Best ESPN College GameDay Signs from Syracuse (2/27/10)

February 28, 2010

College GameDay was held at Syracuse yesterday for the big-time showdown between The Cuse and Villanova.  I was hoping that a monster crowd would show up and surpass Kentucky’s GameDay record set a couple weeks ago, but it didn’t happen.  There was still a solid crowd in attendance though.  If you were at GameDay and you have pictures of signs we don’t have here, let us know so we can post them!

Digger went with a yellow tie/highlighter combination this week for those of you that pay attention to that odd sort of thing. The Syracuse student who shot the half-court shot for a scholarship missed pretty badly.  That makes fifteen straight shows with a miss, and Duke and North Carolina remain the only schools to ever have someone make the shot.  On to the signs!

We get started with one of our favorite sign themes, co-eds begging parents for money for some random occurrence that they don’t want to spend money on themselves:

"Dad - send $ 4 Spring Break"

There were a ton (yes, a ton) of E.S.P.N. signs that said something with Syracuse on the S, and Nova on the N.  We’ll spare you from 99.9% of them because they all basically said the same thing:

"E.S.P.N. - Eat Syracuse Pulp Nova"

"E.S.P.N. - Crowd, Help Syracuse Punish Nova!"

"E.S.P.N. - Everyone in Syracuse Pitties Nova"

This sign/costume combo is just AMAZING.  Boeheim was so GQ in the 80’s:

"I'm with Jim"

The majority of you will have no clue what this next sign means, so head over to Urban Dictionary to figure it out.  Is it just me, or does Andy Rautins look like he came straight out of the “My New Haircut” videos?

"Not now chief, I'm in the 2-3 zone!"

Every week on GameDay there are the huge cardboard head signs in the crowd, and this week was no different.  You had all the GameDay guys, Jim Brown, Carmelo Anthony, Rautins, and this guy?  Who the hell is this guy?

For some reason I don’t think Carmelo has any eligibility left…maybe if the Cuse goes out and hires Calipari they could make it work though (low blow I know, sue me):

"Carmelo: One more year!"

There always has to be someone to embarrass themselves on national TV:

Our favorite signs every week are the ones that include the GameDay crew.  This young lady is proposing to Bobby Knight…why do I get the feeling that he would be grumpy and angry if he read the sign in person (not great quality but had to post it anyway)?:

"Bobby Knight, will you marry me"

My personal favorite for the best sign of the day:

"Digger: Dance with our cheerleaders"

This guy was mad Digger went with yellow instead of orange, and we don’t blame him!:

"Digger, where's your orange tie??!!"

Speaking of Digger’s accessory selection, here he is in all his glory.  Leave a comment below and caption this picture:

"Hey buddy, don't worry about what color my tie is!"

Another week, another Erin Andrews sighting, and whatdya know…she tried to kiss me again for the third time this year!

Be sure to vote in the poll below for your favorite sign.  At the end of the season we will have a tournament of all the best signs.  If you haven’t voted for last week you can do so HERE.  As of right now “Rece – Wear my Snuggie” is in the lead.

QuestionsView Results

Next week College GameDay will be at Duke to watch the Blue Devils take on North Carolina, and we will be back with all the signs.  I believe this is the last broadcast of the year…if you’re going to be there let us know!

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2 Comments | Basketball, ESPN College Gameday, Signs, That Fan Polls | Permalink
Posted by thatfan

ThatFan Awards Final Olympic Fan Medals

February 27, 2010

The XXIst Winter Olympics has been a case study in blind devotion to the athletes of one’s country. Last week, we awarded some medals to the best fans in the first half of the games. Today, we are finishing up that pursuit of cheering louder, longer, and more crazily.

