FSU fans seem petty.

[Dave Gray]

In full disclosure, I'm a Gators fan.  I'm not hardcore.  I didn't go to school there, and I'm fair-weathered to only care when they're good.  But if I'm going to pick a college team, other than my local alma-matter, it's them.  And though FSU is one of their rivals, it's not like I have a hatred for the school or anything.

On top of all that, I don't really like Tebow all that much, personally.

That said, I'm surprised at the amount of venom, gloating, and overall distasteful behavior I've seen from the FSU crowd over the Alabama/Florida loss.  It comes across to me as petty jealously, even more so than you'd usually expect from rival teams.

I'm not the sentimental type who protects athletes all that much, but the kind of vitriol I'm reading on Facebook and from people who are at FSU currently about Tebow crying or the Gators losing is kinda disturbing.  Though I don't think Tebow is going to be a great player in the NFL and am turned off by his very public, outward Christian evangelism, it's hard to deny that the guy has been a picture perfect model, passionate player, who's said all of the correct, humbling things.

What more do you want?  Reveling in someone else's misery in a game that has no impact on you, especially someone so young, seems small.

I know 4 people that are fans of FSU.  Three of them made at least some sort of comment. 

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Dave,

Obviously I am one of the three that made some sort of comment.  That said, this portion of your quote says it best when you are surprised at the FSU fans behavior

I'm not hardcore.  I didn't go to school there, and I'm fair-weathered to only care when they're good.  But if I'm going to pick a college team, other than my local alma-matter, it's them.  And though FSU is one of their rivals, it's not like I have a hatred for the school or anything.

I'm a complete opposite, Dave.  I am hardcore, more like diehard.  I did attend school at Florida State, and I watch every football and most basketball and baseball games.  I bleed Garnet and Gold.  And I do have an intense hatred towards FSU's rivals.  I love to see those rivals lose.  The only exception is when a rival winning would help FSU's chances of winning the championship.  That is something that is drilled into you over and over again from your first day as a Seminole.   Not to the point where I have anything against fans of rival schools, but it does make for some good smack talk. 

Do you remember how you felt after the Super Bowl on February 3, 2008?  All Dolphins fans felt joy and glee in the demise of the Patriots perfect season, and most TDMMCers (you and I included) were posting thread after thread celebrating and poking fun at Pats, Hoodie, Sportschick, and other Pats fans on this board.   What you felt on that day is what FSU, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama fans all felt when the Gators lost the SEC Championship

And Gator fans are not saints.  They taunt the Seminoles whenever they lose big games, and are just as classless about it.   Me and two of my buddies got into a fight with a few of them at the Champs Sports Bowl last year. Just like what you said you think is low class, they showed up at a game their team wasn't even in just to harass people.  They started running up and down the stairs taunting people all game, and in the 4th quarter we decided we'd had enough.  We were not going to let them disrupt our enjoyment of the game, and they ended up getting their asses beat and then they got escorted out by the cops.

It's really simple Dave.  You don't understand the hatred and intensity of the rivalry because you never attended the school.  That rivalry and the behavior that goes along with it is the way of the diehards.  To you, it may seem over the top, but to me it's perfectly normal.

 

[Dave Gray]

I can understand wanting a rival to lose.  I get that.  But I don't understand the joy of reveling in the misfortunes of someone else.

Ask any Patriots fan on this board, or the several that I know in person -- I've never been in their face about a loss or done anything classless in regards to individual players.  I was glad to see them lose in the Super Bowl, ecstatic even (because of its indirect meaning of preserving a Dolphins record), but my joy didn't come from watching my friends feel shitty about it.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

I can understand wanting a rival to lose.  I get that.  But I don't understand the joy of reveling in the misfortunes of someone else.

Ask any Patriots fan on this board, or the several that I know in person -- I've never been in their face about a loss or done anything classless in regards to individual players.  I was glad to see them lose in the Super Bowl, ecstatic even (because of its indirect meaning of preserving a Dolphins record), but my joy didn't come from watching my friends feel shitty about it.

It's not about your friends feeling shitty.  You tease them about it for a little bit, then move on.  Most of my insults were directed at the team, not at my friends who are Gator fans. 

Even with you, all I said was, "ROLL TIDE"

[Dave Gray]

Most of my insults were directed at the team, not at my friends who are Gator fans.

You're only helping my argument.  You're admitting that you dished out several insults, some of which were directed at your friends, for a game that you had no involvement in, in a non-divisional game, and ultimately meant nothing to your franchise.

It screams jealousy to me.  Your team is so incredibly inferior that all you're left with is hoping that those close to you can feel as shitty about their team as you do.


I only bring up that I'm not a hardcore Gators fan to try and paint the picture that it isn't just sour grapes on my part.  I just spin the situation and know that I wouldn't and don't act that way.  If Tom Brady loses, I'm glad, but I'm not about to start a Facebook group dedicated to his misery.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

It screams jealousy to me. 

