This is Your Brain on Sports – Michigan and Ohio State Fans Help with Emotional Research

March 8, 2010

The most basic of human emotions, fear, was studied in regards to sports fans in the Dec. 10, 2009 edition of the Journal of Communication.

The Buckeyes and the Wolverines helped add to scientific research on an autumn evening in 2006 (via Associated Press)

In the study, 113 college students from Ohio State and Michigan were asked questions about their feelings throughout the No. 1 Buckeyes’ 42-39 thrilling win over the No. 2 Wolverines with a trip to the National Championship on the line in 2006.

What the study basically boiled down to was that sports fans enjoyed the game more because there were times during the game when they were in fear that their team would lose just as much as they were happy their team could win (ask Team Canada fans too). Ahhh, the drama of sports.

According to the study (and Dan Peterson from Sportsare80PercentMental.com), “the intensity of fan commitment did not matter in terms of how much suspense viewers felt during the game. In other words, viewers who considered themselves “super fans” because of how committed they were to their team and how long they supported their team, did not find the game any more suspenseful than did less committed fans of the team. There was no difference between Ohio State and Michigan supporters in terms of how suspenseful they thought the game was.”

So being a Buckeye-backer or Wolverine-watcher didn’t matter, and the fear of losing (and having to endure a year of not having bragging rights) was just as important as giving yourself a proverbial Gatorade shower in the glow of victory. How true that is, and once again sports fans are on the forefront of emotional research that would simply be just unethical to re-create in a lab setting. The abstract of the study captures this whole idea:

To explain the attraction to sports in the media, suspense theory is extended to predict suspense during sports exposure. Viewers of a college football game in an intense rivalry context reported their responses to the game during commercial breaks. Multilevel analysis of the longitudinal data shows that shifts in both positive and negative affect influence suspense of supporters of both teams. Likewise, affective dispositions (rooting for a team) emerge as precondition for greater suspense, regardless of specific team preference, even though habitual fan commitment did not affect suspense. Predictions regarding increased suspense due to lower certainty of the favored team’s victory and due to smaller score difference were only corroborated for supporters of the winning team.

- Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick , Prabu David, Matthew S. Eastin, Ron Tamborini , & Dara Greenwood via Sportsis80PercentMental.com by Dan Peterson.

Once again, thanks to Dan Peterson at Sports are 80 Percent Mental for this foray into the mind of Sports Fans.

Dr Venkman isn’t afraid of what you think, but you better tell him anyway! StumbleUpon.com

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Posted by Ben Meyers

This is Your Brain on Sports – Duke Fans Quicker Than UNC Fans & Men Better Fans Than Women (Their Words Not Ours)

March 3, 2010

After taking a spin through the Feb. 10 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience (oh yeah, we are ThatSmart here at ThatFan). We found a really interesting piece under the title Sports Fans Have a Selective Memory (we actually found an easier to understand/read report by Dan Peterson on his blog SportsAre80PercentMental.com).

Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...the most famous brain ever

Basically, the study, which was conducted at Duke was, “aimed at understanding the links between emotion and memory that might affect Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and how well people recall their personal histories,” according to Peterson.

Scientists used the Feb. 3, 2000 game at UNC’s Dean Smith Center, which Duke won 90-86 in overtime, to test both Tar Heel and Blue Devil fans on what they remembered best about the game (fan’s were chosen after passing a basketball literacy/super fan test…wish I could have taken those at school).

“Using game film gives researchers a way to see the brain deal with powerful, rapid-fire positive and negative emotions, without creating any ethical concerns,” Peterson said in his story.

It seems obvious to us that, “Test subjects were more accurate at remembering a successful shot by their own team than a miss by their team or a successful shot by the other team,” but since they literally put fans in an MRI machine and tested their actual brains and took pictures of them this is pretty cool. In layman’s terms, the idea of witnessing your favorite sports team win or lose is going to help us treat soldiers and first responders that deal with much worse.

Now, here comes the controversy…”A pilot study for the basketball experiment included a half-dozen women who had passed the super-fan test, but even after five or six showings of the game, their recall of the shots was too low to be useful.”

