Spreading the Love
All the talk about classless fans and blah blah in the Hate topic makes me depressed about the state of human nature. Now we all watch a lot of football, and unless you are sociopathic nutjob (which does include probably a good 30% of all sports fans) there must be some teams you actually like besides your own.
I get that we are Michigan fans, but don't worry - you can like other teams too! In this thread, we name them! I will begin:
1. USC - Fuck yes I'm a front running bastard. I respect success, and Pete Carroll gets me JACKED every time I hear him talk. Uniforms are badass, players are badass, I even like Fight On.
2. Washington - When I was a wee child, I hated them because they beat UM in the Rose Bowl. But then Tyrone ran all over them the next year, and that was that. I just want Ty Willingham to win and stick it to the Domers, but I don't think it's happening.
3. Auburn - I've got no real good reason here except they have cool uniforms, Bo Jackson used to play for them, and Cadillac Williams was a great fantasy football back for like 6 weeks for me.
4. Texas - Cool unis, cool tradition, and some of my favorite players (Ricky Williams, Vince Young, MAJOR FUCKING APPLEWHITE), and my buddy said their fans were super nice at the Rose Bowl.
5. South Carolina - I love Spurrier, with all my heart.
Honorable Mentions : Arizona (good team to build up in NCAA), Rutgers (always wanted, still do want, Michigan to play them), Fresno St (Pat Hill is a badass, love the anytime-anyplace scheduling philosophy they have employed).
Also, WVU used to be Top 5 on this list.
no fatigues, but going to miami-fsu at the OB was one of the great sporting experiences of my life
it was just a little different from the big house
Georgia - I grew up in the Atlanta area and Georgia football was literally the only good team in the late 70s/early 80s. Falcons were bad, Braves were terribly, Flames were getting ready to pack up for Calgary, Hawks did not yet have 'Nique (drafted in '82), Chiefs were barely televised, and GT was second fiddle.
Georgia Tech - that said, I was never so diehard a Georgia fan that I begrudged GT any level of success. The Bobby Ross years were pretty good, and 1990 stands as easily their best year in my lifetime.
Illinois - my wife, brothers-in-law, cousins-in-law, and several friends (now that I live in Chicago) all attended U of I. It started with basketball, but I don't mind a little success down there as long as they don't beat Michigan too often (ok, ever).
Northwestern - they're like that nerdy kid that gets made fun of all the time but has some sort of charm about them.
Texas - I have a lot of friends that went there, cool unis, seems not too unlike the Michigan of the southwest. Austin is an AWESOME town.
Navy - perennial underdogs, my bro-in-law is a CAPT in the USN, they play notre dame every year.
Colorado - my uncle lives there and is a fan, they have a beautiful campus, folsom field is very cool, eric bieniemy was the MAN
Teams I abhor: ohio state, notre dame, michigan state, tennessee, florida, alabama, auburn, miami, nebraska
Besides Michigan the other teams I root for are: Purdue: I did my undergrad at Purdue in physics. They will allways have a place in my heart despite my hatred for Joe Tiller. I am excited Martin Burke (Purdue AD) finally got enough balls to push diabetus out. Orton was my favorite QB. I just like everything about Orton. South Carolina: My wife is from Charleston, SC and is a huge gamecocks fan. I went to a LSU/S.Carolina game a few seasons back and the atmosphere in Columbia is amazing. Spurrier is awesome. Oregon: I have been a fan of Oregon ever since I started running cross country when I was in high school. Steve Prefontaine is my favorite middle distance runner. I even have one of the "Stop Pre" shirts made famous when Steve was running at Oregon. I was also a huge Joey Harrington fan when he was at Oregon. I firmly believe Joey never got a fair shake at the Lions. You cannot expect a rookie QB to have any development taking snaps behind that crappy offensive line.
In the Big Ten, outside of Michigan and Purdue, the hierachry goes as such:
1. Illinois
2. Wisconsin
3. Northwestern
4. Minnesota
5. Iowa
6. Penn State
7. Indiana
8. Michigan State
9. Ohio State
I refuse to root for Ohio state and Michigan State even against Notre Dame. I hate their fans with a passion.
Kyle Orton is awesome. I'd pay a thousand dollars to hang out with him and the Sex Cannon for one night in Chicago.
