Everyone knows the Backyard Brawl is a heated rivalry, and anything can happen when West Virginia and Pittsburgh lock up in any sport. The fans in this rivalry are so adamant about their hatred for each other, and That Fan thinks it is amazing! However, what happened at last night’s basketball game was absolutely uncalled for. If you missed it, fans threw debris onto the court after West Virginia gave up a large lead. This prompted a quick response from head coach Bob Huggins:
“That’s stupid” he says. Well apparently one fan was in the restroom or the beer line during his announcement, because someone proceeded to hit a Pitt assistant coach in the face with a penny. Watch this video and listen to how angry the announcer gets:
That Fan expects a lot out of fans and wants them to be as crazy and rabid as possible, but throwing things on the court is going too far. Someone could have gotten hurt, and that is not what being a sports fan is all about. To take it a step further, a technical foul was called against West Virginia which resulted in free throws being shot. Think about it, if your team is in a close game that could be decided by a point or two, you could be costing your team the game.
Hmmm…come to think about it, does that mean I can go to an away game and try and get the fans of the team we are playing in trouble by throwing something onto the court?
Last Sunday there was an epic battle in Houston between the Texans and the Patriots. Okay, not really epic, but it was historic in that Houston won the game and came away with their first winning season since they joined the NFL (yes, I know about the Oilers, and no, I’m not counting them).
A golden rule of sign-making in the world of sports fandom: If you are going to go with your friends to the game and have everyone hold a letter (or paint said letter on your chest), please be sure to stand in the right order!
In case you haven’t seen it, a recent ESPN Page 2 article outlined the “20 things that make you a sports doofus”. I am picking through the list one by one and giving my opinion on each of the 20 items, and then stating whether I agree with the author, or whether the author is the real doofus (you can read prior critiques here: #1, #2, #3,#4, #5, #6, #7). Please be sure to leave a comment with your opinion. By the way, who says the word ‘doofus’ anymore anyway?
Also, the author is “that guy” and obviously not “That Fan”, because “That Fan” would never make a doofus reference to Sixthpence None the Richer to begin with. He must be “that guy” who also has Wilson Phillips on his iPod, and when he is ridiculed from his friends for this, he blames it on him having 10,000 songs on his iPod (naturally a moderately embarrassing song must have passed through the cracks, right?).
Whether the author is confused or listens to amazing horrible music is not the issue at hand, however. We are here to state whether we agree with him or not, and as much as it pains me to say this, That Fan does agree with him on this one. What is wrong with a little mild PDA in public? If you’re not comfortable with that then I suggest staying home since you obviously don’t want to be seen in public with your significant other anyway. Or at the very least stay away from the punt-blocking megatron at Cowboys Stadium unless you want an astronaut seeing your awkward kiss from the Space Station. Just be thankful your significant other is cool enough to attend the game in the first place.
That Fan verdict: The author is correct again…he is back to batting .500 (4-4)
The infamous paper bag on the head; it’s the ultimate sign of displeasure with your favorite sports team, and disgruntled bag-headed fans are being spotted regularly at late-season NFL and NCAA football games. Some short-tempered Texas middle school football supporters have even been known to wear paper bags to games, no reference needed…
It’s become known as the accepted sign of protest for a losing season; the fan remains loyal by showing up to the game, while silently voicing displeasure with the team’s season. While I have never taken part in the ritual, despite some of my favorite teams struggling this year, I did find enjoyment in Toyota’s Great Moments in Tailgate History tribute to the “Bag of Shame” (click HERE and head to Week 12).
Their story claims that the bag of shame was originated in 1976 when disappointed fan, Kurt Ritter, was about to be interviewed by a news crew after the game. Kurt had lied to his wife about going to the game and needed immediate concealment, finding it with a brown paper bag over his head.
New Jersey Nets fans show their excitement over their 0-18 start this season
While I cannot confirm or deny the authenticity of this history lesson, some interesting paper bag fan developments from recent weeks include:
One Seattle Herald sports reporter projected 70,000 paper bag bearing fans in attendance at the November 28th game between University of Washington and Washington State. The teams at the time had a combined record of 5-17.
One of my favorites was a site called BagKrag.com, which was created to unify University of Louisville fans that were displeased with the performance of former head coach Steve Kragthorpe. The site organized a “bagout” for UofL’s home finale vs. Rutgers, which just so happened to fall on Black Friday (should I add this game to my study of color-outs?). Kragthorpe has since been fired.
If you happen to know any factual information regarding the origins of the “bag of shame,” please leave a comment or send to info@thatfan.com and let us know!
In case you haven’t seen it, a recent ESPN Page 2 article outlined the “20 things that make you a sports doofus”. Over the next few weeks I’m going to pick through the list one by one and give my opinion on each of the 20 items, and then state whether I agree or whether the author is the real doofus (you can read prior critiques here: #1, #2, #3). Please be sure to leave a comment with your opinion. By the way, who says the word ‘doofus’ anymore anyway?
Doofus item #4: Wearing a Bluetooth earpiece during a game
The author from the World Wide Leader redeems himself again and calls another one correctly. Seriously, the only people who should wear a Bluetooth headset period are people with no hands, and then I don’t even know how they put it on in the first place. Yes, we realize you think this makes you look important, and no we don’t care that R2D2 is on the other line or that the blue light means another special at Kmart. Do us all a favor and quit talking to yourself and take the ear piece out and cheer with the rest of us. The author gives a free pass to doctors on call…That Fan doesn’t.
That Fan verdict: Another agreement with the author (he’s batting .500).
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