Figure Skating: Gold – China (A billion people were behind their pairs team) Silver – Russia (Nothing like a little bit of controversy in the Figure Skating judging at the Games), Bronze – South Korea (Kim Yu-Na is now the most marketable athlete at the Games because of her fans back home)

Hockey: Gold – Canada (The largest rout of the entire Games. There is no way around it). Silver – Sweden (When the blond in the Viking hat showed up…they secured a spot in the gold medal match). Bronze – Slovakia (one of the best signs at the Games)

Curling: Gold – Canada (Making an actual difference in the performances of curlers), Silver – United States (Made a Danish curler cry), Bronze – Norway (Pants power)

Short Track Speed Skating: Gold – South Korea (Don’t be surprised, with the Games on the West Coast they have been Large and In Charge at the oval), Silver – China (Treat their skaters as national heroes), Bronze – United States (Bonnie Blair and Michael Phelps were both seen in the crowd…that is 19 gold medals)

Skeleton: Gold – Great Britain (Never in the hunt for gold, unless you go shirtless and spell out Amy with an exclamation point), Silver – Canada (direct contact with an athlete in a good way), Bronze – Germany (I love a country that is basically devoted to tailgating)

Photos from the Associated Press

Can’t wait four more years? Tell Dr. Venkman about Olympic fans now!

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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

Friday AM Links: Ladies of Clemson, Fan with Tebow Tats, Crazy Olympics Fans, and More

February 26, 2010

Here are the latest stories from the web about sports fans…thanks to all who sent in links. If you see a fan-related article, send us the link to info@thatfan.com!

(via HottestGirlsonCampus.com)

Hottest Girls on Campus: Clemson Edition [Hottest Girls on Campus]

White Sox fans challenging Cubs fans for the craziest party in the outfield bleachers [Unathletic]

Tennessee Vols fans are still giving Lane Kiffin death threats [SbB]

Picture gallery of the 30 all-time greatest NASCAR fans [The Angry T]

Who would get a Tebow on their back other than Tim Tebow (wait, he probably wouldn’t either)?  This guy… [Busted Coverage]

Just in time for spring training, the ten hottest baseball reporters [Bleacher Report]

Awesome, awesome, awesome pictures of crazy fans at the Olympics [Funtasticus]

One lucky Cincinnati Reds fan could buy his way into the 2010 team picture [Fanhouse]

Penn State fans pay $9,000 for Joe Pa’s glasses [PSU Sports]

Saints fans can’t stop destroying TV’s [With Leather]

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Posted by thatfan

Missouri State Fan Sign: The Real Wolfpack (Nevada vs. The Hangover Guys)

February 25, 2010

This past Saturday the Nevada Wolfpack traveled to Springfield, Missouri to take on Missouri State.  Nevada lost by two points but that isn’t the best part of the story.  The best part of the story is this sign from the game that was passed along by reader Susan:

"The real Wolfpack"

Notice the picture of Alan from The Hangover to the left.  If you are absolutely clueless on what any of this means, I apologize…actually, no I don’t, go out and buy that movie!  In the meantime, GO HERE to watch the infamous Wolfpack speech.

See a funny fan-related sign, picture, video, or link? Send us a tip to info@thatfan.com!

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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

“I Am That Fan” Project – Kentucky Wildcats/John Wall Dance Edition

February 23, 2010

In case you haven’t seen, That Fan is working to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation.  How does it work?  Simply get a picture of you holding a sign saying “I Am That Fan” (click HERE for further details and some more examples).

For each picture that we post, That Fan will donate $1.00 towards granting a wish.  I want to thank everyone who has sent in pictures so far…they will all be posted over the coming weeks.  Today’s picture comes from a couple University of Kentucky fans, one of which is doing the John Wall dance:

Big thanks to these guys…send your “I Am That Fan” pictures to info@thatfan.com!

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Posted by thatfan

Sports Fans Get Ready…The Future is Almost Here

February 23, 2010

Even though it is still in its infancy, here is a quick look at what the future of broadcasting might look like. Basically, it is going to give fans a more comprehensive view of certain players or the ball during broadcasts, which is never a bad thing (especially with HD).

Seems like R2-D2, Robocop, the Robot from Lost in Space, Wall-E, C-3PO, Mechagodzilla, The Terminator, Bishop, Johnny-5, Bill and Ted’s Robot Doubles (both good and evil), Bender, and Optimus Prime all have something to watch now.

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Posted by Ben Meyers

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

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