Morning Wood: Sometimes Red Is Better
Feb 19th, 2008 by Stamos
We got to thinking last night, as we watched Texas A&M get cockslapped by UT, whether it was more fulfilling to be a fan of the team that always wins or the team that is always the underdog and every now and again wins the big one. This might seem an obvious homage to State vs UNC fans in basketball, but it could easily apply to Texas vs A&M in football, UVa vs Va Tech in football, UCLA vs USC in basketball, UGa vs Ga Tech in football, etc. In any case, the question becomes are you more satisfied to win so constantly that it becomes an expectation rather than a joy, or would you rather suffer enough that the one big win elicits the most intense emotion?
We’ll use UNC and NCSU as our examples, since we’re most familiar with fans of those teams, and explore the pros and cons of each side.
UNC fan: Pro- You have the right to be cocky. When your team wins and wins big with such consistancy, it affords you the luxury of assuming you’re going to beat everyone. Pro- Your team is fun to watch because they are so talented. When you are a consistant winner, it means both a) you have a good coach and b) you’re recruiting great players, so it makes it a fun game to watch regardless of the score. Pro- You win. There’s little we know of that is more satisfying that having a sports team you root for win. They are an extension of you, and, as such, when they win, you win.
Con- You can become a smug asshole. Noone wants to hear from the guy who’s team is better than theirs, and it’s a fine line between cocky and dickface. Con- Everywhere you go, you see Wal-Mart fans of your school. They didn’t go there, they don’t know anyone who went there, and they’re only fans because you win, so it’s easy Basically, having them around cheapens the rest of your fans because they’re only there for the good times. Con- You’ll never really know how great an upset can feel. If you’re always the favorite, you can’t know the satistfaction that is being David.
NCSU Fan: Con- Heartburn. When you’re the team that loses so many close games, your body takes a beating. Con- It’s easy to become hyper-superstitious, almost to the point that you can’t enjoy the game anymore because you have to spend so much time / effort ensuring you’re not doing anything personally to cost your team the game. Con- More often than not, you lose the big game. In fact, you lose plenty of small games along the way. Sometimes, it feels like the light at the end of the tunnel is getting farther away, and that’s disheartening.
Pro- You know you really love your team because if you didn’t, you’d have bailed long ago. And in this day and age, that counts for something. Pro- Real fans of underdogs are passionate and enthusiastic. When we cheer, we cheer louder than anyone, and when our hearts are broken, we take it harder than anyone. Pro- That eventuality of beating a ‘UNC’ is so beautiful. And you just know that after a lifetime of suffering through famine and fatigue, your day will come. And the bitterness of the years of agony will only serve to sweeten the nectar of victory.
So to all those underdog fans out there- we feel you. Hold your head up, as your time will come. And if you like, join us for one night and be a Wolfpack fan as we attempt to embody David tomorrow against the hated Heels.
UNC con - your school colors are as queer as a football bat.
carolina blue : blue :: pink : red
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Right on Kenny..unc does wear the feminine blue..no different than pink to red. That’s why they call it Broke Back U.