I boo'ed the living shit of out Joey when he was in Detroit, but do agree the guy never had a shot at being good. Terrible offense, revolving door on the coaching staff, no supporting cast, Tony Siragusa calling him gay because he has the audacity to not weigh 500 pounds and speaks at a college graduate level - just a bad situation all around.
Virginia - It's my alma mater. Truth be told if they ever play, I'll be pulling for UVA. Purdue - My brother went there. Texas - My mom went there. Navy - I'm in the Navy. Other teams I like even a little bit, in no particular order and sometimes for no good reason at all: Northwestern, Vandy, Georgia Tech, UNC, Kansas, Mizzou, Ole Miss, UGA, Duke, Washington, BYU, Iowa, BC, Boise State, TCU, SMU, Hawaii, CMU/EMU/WMU, Arizona, Wazzu, Miami(OH).
The hate/strong dislike list: OSU, MSU, FSU, ND, Maryland, Nebraska, VT, Miami(FL), Texas A&M, USC, Arkansas
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id… his logic is stupendously idiotic
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My list in order they pop into my head (my home state biase may show a bit here):
1)Texas
2)Texas Tech
3)Texas A&M (second choice for school)
4)Penn State (third choice for school)
5)Florida
6)Houston
7)Any BigTen teamed who doesn't include "the" in their title
8)Cal (fourth choice for school)
In no particular order:
-Washington. We've had some great games with them, and they have a nice history. They need to turn it around.
-UCLA. Same reasons as UW. I don't care for Neuheisel, but I can get over it.
-Texas. Good tradition, good school, and the fans seem pretty classy.
-Vanderbilt. Poor guys, they're just in the wrong conference.
-Georgia Tech. I could be wrong, but I've always had the impression that their program had a little more integrity than most of their SEC rivals.
-EMU. Gotta root for our Washtenaw County brethren.
-Army/Navy/Air Force. You've got to pull for these guys.
I had LSU on this list when Miles was a candidate, but now I don't have strong feelings for them. I also used to like Alabama before they hired Saban.
I was at the Rose Bowl in 2005, and I think that's the only time I ever went to a game and came away liking the other team MORE than when it started. The fans were nice and knowledgable, and I feel like the two schools have a lot in common. I'm not going to lie, that's a big reason I'm thinking about Texas for law school.
Aside from that, I like Penn State and ND because of the football tradition at those schools (although Weis is making it REAL hard for me to root for them), I like Cincinnati because both my folks went there, and I also will usually root for 'smart' schools - Northwestern, Cal, etc. There's something about a good school succeeding at football that feels vaguely like the nerds getting back at the bullies.
It would be a totally legitimate argument if (a) UM didn't significantly lead both the AP and Coaches' polls prior to both games (check the UM media guide before the Rose Bowl -- it's not even close), (b) Tom Osborne didn't vote UM 7th in the final Coaches' poll (yes, seventh), (c) Phil Fulmer didn't change his vote of UM from 2nd to 4th at the last minute to bolster Nebraska's ranking in the Coaches' poll, and (d) the entire Nebraska team weren't petitioning for a number one ranking in the final polls before their game was even played.
Nebraska's case is a poor one at best.
Nevermind that I forgot to mention that given the two common opponents than UM and NU had, there is no question:
UM beats Colorado 27-3, while NU beats Colorado 27-24
UM beats Baylor 38-3, while NU beats Baylor 49-21
On top of that, Nebraska didn't face a single defense on par with UM's all season -- UM's 8-press from that season was designed to shut down the very offense that Nebraska was running.
Nevermind that I forgot to mention that given the two common opponents than UM and NU had, there is no question:
UM beats Colorado 27-3, while NU beats Colorado 27-24
UM beats Baylor 38-3, while NU beats Baylor 49-21
On top of that, Nebraska didn't face a single defense on par with UM's all season -- UM's 8-press from that season was designed to shut down the very offense that Nebraska was running.
And I could go into the game with Mizzou that NU squeaked by in (sure, the UM/Iowa game might have been similar, but UM at least more handily beat Iowa in that game, and Iowa was more highly ranked). And Sagarin (amongst other polls) ranked UM's schedule as tougher.
"Squeaked by" nothing. Nebraska won that game on an illegally kicked ball. I remember that play like it was yesterday, because ABC switched over to it after Michigan was done stomping Penn State in a game that wasn't as close as the 31-8 score said it was. My buddies and I were feverishly pulling for Missouri and couldn't believe that ending.