Did you just hear that? It was the sound of every single woman in America punching their boyfriend in the arm for reading that statement out loud. So, guys are better sports fans, huh (I’m just asking ladies…I’m a bigger fan of you than guys anyway)?

That wasn’t the end of the fun either…”the Duke fans and the UNC fans did equally well on the recall test, though the Duke fans tended to answer quicker and tended to be more sure of themselves.” (Remember, that the study was done at Duke and, “was supported by two grants from the National Institutes of Mental Health,” so it was a real study still)

React to me Tar Heels! (and ladies)…Dr. Venkman wants to hear your side of the story. StumbleUpon.com

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Posted by Ben Meyers

Fully Exposed: UGA’s Speedo Kid Speaks with ThatFan

February 26, 2010

He is certainly not the first fan to seemingly lose his way to the pool and find himself behind a glass backboard in a gym, but he might be the most patriotic.

UGA's Patriotic Speedo Kid (via Facebook)

The University of Georgia has produced some of the best fans this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. Of course, the Peanut Butter Kid leaps to mind, but ThatFan presents to you, UGA’s Speedo Kid.

A self-proclaimed BAMF, the 20-year old Joey Summer hails from Gainesville, Georgia and is single, while not leaving much to the imagination, ladies. His latest three Facebook videos are dedicated to his exploits, both shirt and pant-less, in the UGA student section.

Dr. Venkman was able to track this Patriot down for a few questions.

Dr. Peter Venkman: You are obviously a great American, but what was the inspiration behind you supporting UGA/USA in this way?

Speedo Kid: First of all, let it be known that although I am a die-hard Bulldog fan, I have been a patriot of the highest order my entire life. Since this is an Olympic year, I figured what better way to simultaneously show my support for the Dawgs and Team USA than to wear a speedo emblazoned with the stars and stripes? During basketball games, when I thrust my hips into the air I do it for America–and if in the process I end up helping the team by causing opposing players to miss a few free throws, then so be it. I’m not trying to distract players or promote myself, I’m just trying to love my country and my team in the only way I know how: with massively suggestive squats and dance moves.

Dr. Peter Venkman: How long have you gone with the swimwear at basketball games?

Speedo Kid in all his glory. (via Facebook)

Speedo Kid: The UGA-Vandy game was the speedo’s maiden voyage, and since then it has made two more appearances. Let it be known to all SEC rivals that the speedo is 3-0 at Stegeman.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Do you attend football as well as hoops…in the same gear?

Speedo Kid: Negative, I take the opposite approach at UGA football games. I opt for the full body red/black spandex suit fully equipped with fanny pack. The thing about the speedo, or any outrageous outfit for that matter, is it can’t be overdone. The more you break it out, the less novel it becomes. Just look at the Naked Cowboy. Where is that guy now? Probably auditioning for roles in a Brokeback Mountain spinoff. Spontaneity is the key.

Dr. Peter Venkman: A lot of great authors read other great authors. Do you follow other fans?

Speedo Kid: Of course I like to keep an eye on other superfans like myself. But I don’t really view it is a competition (i.e. fans trying to outdo each other). I think anything that draws attention and support to the team is a positive. I am particularly inspired by Utah State’s Shirtless Cupid Guy–he is an innovator.

Speedo Kid behind the backboard (via Facebook)

Dr. Peter Venkman: Would you join Michael Phelps relay team or the UGA bench if you had the choice?

Speedo Kid: As much as I would love to be the anchor on a gold medal winning relay team, I doubt Phelps would allow someone on his squad who looked so much better than him a speedo. Cheering on the Dawgs court side would be a dream come true. No way John Wall goes over 6 points if the speedo is at eye level.

Dr. Peter Venkman: I see that you are a computer guy at heart (Computer Science and Management Information Systems Major). Could we call your supporting style IT guys gone wild?

Speedo Kid: I don’t know about that, but I do know this: Dwight Schrute, Milton Waddams, and Steve Urkel are all fans of the UGA Speedo Guy. I’d like to think that below the surface of every introverted software developer lies a wild hairy beast just waiting to be unleashed by an American flag speedo. If my antics cause others like me to come out of the cubicle, lock up your daughters.

