road). Up until that point and til the year Fitz got robbed of the Heisman, I was a pretty big Pitt fan. After that happened something changed in me, though. I'll still root for Pitt sports in some capacity but there is a part of me that feels fake or disingenuous pretending to be a big fan of a school that I didn't attend.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, I actually see more of a regional claim to being a fan of a college team than a professional team (though obviously I think both are completely fine and normal). Like I said, colleges represent populations. I have plenty of friends and family that go to UT or UH. I don't have any friends/family that play or work for the Texans. Truth be told, when it comes to being "represented," I think much more people are closely tied to a college (even one they didn't go to) than they are a random professional organization.

 

here's the deal. i'm gonna root for the longhorns. you all can think whatever you want of me....and if what you're saying is true....then i still don't care.