OT: Proper Etiquette For Sporting Event in Which You Have No Rooting Interest

If you've ever been to "The Worst State Ever" you'd know that Cincy is like a different state. Plus, they're the underdog. Plus, their fan base has recently printed several excellent trash talking shirts in the direction of "The Worst School Ever." Plus,
they're the underdog. Plus, they're playing Florida who is coached by "That coach from Florida."
With that said I could care less who you root for and if I was going to the game I'd watch neutrally.

My theory is if you have no vested interest in either team, cheer for whomever your buddy is cheering for. It'll be more fun that way.

Plus, from the sound of it you're getting a jersey and a free ticket to a BCS bowl. To me, pulling for Florida seems like common courtesy.

If you have to ask...

It might be best if you pretended to be sick and just skipped the game altogether.

I mean, if it's that hard for you to stoop to such low levels of enjoying free tickets and enjoying yourself among fans of other teams.

Why, oh WHY do we Michigan Fans have to put up with the rest of the world?

I don't see what the problem is.

(Yes, I'm sure many or most of them weren't recruited by OSU, either, but still...)

Wear your UM gear.

Simi, between the OP and your reply, one was somewhat light hearted and funny, the other came off as the workings of an insufferable, annoying UM fan. Hint: it wasn't the OP's.

florida boosters (who apparently don't know you dislike UF) i'd imagine you almost have to root for florida

Proper manners would have you high fiving those Gator boosters but come on man. Fans that are normally OSU and Cincy fans this year have a big dislike and there is a divide amongst the fans so it's not like your cheering with OSU fans. Also as one poster said Cincy is basically in Kentucky which is why we call it Cincytucky. I say root for Cincy

for the big plays and exciting scores. It doesn't matter what team is doing it.

If I go to a game where I have no rooting interest, I eventually find myself cheering for someone by the end of the first quarter or so. It just sorta happens by itself. I would hope that you would cheer for the team whose boosters gave you a free ticket and jersey, but this might be a good alternative.

Who knows: you might find your friends' enthusiasm contagious and start rooting for Florida spontaneously. At any rate, I hope you enjoy the game.

Have a beer and enjoy the games and the atmosphere, no matter where you are.

Interesting post. I have been to many games over the years for which I have no rooted interest. At some point in every game I find myself rooting for one team or another. The thing that I found interesting is that I generally didn't know ahead of time who I would root for, it's just sort of a gut feel as I watched each game.

2001 Arkansas @ Georgia - I was with a UGA crew and partying in Athens so I slightly rooted for the home team.

2002 #1 Oklahoma @ Texas A&M - I visited some friends in grad school in College Station. I was decked out in Gig 'Em Aggs gear so I really had no choice. Plus I knew if A&M could pull off the epic upset it would make the weekend that much more fun. They did and it was.

2006 Florida v. Georgia (Cocktail party in JAX) - My girlfriend at the time is a huge Gator alum/fan so I knew that a Gator loss that day would be my loss that night.....

2007 Ohio State v. Florida (BCS Championship game in Glendale) - One of my favorite stories. Long story short tickets were going for ~$1000 but I was able to sneak in the stadium for free. This game tore me down the middle. Of course I wanted my gf to be happy (see above). But I was definitely rooting for OSU in this game. Florida was picked over Michigan to play OSU in that game so an Ohio State blowout over UF would have justified our frustrations. It also didn't help when some Gator fan yelled, "where are you Michigan crybabies now!?!" once UF started to blow OSU out. It was all I could do not to punch that fuck in his fat pie-hole.

2009 Auburn @ LSU - I didn't really care who won this game and as the game was over early I never really felt the need to root for anyone.

2009 Oregon State @ Cal - Oregon State's fanbase reminded me of Ohio State's. Their fans were beer swilling truck drivers and their horrid orange gear hurt my eyes in the same way that OSU's red does. Definitely rooted for Cal, especially after watching Cal lose Jahvid Best the way they did early in that game.

I'd have to say that you root with your buddy. If you are with Florida boosters then you'll be doing the Gator Chomp. Still if you are a proponent of a playoff system, then hope for a Cincinnati victory. More victories that mid-majors and non-traditional powers get over estabilished powers on the big stage can only help the case for a future playoff system. With that said, I'll be cheering for Cincinnati, and a very exciting Fiesta Bowl that goes down to the wire.

I was offered Sparty national championship basketball game tickets and turned them down for this reason: the guy who offered them to me was a Sparty and I couldn't take them and root against his team.

If you really don't care who wins, you have to root for Florida. You don't have to go over the top and be fake about it. You don't have to do the Gator chop and shit. Just give a couple high fives and enjoy the game.

cheer for cincy when they score because their not tOSU, cheer for florida because after this game we don't have to list to the Tim Tebow love fest anymore (he almost chose M). And for good measure, place your favorite M hat above that carnival colored gator jersey.

Cincinatti is basically a city in Northern Kentucky.

My big question in a scenario like this is do you dress neutral? Or do you wear your teams gear? Colors of the team you sortof want to win?

I went through the same thing at the IOWA - MSU game this year. I wore a navy blue jacket as a compromise.