Wear your own bathing suit to a game (ladies)? Tell Dr. Venkman now!

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Posted by Ben Meyers

Following Curling’s Hot Women – ThatFan Gains an Olympic Fan Correspondent

February 25, 2010

One of the most popular events at the Winter Games thus far has been curling, most notably the women’s side of the competition for obvious reasons.

ThatFan was lucky enough to have Agent J, one of the throng of local NBC personalities helping with the television coverage, contact us and become ThatFan’s official 2010 Olympic Winter Games Fan Correspondent. (We only withhold his name so Papa Network doesn’t jam him up).

A rare miss by Dr. Venkman that our correspondent caught on the Olympic Curling Ice. Carmen Schaefer. (via the Associated Press)

“Good call on the ladies of curling,” agreed J with ThatFan on its breakdown of the Hottness on Ice. “I’m in the venue [and have] been here since practice sessions.  You are pretty spot on but missed Schafer from Switzerland – tongue piercing and all.  Anna Sidorova for Russia is a 10 out of 10.  The Duponts are over-rated.”

With an embedded correspondent ThatFan took the liberty of finding out a little bit more about the curling fans, who have garnered quite a bit of attention themselves, but also about our favorite sparks on the ice sheets.

Dr. Peter Venkman: You are at the curling venue. There has been a lot of talk about the Canadian fans being a little bit too crazy for a sport with the demeanor of golf. What have you seen there?

Agent J: At the start of the bonspiel (great word), it was rowdy in here.  Games were sold out – probably people that couldn’t get hockey tickets because the etiquette rules for curling (yes, they exist) were not being followed.  Andrea Schopp was the first to complain about the lack of silence while curlers were in the hack – the thing similar to the starting gate for runners.

Then came the Denmark/Canada women’s match.

The game went to extra ends and when the Dutch girl (Dupont) got in the hack, the place was going insane.  You have to understand that all of the seating in here is that steel/metal scaffolding.  So the Canadian fans were stomping on it like a flaming bag of dog poop on your door step at Halloween.  Dupont missed her shot.  Cheryl Bernard came up and nailed it.  After the game, Dupont was in tears and complaining about the fans.

There have been three instances of “O Canada” breaking out during different games.

Overall, the crowds have been great…loud as a hockey game. And the Women’s games have been more rambunctious – probably because the guys are jacked up seeing the ice queens.

Dr. Peter Venkman: What is the overall buzz in the air in the city?

Agent J: Party vibe. Vancouver unlike it’s ever been before.  There are “houses” for each country that people line up for early in the morning so they can pay $20 to get into a white-tarped tent.  But the real party is in the streets.

Shoulder to shoulder on some streets and the cops were so concerned about trying to control the masses of vomiting revelers that they imposed some old school liquor license law and shut down all the beer and wine stores downtown at 7 p.m.  People were standing in line for booze, buying it, coming outside and re-entering the line while drinking their booze.  Also those red mittens that are THE accessory for these games are great for hiding a bottle in.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Have their been any trials or tribulations about being a fan at the Games?

Agent J: Like I said, I’m working…but everyone is upbeat.  This city is going to sleep for about a year after this is done.

Dr. Peter Venkman: What country has the craziest fans (other than Canada)?

Agent J: The Americans have been loud – they even made Eve Muirhead (Scottish Lass playing for Great Britain) get choked up as they started chanting U-S-A on her last shot…which she muffed.

One of the best Olympic fans out there, Patrick Plys, the father of American curler Chris Plys. (via Associated Press)

U.S. curler Chris Plys father has been a great story – he’s a cancer survivor and has been at every match, front row, with his shaved head, face and even arms painted differently for every match.  He looks like a wrestler.  And even hit someone in the head with a piece of his cowbell.