It isn't jealousy, it's part of the rivalry.  No matter how good or bad each team is, they root for each other to lose and then celebrate when it happens.   

If Tom Brady loses, I'm glad, but I'm not about to start a Facebook group dedicated to his misery.

All Gator Haters on TDMMC can go join the Facebook Group, "I saw Tim Tebow cry and I loved it", which I am a distinguished member of.

[Lee]

And Gator fans are not saints.  They taunt the Seminoles whenever they lose big games, and are just as classless about it.   . . .

Most schools do have a small minority of die-hard complete asshole fans.  And while you had the misfortune of having a bad Gator fan incident, I do not think it is the norm. 

But fans are fans, they are not the players---who should have more respect for their fellow athletes. All I know is that NO other football team has ever purposely destroyed property of another team.  What am I talking about you may ask?  I personally witnessed the entire FSU team of players come onto the center of our beloved Swamp and ALL of them dig their cleats into the midfield logo in order to "stamp" it out of the field.  They made the field unplayable and we had to repair it at our own cost.  To me that shows no class whatsoever.  And if the players themselves do this shit, I can see why FSU fans do it. 

I'm sorry to say Tommy, but FSU fans are in a league by themselves when it comes to poor sportsmanship...

[Phishfan]

If it makes you guys fell any better I personally will accept any criticisms you may have about FSU after the bowl game.

[Brian Fein]

I am with you Dave.  I never understand when people become HARDCORE fans of random teams just because they're playing their rival.

I wore a Rams jersey when they played the Pats in the Super bowl, but I didn't trash talk.  No "you just got your ass whooped" 

Leave that for the REAL fans of that team, who watch EVERY GAME.

[Phishfan]

I wore a Rams jersey when they played the Pats in the Super bowl, but I didn't trash talk.  No "you just got your ass whooped" 

It would be hard to trash talk since the Rams lost.

[DZA]

As a Miami Hurricane Fan,  We HATe  BOTH FSU and UF    Eat Green  Sissy

5  National Champs

More Talent in the NFL out of all the Florida Programs.

THE U Knows  Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh1tpysFGbs&feature=related

[MaineDolFan]

Most of my insults were directed at the team, not at my friends who are Gator fans. 

This is a complete contradiction.  You state that you are a diehard that bleeds school colors.  Therefore you should be reasonable enough to understand the fans of another team do the same.  Thus you are directly attacking your friends that root for another team by directing your insults at the team.

This is a cop out.

One thing that has always driven me nuts about aspects of sports?  It is almost as though people enjoy watching another team lose more than they enjoy watching their own team win.  Case in point, the Yankees winning the World Series.  It did not happen here, but on facebook and the radio?  Yankee fans coming out of the woodwork saying things along the lines of "we win!  Suck in Red Sucks fans!"

Unless the two teams are playing each other, why does it matter?  In this case, Boston's season had ended two series ago by that point.  Same holds true with Dave's stance.  "Roll Tide, suck it Gators" coming from a Florida State fan makes no sense at all.  None.

I was recruited by the University of Oregon and was red shirted (against my will).  Although I ended up transferring - to this day I am still a huge Ducks fan.  You won't find a larger rivalry than the Ducks and OSU Beavers.  We hate the Beavers.  It runs deep.  That said, the only time I care about what happens to the Beavers is when they play the Ducks.  I could care less if the Beavers can leveled by the Huskies, or anyone else.  I am in Dave's court on this and can say that I'm a level up in my "involvement" as I actually played for the team.  Well, kind of.  I practiced.

[Phishfan]

I do enjoy watching some teams lose, but I don't do the trash talking. I have rooted for Notre Dame to lose every game I can remember, except against Michigan. Mighigan I root for to lose every game. I think it is fine to want to see a team lose, but to rub someone's face in it when your team had no part doesn't make sense to me either.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Most schools do have a small minority of die-hard complete asshole fans.  And while you had the misfortune of having a bad Gator fan incident, I do not think it is the norm. 

But fans are fans, they are not the players---who should have more respect for their fellow athletes. All I know is that NO other football team has ever purposely destroyed property of another team.  What am I talking about you may ask?  I personally witnessed the entire FSU team of players come onto the center of our beloved Swamp and ALL of them dig their cleats into the midfield logo in order to "stamp" it out of the field.  They made the field unplayable and we had to repair it at our own cost.  To me that shows no class whatsoever.  And if the players themselves do this shit, I can see why FSU fans do it. 

I'm sorry to say Tommy, but FSU fans are in a league by themselves when it comes to poor sportsmanship...

I remember that.  And I also remember a year earlier, quite a few Gators players were dancing on the FSU logo at midfield.  Both incidents triggered a bench clearing brawl.  Like I said earlier, Gators fans and players are not saints. 

As for the tearing up of the turf, that's an FSU tradition that has gone back to at least the early Bobby years if not before.  It's called the Sod Cemetery. 

[YoFuggedaboutit]