Overenthusiastic Sports Fan

[fireheart]

My own city is well known for being a 'sports city' (well, well-known in Aussieland). People have been surprised - openly, visibly surprised - when they ask me which team I support in Local Sport, and I tell them I don't.
We just avoid going out on Big Game Day, or on Other Big Sports Event Day, and we avoid sports bars or those parks which are set up with a Local Sport field.

Most people use normal conversation volume when talking about their sport, other than in those places (and/or times). Which is absolutely fine. And heck, I wouldn't recognise team colours when you're wearing them. If it's the right colour combo, I might think you're supporting Ravenclaw!

Given you've mentioned your homecity more than one, it doesn't surprise me since THAT is the home of AFL.
I've been asked quite a few times by the kids I look after whether I support one of 3 rugby teams and I have to keep reminding them that I only moved to Sydney a while back, give me a break!
In fact, it actually got a bit ugly at one of the sites I worked at during the holidays to the point where we nearly had to send a few of our kids home because they kept sledging each other over their choice of team.
(Also there's a rugby team called the Rabbitohs. I know where the term comes from, but I don't know why they're called that...this is in comparison to teams such as the Bulldogs )

[drjonah]

My first guess is we're talking about Ohio State.

No, those people cover themselves head to toe with gear and go out shopping DURING a game

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Wow, I get annoyed enough with the loudmouths at the bar when there's a sporting event on. Tonight was a karaoke show, but they also had the game on several of the TVs. People would scream when they were happy with the game, or when they were pissed off about it. Apparently something happened as I was finishing up my first song of the night, because people were making all kinds of noise. We joked that they must have really loved my singing.

I have to hear that yelling from my brother when he's in his room (which is in the FRONT of the house, just off the living room) watching the games and I'm all the way on the back side of the house in my office.

When I can hear you all the way on the back side of the house, you're TOO FUCKING LOUD! SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!

And don't come running to me when I'm out on the front porch getting a smoke to tell me local NFL team won their wild card game . . . I don't watch football, I don't like football (I have tried to get into it before and just cannot do it) so why the Hell are you bothering me with that garbage I don't get it??

Even worse, come February it'll be NASCRAP season . . . somebody send more brown liquor.

[registerrodeo]

Oh, everyone wears it, but just looking around on a city block you would see 50..keep going, there's more and we dress our pets too LOL I love my teams (has a moment of silence for last nights loss) but shoving it in people's faces in public is ridiculous. He wasn't in a sports bar with other fans, he was in a store, most likely aggravating other customers. By any chance, is he 'special' in any way, and that may be why the managers are letting him get away with it?

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Just wait until he runs into equally enthusiastic sports fan from opposing team, when a fight breaks out and all the pickle jars get broken he'll get banned easy enough.

[Trixie]

My city is extremely loyal to our football team and I'm gonna say probably 60% of the people own some sort of merchandise (me included) but we also have a lot of transplants (again me included) who also wears stuff from other NFL teams. I like football but not super loyal to any one team and only like the teams I do because of location. Luckily where I am now the team is decent and in the playoffs again.

I think our local universities have more hard core fans than the professional teams. We sell t-shirts and sweatshirts with just the name of the state on them but it's similar to the logo of a local university. I had one guy be overenthusiatic about the shirts saying how we're going to sell them out and then make a comment about how I didn't share his feelings. No, I don't so I just said maybe not very nicely "I'm not even from here." At least it shut him up.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I think our local universities have more hard core fans than the professional teams. We sell t-shirts and sweatshirts with just the name of the state on them but it's similar to the logo of a local university. I had one guy be overenthusiatic about the shirts saying how we're going to sell them out and then make a comment about how I didn't share his feelings. No, I don't so I just said maybe not very nicely "I'm not even from here." At least it shut him up.

We have a LOT of college fans in my area as well and most of them are going to be pulling for either the Blue Devils or the Tar Heels.

I have one vendor in particular who is a die hard Tar Heel and my coworker Daria is a true Blue Devil. Much hilarity ensues during either football or college basketball season between these two.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

My first guess is we're talking about Ohio State.

1. My guess would've been....someplace else. Where the local sports fan routinely turn out like this. Or maybe this.

2. Had something like this happened at the swamp, the guy probably would've been given handshakes and cheers of approval. Because we are the "official store" of local sports team, and around here that's a license to print money.

[otakuneko]

I've...never seen something like this happen. And the local Handegg team is known.. or, was, back in the good ol' days... as America's Team.

Oh, but we did have a riot once or twice in response to them er... was it a win or a loss? I forget.

I don't keep track of sports, or get out much. >.>

[Deevil]

Huskers, by chance?

Yep. Around here, the term "sea of red" is usually meant non-biblically.

[mathnerd]

I live roughly 2700 miles away from my sports teams. Thankfully, I don't currently live in a city that's rabid for their own teams, though there is some amount of local support. I do get funny looks from time to time when wearing Dolphins/Heat/Hurricanes gear.

ETA: It was a different story when I lived in Fargo, ND, and everybody was a rabid Vikings fan.

[Smapti]

Just wait until he runs into equally enthusiastic sports fan from opposing team, when a fight breaks out and all the pickle jars get broken he'll get banned easy enough.

Rest assured, if a similarly enthusiastic fan of Sports Team Which Is the Local Sports Team's Primary Rival were to ever show up in the store at the same time as him, I would immediately take my lunch break (even if I'd only been on the clock for five minutes) and grab my phone so I could get the encounter on video.

[Jay 2K Winger]

And heck, I wouldn't recognise team colours when you're wearing them. If it's the right colour combo, I might think you're supporting Ravenclaw!

Heh, reminded me of a funny interaction with Mom once. One of the early Harry Potter movies was on, during one of the Quidditch matches. Mom happens to note the Gryffindor colors.

Mom: "I can immediately tell the Gryffindors are the good guys."
J2K: "Why's that?"
Mom: "They're wearing Redskins colors."
J2K: (laughs) "Guess what colors the Slytherins wear?"
Mom: "Blue and silver?" (aka Cowboys colors)
J2K: "Nope. Green and silver."
Mom: "Ooh. The Eagles. Hiss."

[morgana]

Yep. Around here, the term "sea of red" is usually meant non-biblically.

Oh, boy, do I know this one. I live on the other end of town from the stadium. There are days it ain't safe to leave the apartment.

[dawnfire]

(Also there's a rugby team called the Rabbitohs. I know where the term comes from, but I don't know why they're called that...this is in comparison to teams such as the Bulldogs )

here's a bit on that from wikipedia

Exactly how South Sydney came to be known as the rabbitohs is unknown. According to one version of events, dating from pre-schism days at the turn of the 20th century, some of the club's players earned some extra money on Saturday mornings as rabbit-oh men, staining their jerseys with rabbit blood in the process; when they played in those blood stained jumpers that afternoon, opponents from wealthier rugby clubs did not always appreciate the aroma and would mockingly repeat the "Rabbitoh!" cry. Another version was that the term was a disparaging reference by opposing teams to South's home ground being plagued with "rabbit 'oles"; in those early days Redfern Oval was then known as Nathan's Cow Paddock. A third version claims the Rabbitoh name was adopted from that of the touring Australian rugby union teams of the early 1900s who were nicknamed "Rabbits" prior to discarding the name in 1908 in favour of the moniker "Wallabies". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_S...bbitohs#Emblem