Canadians have done well here so the fans sometimes pull for the underdog.  Some cheers have been for China (the men – who are brutally bad), some for Sweden and plenty for Norway’s pants…yes, cheering for pants – if you haven’t seen them, they are John Daly style but much slimmer.  It’ll get loud again for the semis…they best be working on some hand signals for the finals because ‘hurry hard’ is going to be drown out.

—

Thanks for the help J. We’ll be finishing up Olympic coverage later this week with another gallery of the best Vancouver has had to offer.

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Posted by Ben Meyers

An Interview with Utah State’s Shirtless Bill – February 2010’s That Fan of the Month

February 24, 2010

A couple weeks ago That Fan introduced the world to Bill Sproat, AKA Shirtless Bill AKA Wild Bill.  We aren’t saying we are the only ones who knew about Bill, but we are the site that got the word out and took his story national.  Bill was amazing enough to do an interview with That Fan in between harassing opposing players during free throws, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed doing it.  We also want to congratulate Bill on winning “That Fan of the Month” for February 2010!  In the next couple days we will be providing a statistical breakdown of the Utah State opponents during games Bill was in costume.  For now, sit back and enjoy the view!

Shirtless Bill in his Little Mermaid outfit, with an "I am That Fan" sign!

That Fan:
Before we get started, give me some information about yourself.

Shirtless Bill:
My name is Bill Sproat and I’m a red-shirt junior liberal arts major at Utah State University.  Most people call me Wild Bill.

That Fan:
How and when did the Shirtless Bill persona get started?

Shirtless Bill:
It all got started last season.  I actually hate basketball and hadn’t been to a game, but I have a good friend on the team who finally talked me into going.  Another friend of mine sits in the front row and saved me a seat.  During one of the games last year I decided to take my shirt off.  Last season it was just me with my shirt off and basketball shorts…no costumes.

That Fan:
Have you seen the Duke speedo guy who used to do something similar?

Shirtless Bill:
I had never seen it before I started taking my shirt off at games but I looked it up after someone told me to watch it. Remember, I’m not a college basketball fan so I hadn’t heard about it.  Someone had told me to watch it and that I should wear a speedo, but I don’t want to copy off of him, I’d rather do something original.

That Fan:
Can you list all of the costumes you’ve had?

Shirtless Bill:
My very first costume was as a Chippendales dancer.  I’ve also done Nacho Libre, a Pirate, a snorkler, cupid, a Mardi Gras outfit, a hula girl, Peter Pan, and the little mermaid.

That Fan:
How do you come up with your costume ideas?

Shirtless Bill:
People are always asking me to do certain costumes but most of them I come up with myself.  My best friends help me a lot and came up with pirate idea.

That Fan:
You’ve only got a few home games left…can you reveal any of your future ideas?

Shirtless Bill:
I don’t know even know what I will do yet.  The cupid idea came about an hour before I got to the arena.  Some of them are planned a couple days in advance but most of them are done right before the game.

That Fan:
So will you continue to do this next year?

Shirtless Bill:
Yeah, I probably will!

That Fan:
Have any of the opposing players ever reacted to you? Spoke to you? Laughed at you? Cussed you out?

Shirtless Bill:
A lot of the opposing players laugh.  I’ve also figured out that if they laugh while they’re at the free throw line they usually miss at least one.  I have never had a guy look at me and laugh and then make both free throws.

That Fan:
So you feel it has actually impacted players shooting free throws?

Shirtless Bill:
It definitely makes an impact but I’m not sure how much.  The impact is obviously not enough to win a championship, but it may impact one or two points per game.

That Fan:
Have any players/coaches from Utah State said anything to you about what you do? What about anyone from the school’s administration?

Shirtless Bill:
The athletic director told me a few weeks ago that I had to calm it down because people were complaining.  I was upset so I stopped going to the games.  One of my friends on the team told me that the team wants me there so I started coming back. The AD hasn’t said anything since, and I try to get the costumes approved with him beforehand.

That Fan:
Tell me about the procedure of getting dressed in whatever costume you choose for the night.

Shirtless Bill:
I don’t get into costume until the second half when the opposing team is shooting on my side of the court.  Only a couple people know what I’m going to do.  The cheer-leading coach lets me go into her office at halftime to change.