These days I no longer have the disgust for Nebraska that I once did, but I can't take them off the hate list because I realize I'd still be pretty dismayed to see them rise up again. It wasn't that long ago that they broke the Big Ten-Pac 10 hold on the Rose Bowl. Give them another three to five years of muddy mediocrity and nose-cleanliness and then I can see myself dropping old grudges and appreciating the old-school-ness of the program. Til then they still have that old Cornvicts air about them, and besides I like very much that Missouri and Kansas have, for now, broken their stranglehold on the Big 12 North.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:40 AM ^
Maybe I'm forgetting, but Lawrence Phillips is the only guy I remember ever getting in trouble at Nebraska. And while he was not a good dude, every program has at least one guy you can point to from the outside and say "but he shouldn't have played!".
As for the Rose Bowl thing, what were they supposed to do - turn down the National Title game because they weren't in the Big 10 or Pac 10?
I think anyone that walks around for a couple of hours before a road game will run into an obnoxious fan or two if you're not playing BYU, and a lot of people probably have been to a few road games and will compare fans. I went to all of the 2005 road games, and Iowa was the nicest, michigan state was the most pathetic, Northwestern was the most non-existant (more M fans then NU), and Wisconsin were by large the most obnoxious before during and after the game.
For example, some students at Wisconsin will sit on a rooftop 10 stories up, and try to get people repping M to look up so they can chant asshole at them. I also saw some chick carrying around a sign with the Texas rose bowl score on it, and in general any time we asked for directions, we were given the wrong ones. I don't know if I'd call these obnoxious, but some were pretty annoying, and one baffling (why do I care about the Rose bowl score? No shame in losing on a last second field goal to VY IMO)
Yeh it was definitely nothing extreme, however, I do regret getting to the campus 4 hours before kickoff, because wisconsin fans are only tolerable in small dosages. It's literally walking around being chanted asshole at you the entire time you're around people.
I would definitely consider myself to be obnoxious, although I spend most of that directed at Michigan fans, who have to be the only fans dumb enough to wear a gray Michigan shirt to the tuos game. And who the hell brings the opposition into the student section? I mean if we're playing Eastern or central no biggie, but state?
HA HA HA HA THAT WAS AWESOME
you forgot: ".....and scored and scored and scored and scored." Left out some scores there cause there were eight of them :D I was fortunate enough to have remembered to TiVo that game and I have it burned onto DVD for all time.
sorry.....not to rub in your losses. But it was possibly the greatest thing I've ever seen since I started at UVA in 2000.
I'm late, but whatever:
1. Auburn. I have a friend (who I met because he needed someone to watch USMNT soccer with) in town who's a huge Auburn fan, and it rubs off. He's the best kind of fan, the sort who screams bloody murder at the television in hilarious ways but keeps a sense of perspective when his LIFE ISN'T ENDING RIGHT NOW. I think I'm the same way.
2. Georgia Tech. Nerd school and I'm an engineer and now they're going to run an academy-style triple option. I'm a sucker for exotic offenses.
3. West Virginia? This might be in flux depending on just how long the grudge lasts, but I always liked those guys even before Rodriguez deposed the Czar. Right color uniforms, right underdog mentality, right fervent fanbase, Detroit-style national butt of jokes, and unironic John Denver singing after big wins. Sold. Any fanbase that can belt out "Take Me Home, Country Roads" without making fun of it even a little bit is A1 in my eyes.
4. Rutgers. I love underdogs and when I was in serious NCAA addiction mode they were my team. Also, I dig Schiano.
5. Colorado. Used to live there.
6. Nebraska? This is burgeoning, I think. I certainly disliked them when they were murdering everyone and had guys like Lawrence Philips, but now that they suck I feel for their fanbase, which is so, so polite. I wish we applauded opponents like they did.
I know I have named two blood rivals consecutively. Eh.
in good faith back you with Nebraska.
97 anyone ?
August 1st, 2008 at 10:44 AM ^
August 1st, 2008 at 12:14 PM ^
I was young during the Nebraska reign of dominance, so I'm not saying they weren't cornvicts or whatever - I just had no personal recollection of anything other than Phillips. Sounds like it was more widespread than that, so I was wrong.
And I would place more blame on the BCS itself for the Rose Bowl thing, if that's an issue for you. The Rose Bowl themselves entered the BCS and guaranteed that it woud happen eventually, so it seems kinda silly to hold it against a program.