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

I think pro athletes dog it a lot, especially the NBA, watch how much harder they hustle in the 4th quarter, whereas college players are playing hard all game long.

I can see why some prefer college sports, it is closer to what they played as kids and what sports is supposed to entail.

I take my kids to HS games sometimes too, just because it is a cheap fun way to watch a sporting event.

DD

 

As has been stated already, I think the problem that a lot people have is that most folks don't attach themselves to just any team, but to the powerhouse programs. And some alumnus of those universities derive for themselves some sort of "fan superiority" over the interlopers based purely on the fact that they attended/financially supported the school. On the flip side of the coin, some fans of other teams that don't have winning seasons every year feel as those these fans haven't earned the right to call themselves fans of a winning program because they probably weren't so ra-ra for the team in the down times. Just my take on it, and me personally, I don't care a bit. Like several have said, it's just entertainment.

 

Tinman post in 3...2..

I don't care about anyone else but myself when it comes to fandom. I root for the Cavs and suddenly we've had 10x more fans due to Lebron. They don't bother me. I know they're rooting for Lebron to win, I know I'm rooting for the Cavs, and if we're in a bar we're rooting for the same result so I don't mind sharing a few beers. In fact I'll follow Lebron if/when he leaves just because he did so much for the franchise, so I'll become one of them in a sense...a LBJOF (LBJ only fan).

Funny story though. I became a Florida fan when I started going there. I had a classmate at UF who grew up in Florida but always rooted for Detroit pros and Michigan (maybe because of his parents?). I told him I was born in Cleveland and always rooted for Cleveland pro teams but only had a mild preference for Ohio State growing up since it was in Columbus. Then he called me a bandwagoner because I started following Florida. Mind you UF did not start their run of championships until my grad school years. He hated it.

 

Fair enough on taking your kids to HS games...but that's different than actively following the high school team.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I think watching a regular season Rockets game is far more exciting than a regular season Texas basketball game.

 

The HELL they do. They're out there busting their buns every night. You try dragging Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes

 

Agree for the most part. People can root for whoever they want. I will say that a fan needs something to tie them to a team to truly be fanatical. I will say someone that roots for another team over the school they attended may be just as fanatical about "their school", but there are different words for this type of person other than fan. I can't say those words as they violate the "DD anticussing rule".

 

I get your point, but I've also seen some semi-skilled people play extremely hard at the YMCA...and no one is even broadcasting it.

 

Repped.

 

Your first team should always be your school / city etc.

After that -- you're a free agent. Just pick a team ... but stick with them through thick and thin.

 

City should come before school, IMO.

 

I'd go reverse on that Sandman

Though you should probably just keep quiet if your city is playing against your school.

 

I meant professional sports teams in your city (Rockets/Texans/Astros/Dynamo).

I'm not advocating that anyone become a UH fan just because you're from Houston.

 

Here is why most folks hate T-shirt fans:

It is always UT. UH alum? UT. SWT alum? UT. HCC/ACC/didn't go to college? UT.

And here's the weird part that T-shirts don't get: UT is as pompous as it gets. I've talked to numerous UT alums about the T-shirt fan issue. They don't like you, either. Sure, they're OK with it enough, but alums see y'all as peons.

If you're all going to bandwagon, at least admit it. I don't see the t-shirts being around when UT goes back to sucktitude.

 

Why in God's name do grown men get so worked up about who other people root for?

Honestly, you have to be one of the most insecure people on Earth to let something like that bother you.

 

Repped for gratuitous Airplane reference.

 

Beyond that - there's a pureness about it. The majority of people playing football and basketball in college are never going to get paid for it. While some certainly play for the NFL and NBA, etc, most simply play because they love the game.

You don't have things like people holding out for bigger contracts or writing "Pay Me Rick" on their shoes or complaining about needing to feed their families or whatever. I think that kind of stuff sours people on pro-sports and makes college sports more appealing to some people.

 

I believe the answer to this questions is the same as the answer to the question: "Can you be a fan of a professional sports team you did not work for?"

 

I don't want to bring race into it, but...

 

I root for Arkansas (same state) much more than Arkansas State (alma mater/employer).

Just because I didn't attend Arkansas shouldn't matter. My tax dollars go to support them on both levels, in fact any school that receives federal funding of any kind receives your money so you can root for whoever because you support them with your money anyway regardless.

 

The Longhorns represent the students/faculty/staff (past and present) of The University of Texas at Austin.

The Rockets represent the residents (past and present) of the city of Houston.

So to answer your question -- yes.