Should you have to be “knowledgeable” to be considered a fan?

[ClonesTwenty1]

I think we’ve all had an experience where we get into an argument or debate with a fan who knows absolutely nothing about the team. Whether it be basketball, football, etc..

And this leads me to my question. Should these “fans” even be considered fans of their team? The loud mouths who can’t even name the starting running back or quarterback of their team. Shouldn’t fans be halfway knowledgeable about their team before they start talking?

 

[Neptune78]

I think we’ve all had an experience where we get into an argument or debate with a fan who knows absolutely nothing about the team. Whether it be basketball, football, etc..

And this leads me to my question. Should these “fans” even be considered fans of their team? The loud mouths who can’t even name the starting running back or quarterback of their team. Shouldn’t fans be halfway knowledgeable about their team before they start talking?

Tavern hok bar owners across the state say "Hell No!"

 

[SECyclone]

Anyone can be a fan, but if they choose to argue I’d hope for their sake they know a little bit about the sport. Assuming you are talking about the Wal Mart Hawkeye fans ?

 

[MeanDean]

The others are known as "T-Shirt" fans.

 

[ClonesTwenty1]

Anyone can be a fan, but if they choose to argue I’d hope for their sake they know a little bit about the sport. Assuming you are talking about the Wal Mart Hawkeye fans ?

Unfortunately I’ve even seen Cyclone “fans” that have embarrassed themselves because they couldn’t even name our starting quarterback. After a nice lively debate.

 

[I@ST1]

Yes. They can be a fan.

 

[3TrueFans]

People that are obnoxious are going to be obnoxious whether they're knowledgeable or not, there's no competency test requirement to be a fan though.

 

[madguy30]

People that are obnoxious are going to be obnoxious whether they're knowledgeable or not, there's no competency test requirement to be a fan though.

I've found the most obnoxious fans of ahem *some* fanbases to be the least knowledgeable overall.

For example I was told that a certain 6th year senior basketball player for one team that can shoot threes sometimes will find an NBA roster as a sharp shooter.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Tavern hok bar owners across the state say "Hell No!"

They would say our daughter is a super fan. She insisted that she was a super fan but couldn't name the starting QB or RB, nor could she name the OC or the DC (yet I, as a Cyclone, knew all of them at the time). She knew Ferentz, and a QB from several seasons prior to our conversation, but none of the current players or coordinators.

She doesn't watch them on TV, has never set foot in Kinnick, doesn't even know the major competitors in their conference. How hard is it to name the Big 10 schools, seriously???

She thinks I'm dumb to root for the loser Cyclones. I guess she's the authority, right?

 

[helechopper]

In my professional opinion, if you don't have a minimum of 20 posts in the CyFan Mega Tread* you're not a fan.



* If you don't know what the Mega Thread is, you're not a fan either.

 

[harimad]

I think we’ve all had an experience where we get into an argument or debate with a fan who knows absolutely nothing about the team. Whether it be basketball, football, etc..

And this leads me to my question. Should these “fans” even be considered fans of their team? The loud mouths who can’t even name the starting running back or quarterback of their team. Shouldn’t fans be halfway knowledgeable about their team before they start talking?

Anytime a woman says that she's a fan of a team (or of anything) there are a lot of men who will immediately start quizzing them about every obscure fact, trying to discount their fandom.

If you think someone isn't a "real" fan of something that you're a fan of- do us all a favor and keep it in your pants. The world is better without a ****-measuring contest to see who the bigger fan is.

 

[BoxsterCy]

The most argumentative fans are generally idiots. If they are, by chance, knowledge of their team they aren't knowledgeable of the competition offered by opponents. AKA, never get beat, just lose games you should win etc.

I chuckle every time I hear TV announcers remark about a teams fan base as being "very knowledgeable", what BS. Fan bases are cult like and tribe, not "knowledgeable". What is it about "fan-atic" that they don't get?

 

[dualthreat]

From what I’ve seen, those “fans” are usually fans of the next hot team a few years later

 

[usedcarguy]

To be a fan, no. To have your opinion respected, absolutely!

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

From Merriam-Webster, the preferred dictionary in my work:
Fan
: an enthusiastic devotee (as of a sport or a performing art) usually as a spectator
2: an ardent admirer or enthusiast (as of a celebrity or a pursuit)

 

[cstrunk]

Anyone who chooses to root for the Cyclones can be a fan. But there's no requirement to know anything, besides the correct colors of your team.

 

[CapnCy]

To be a fan, no. To have your opinion respected, absolutely!

That's a simple and good way of summarizing it!

Same could apply to fans of music/artists....you can be a fan...some will know every detail about a band, some just enjoy the music.

 

[ClonesTwenty1]

My wife is a perfect example. Goes to all the football games, wears tons of ISU gear. Can name Purdy and probably no one else. Never argues with Hawkeye fans or talks sports beyond if we won or lost a game.


She's a fan. I just don't get into specifics with her - that's why I come to CF. A fan can also simply want a sense of commonality with others, to feel a shared connection.

Good way of putting it

 

[inCyteful]

I think what separates degrees of fans is why they are a fan, not how knowledgeable of a fan they are.

My wife is definitely a Cyclone fan but is only aware of superficial aspects of the team. She is a fan because she grew up in the Ames area and went to Iowa State and she is proud of the institution.

Then there is the social media fan - they become fans because they want to impress someone, hop on the media hype bandwagon or whatever - they are fans because they think it enhances their image.

I am sure there some of both in every fan base but some fan bases have much for the latter than I can stomach.

 

[NWICY]

I think we’ve all had an experience where we get into an argument or debate with a fan who knows absolutely nothing about the team. Whether it be basketball, football, etc..

And this leads me to my question. Should these “fans” even be considered fans of their team? The loud mouths who can’t even name the starting running back or quarterback of their team. Shouldn’t fans be halfway knowledgeable about their team before they start talking?

LOL I bet 80% of those people were Hawk fans that your talking about. I hired a person once that was a huge Hawk fan, but they couldn't name the starting QB. That same person was also Catholic and bragged about it but couldn't name the current Pope LOL .