That Fan:
What has all the publicity that you have gotten the past couple weeks been like?

Shirtless Bill:
It was cool that Sportscenter.com contacted me for an interview.  I get recognized more when I’m out eating and people I don’t know will come up and talk to me.  I’ve had little kids ask for autographs sometimes.  I’ve even had companies approach me saying they want to advertise on my belly.

===============================

Special thanks to Bill for doing this interview.  Be on the lookout for the Shirtless Bill statistical analysis in the coming days, and in the meantime, check out this website that is dedicated to Bill:  http://youwantbill.com

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Posted by thatfan

Even Vanderbilt Fans Understand the Importance of the Kentucky/Louisville Rivalry

February 22, 2010

On Saturday night the Kentucky Wildcats rolled into Nashville and escaped with a 2-point victory over Vanderbilt.  Kentucky has seen it all from opposing teams’ fans this year, but nothing would get as bad as the bottle-throwing treatment they got from Mississippi State.  That is, until a Vandy fan did the unthinkable.

While watching the game you saw nothing but a sea of yellow and a red spot of color in the crowd.  It was this fan wearing a Louisville jersey:

So this begs the question, is this guy a Vandy fan who was trying to be funny, or is he just someone that hates Kentucky so much that he bought a ticket to the game just to cheer against them?  Either way, we like it!  Interestingly enough, the one UK fan in the student section sat right behind him (also pictured).  We also have to give him credit for braving that one out!

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Posted by thatfan

Fan Law – Painting Your Body at a Sporting Event

February 22, 2010

NOTE: For those who haven’t been following along, Dr. Venkman (Ben), has taken it upon himself to set forth some rules and regulations when it comes to common practices by fans at games. In this installment he deals with fans donning body paint.

These laws come as a result of the antics of Georgia’s Peanut Butter Kid.  He is one of the few single people to inspire a ThatFan Fan Law.

“It shall be understood that hence forth the act of Painting your body or face is allowed in the following instances, and only in the following instances. If you have to ask…don’t paint yourself…in anything:

1.You make yourself into a flag and then wear the flag as a cape. Instead of needing to wave around a piece of your patriotic pride you have turned yourself into a superhero.

2. You can make your make-up look like you were in the game. If you are going to a hockey game and can make it look like a puck was drilled into your coconut then you can rock the paint.

3. You can combine your face/body paint with other accessories. This, basically, just shows a true commitment to both the team and your fandom.

4. You spell out a team name that is a minimum of four letters long. The more letters you have the more acceptable.

5. You commit to a full body look. If you go full Smurf, Hulk, Tweety Bird, then you are good, but multiple colored characters require multiple shades.

6. You are a Sports Illustrated model. Not to be sexist, but c’mon, these really are works of art, no?

In the following instances take a shower before the game, unless you want to have a ThatFan punishment given to you:

1. You are fat. Dude, a beer belly with some mustard spilled on it that you smeared into an ‘S’ to support the Steelers just is awful for everyone within 20 feet of you.

2. It is cold outside. Put a coat on you drunken idiot because no one thinks you are tough. The cut off is 40 degrees (this rule is suspended at the Olympics).

3. You need to shave. If you have body hair then let’s just cut our losses and keep a shirt on.

Thus shall be fan law as agreed upon by ThatFan on this February 22, 2010.”

All Smurfed up and not afraid to show it? Tell Dr. Venkman now!

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Posted by Ben Meyers

Coming Out Of His Shell: Miami Conch Fan/Elephant Boy Answers a Few Questions

February 21, 2010

Conch Shell Fan Joey DiFrancesco. (via E-mail)

Most people would be honored to have their name spoken in the say breath as Duke head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, but Miami Hurricane basketball fan JoeyDiFrancesco is more worried about his conch shell.

“I never got the shell back.  Some kid is probably sitting on his couch, laughing, and trying to blow it with his friends,” said DiFrancesco about what happened to his shell after Coach K had security confiscate the hollowed out mollusk-home during the Blue Devils come-from-behind win on Wednesday.

