The article wouldn't get my goat so much if the guys they interviewed said they were fans of a given team because they liked its playstyle, or were a fan of a particular player or something to that effect. But that seemed to be secondary to their attempts so show their superiority over the hoi-polloi.
It's unimportant. Rationally discussing why you like one team or another is like discussing religion or discussing whether chocolate or vanilla ice cream is better. The Liverpool fans biggest mistake is not his reasons for liking his team but going on-record with the reasons.
At last, a rational explanation of why I continue to eat Grape-Nuts Flakes for breakfast instead of some trendy modern cereal! (Another thing I learned from my parents was personal integrity, but I'm trying hard to grow past it.)
Personal decisions are not always random or irrational. Plenty of people can articulate rational reasons why they prefer vanilla or chocolate, or why they're Catholic versus atheist. Following your logic, someone who becomes a fan of a team because he likes their violent and racist supporter groups is no different than someone who became a fan because he has fond memories of going to games with his grandfather.
I have 5 significant attachments to clubs overseas. 1. Forest, because I happened to catch a game on TV once many years ago and for no reason I can remember they peaked my interest. I'm pretty sure they lost. I did some research on the club, and I started passively following results until eventually over time I became as personally involved in the trials and tribulations since then as anyone in Nottingham. 2. Frankfurt, because I was at a German festival many many years ago and I came across a vendor selling flags, banners, and other German soccer goods, and I really wanted one and the coolest one was a Frankfurt flag that said "You'll never walk alone" at the bottom. Much later the internet was created by Al Gore and I got a chance to follow the club and just as above, I attached. 3. Ajax, because ESPN used to air all those Dutch league games, and yeah, they were good. More than anything else, however, I learned about their academy system and the total football theology, and I learned to admire both. I have an affinity for the Dutch national team as well, by extension. 4. Barca, basically at first because I learned that I couldn't stand so many things about Real Madrid, and it only seemed natural to me to starting rooting for their greatest rival. Then, as the others, I learned more about the system and the ties to Dutch football for several years, and it was a natural fit. 5. Liverpool, really because of two reasons. First, it was all the rage there for a while in the US that everyone had to have an EPL team they liked, right? I didn't. I had Forest. Although, nobody I knew was taking up with Liverpool at that time, everyone was jumping onto ManU, Arsenal, Chelsea. Then Gerrard came along and when he decided to stay with his home club rather than sign bigger deals elsewhere, I was sold on the whole thing. These are in descending order of importance to me, where I like it when Liverpool wins about as much as I like it when the Baltimore Ravens win, not because I want them to, but because I haven't found a reason to want them to lose, and where watching my phone updates during a Forest match ranks in importance at about an 8, where DC United is a 10. I realize many of these are trivial, and even random, but over time they also became founded on ideas and concepts I wanted to support and be affiliated with. In the end, they are all silly. But they somehow become important when you hold them yourself over a long period of time.
So, any kind of non-quantifiable rationalization for preference is silly to you. I married my wife because I like her and we have a laugh and a loving bond, that's silly, but it's the basis of so many 'real' things in life. I guess I don't understand where you're coming from.
Collin Martin called into U-21 Camp http://www.dcunited.com/news/2014/04/collin-martin-selected-to-us-u-21-national-team-camp
Don't give him too much credit. He didn't make it. I'm not sure what you were trying to say. Atlanta getting a team wasn't a secret. They formalized and became a group as the rumors picked up. I'm not sure if there are connections between the Blanks/Falcons and the supporter's group, but they appear to be operating independently.
Well, between the little one reacting to potty training by picking up some crazy sleep patterns I am a finding that plenty of my thoughts are scattered since, as a stay-at-home papá it falls on my shoulders to get her out of the bedroom so PhD student mamá can get her sleep (it is a small apartment).
Been there and done that, twice, a loooong time ago. Best wishes that she can figure out the PT sooner, rather than later!
Trying to watch Fulham vs Tots - My eyes are burning from so many passes going to players with different colored shirts - This is the best of Euro Soccer? - Back to Orphan Black marathon
After trying to remember what I was thinking at the time the best I can come up with is the 'connection' angle you mentioned. Having looked at Terminus' outlets some more I agree with you.
And under the heading: "This Is Why We Let Him Go" - DeRosario is out already with a bad muscle strain in his leg, and didn't even make the trip down to Dallas. - And Bradley has missed a game already, as well - And Defoe is pretty banged up, too
Wonderful ending to Chicago vs NE Rev game - Beating each other up; Each team with Red Card suspension; Dis-heartening god-awful PK attempt - And end in a 1-1 tie As always, only better possible result would be for Toyota Park to suddenly implode into a huge sink-hole and swallow up both teams but …. I'll take this
Living in Hawaii now, I get cable from Time Warner. I get some west coast channels, one of them being Time Warner Cable Sportsnet. The amount of coverage that the LA Galaxy get on this channel is amazing. They have a 30 minute pre-game show leading up to the game (which they have shown everyone not including nationally broadcasted ones). There's a showing called "Backstage: Galaxy" which I haven't caught yet. Then throughout the week they'll replay the weeks previous game in full game form and then a 90 in 30 show. It's pretty depressing to know DC doesn't have ANYTHING remotely close to that.
Does Columbus have a show like this in Hawaii? Does Philadelphia have a show like this in Hawaii? Does KC, or Denver have a show like this in Hawaii? NO Then why are you so pissed?
To me, thinking that's eye-roll worthy is eye-roll worthy. All of this, all sports fandom, all of it has no fundamental meaning at all. People become fans of teams for all kinds of reasons, and they're all pretty meaningless.
Absolutely they can; but they have no objective validity. No matter how well someone can articulate those reasons, they're still subjective. Not biting.