DiFrancesco has definitely changed the history of conch shells and, because he has never really broken any NCAA rules, he has been bringing his shell to Hurricane games for quite some time now.

“I walked right into the game with it,” DiFrancesco said about the shell. “I’ve always just walked right in.  I’ve been doing it for 4 years now, in previous years I was at every game (when we had Jack McClinton).  Finally, I blew up.”

Conch Shell Fan, right, at a game earlier this year. (via Facebook)

DiFrancesco, an obvious fan of puns, took some time to answer a few questions for ThatFan as well. Of course we could spin these into a comprehensive exploration in unlocking the psyche of a crazed supporter, but everyone probably just wants to hear what the kid has to say:

Dr. Venkman: What is your major/interests outside of hoops/year of school (who are you basically)?

Conch Shell Fan/Elephant Boy: My interests are to graduate and build my company.  As a sophomore I co-founded a college lifestyle magazine called back\slash.  The publication is entirely unrestrained and is literally a snapshot of college lifestyle.  Currently, the publication is localized for 5 cities in Florida: Miami, Orlando, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and Tampa –  and we plan to expand nationally within a year.  We envision becoming the first national platform for students to express themselves without restraint – THE national college brand.  For more information check out backslashmagazine.com – that’s my life, I put every ounce of my day into building my media brand.

Conch Shell fan enjoying a Hurricane win. (via Facebook)

Dr. Venkman: What did it feel like when Coach K forced security to take your shell?

CSF/EB: When Coach K told security to take my shell, I was shell-shocked. Listen, I’m not gonna say it’s not distracting – because it is (players shoot 50 % when I blow it).  But I wouldn’t walk right into Coach K’s house and just make myself a cup of mokai tea.  So who gives him the authority to come into our stadium and tell me what to do? That shell has sentimental value. Coach K is the reason it’s gone and my identity is stolen.

Dr. Venkman: Do you have a lot of experience with conch shells?

CSF/EB: The conch was passed down through my family and was originally my great grandfather’s from Puerto Rico.  Yea, and now some kid has it.  Because of Coach K, I lost one of the most important gifts I’ve ever received.  I learned to use it when I was 5.  I mastered it by age 5 1/2.
Dr. Venkman: Do you go to a lot of Miami games (football or basketball)?

CSF/EB: As a freshman, sophomore, and junior I went to every home game with that conch shell.  This year I’ve missed 4 games, but I’ve been doing this for a while.

Conch Fan and friends doing their Dumb and Dumber impression. (via Facebook)

Dr. Venkman: Where does the elephant come from – I mean, I know the ibis is your animal?

CSF/EB: Birds feed off insects that swarm around an elephants back right ? The Miami Hurricanes, and entire crowd feed off me, they ride the energy that hat gives off.  It’s symbolic.  Also, I wear an elephant hat because it is relevant to the sound. Lastly, my mom gave me it, and I want to rep it hard.

Dr. Venkman: Do you play any other shells/naturally occurring phenomenon?

CSF/EB: Yes, I can play a strand of grass.  I can also levitate.

Dr. Venkman now has the conch (Lord of the Flies style), but if you want it send him an e-mail!

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Posted by Ben Meyers

Covering the Spread: A Conversation With Georgia’s Peanut Butter Kid

February 20, 2010

With the vast majority of his nearly 900 photos posted on his Facebook account devoted to his crazy outfits, body paint, and overall support of his Georgia Bulldogs, Drake Scott was already a campus legend before he decided to cover himself in sandwich spread.

As of last month, he became a national phenomenon.

The subject of a post on Deadspin.com that has gotten more then 70,000 hits, and a following on internet college basketball forums throughout the country, Scott is stuck to the roof of fandom.

Now, the junior Sagittarius speaks with the blind devotion that is expected and demanded of every true sports fan.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Who is the man behind the Peanut Butter (major, name, etc.) or would you prefer to just keep your anonymous place in the fan-dom lore like Zorro or the guy who is in the Big Bird suit?

Peanut Butter Kid: Names: Drake Mason Scott, Wombat, Chief Long River Runs Smoothly Through Canyon
Major: Consumer Economics
Etc: Brewing for 2+ years, Avid Bowler, Firm Supporter of Raising Hell at every game I attend which is 99.5% of Basketball Home Games, Every Home and 76.34% away football games, 87.5% Baseball games and a significant amount of tennis, women’s soccer, and gymnastics. I am roommates with the Ultimate Georgia Warrior Fan which has become quite the Youtube Star and Also the Rocky Guy that runs to the top of Stegman every game he attends.

Dr. Venkman: Was it chunky or smooth, Jif or Skippy?

PBK: Smooth Kroger Brand that slowly turned to a crusty concoction of what appeared to be feces

Dr. Venkman: What was the inspiration for your exploits? Were you just in the dining hall for the pre-game meal when lightning was caught in the bottle?

A different kind of shot of Georgia's Peanut Butter kid.

PBK: My professor, Diann Moorman, randomly showed us a picture of someone else covered in peanut butter in class just days before the big game and I thought it was a genius idea. I have painted my body everywhere and every way you, or better yet I, could imagine, and have sort of gotten bored. Fans can be an essential part of the game and all I can do is bring the energy and intensity of a rabid flounder every time I open my eyes. We also were filming a scene for Campus Movie Fest that showcased the mysterious spread as a rejuvenating face cream.

Dr. Venkman: Is there a Jelly Girl out there?

PBK: There is a Jelly Girl in all of us.

Dr. Venkman: Any plans for a repeat performance or change of condiment or are you just going to leave a single indelible standard for all sports fans to attempt to reach?

PBK: I have thought about ketchup, mustard, or a giant suit of raw chicken, but requests and donations are always helpful (old beans, rotten cheese, six-year-old eggs)

Dr. Venkman: What was it like getting onto sites like That Fan, Deadspin, ESPN, and Fox, while not having to make a 3-pointer, kick a field goal, or get a hat trick?

PBK: I do what I can to better my teams chances of victory. Screaming at and distracting the other teams players is my goal and If that takes a little help from such a great crop that Georgia is famous for then that is what it takes. The TV time and Internet are awesome, but that is a side note to seeing an amazing win.

If a photo is worth 1,000 words than here are 9,000 more about what Drake Scott brings to the Bulldogs (Photos courtesy of Scott via Facebook):

Send an email to Dr. Venkman now!

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Posted by Ben Meyers

Miami Conch Fan, Who Didn’t Really Violate NCAA Rules vs. Duke, Identified

February 19, 2010

Well, we found him…the Conch Shell fan who we spoke about on Thursday.

His name is Joey DiFrancesco and here is the e-mail he got in touch with us with, “I am Elephant boy, the guy who blew the conch at the Miami Duke game.  How can we blow this up?”

Pun intended perhaps? Here he is during the SportsCenter highlight and soon we will have the story underneath the shell:

After going through the 192-page NCAA Basketball rule book here is the only rules that this fan kind of broke:

“Rule 10 Fouls and Penalties – Section 2 Administrative Technical Fouls – Art 9. Team followers, as in Rule 4-27, shall not commit an unsportsmanlike act, including, but not limited to, the following:

a. Using musical instruments, amplified music or artificial noisemakers while the game is in progress, except timeouts and intermission.

Note 1: Before penalizing a follower(s) of a team for violating Rule 10-2.9, the officials shall have knowledge as to which team’s follower(s) committed the act.

Note 2: When the misconduct of the follower(s) is extreme or excessive, such behavior may be penalized by the official requesting home/contest management to eject from the premises the team follower(s) involved in the misbehavior. In such a case, a technical foul shall not be assessed.

PENALTY: (Art. 9) Two free throws awarded to the offended team. The ball shall be put back in play at the point of interruption.”

I’ve never seen a conch shell used in a band (so no on the instrument) and it definitely isn’t artificial…so, I think you are in the clear Joey/Elephant Boy/Conch Shell Fan.

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1 Comment | Crazy Fans, Crowd Noise | Permalink
Posted by Ben Meyers

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