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Why are people fans of professional sports teams they have no affiliation to? Who cares people can be fans of whomever they want. I went to a smaller school that didn't have big athletics so its not like I can tune in to NBC on saturday afternoon and watch my school play. Oftentimes people are a fan of a particular coach or even kind of what the school stands for. For example many people maybe don't like Miami because they in the past had a rep as criminals and they don't graduate any players so really don't care about their players where as other schools put up a good football program but also care about their players academics and live sand future as well.
Take it from someone who lived in South Bend for most of their life, many fans of Notre Dame are not Catholic or even religious. I'm not saying it doesn't draw catholics to it, because it does, but it doesn't stop most Non-Catholics from liking it, just as people will like their local university in other cities as well.
Who cares if you lived in South Bend??? The religious attachment from afar isn't referring to locals from South Bend. The number of Irish Catholics from NY, Boston,Philly, Chicago who consider Notre Dame "their" school dwarves the population of South Bend many times over and for them it IS about the religion....
Who cares if you lived in South Bend??? The religious attachment from afar isn't referring to locals from South Bend. The number of Irish Catholics from NY, Boston,Philly, Chicago who consider Notre Dame "their" school dwarves the population of South Bend many times over and for them it IS about the religion....
Really? Do you have numbers to back that up? Plenty of Notre Dame alumni aren't even Catholic, let alone most of the fans.
The question still remains, why are people fans of colleges they've never attended? Plenty of locals are fans and did not attend nor are they Catholic, and this applies to many state schools as well. Ohio State fans living in Pittsburgh, yet they never attended the school.
I never attended Duke but I have worked at the University for a dozen years. Where I live you are either a Duke, UNC or NC State supporter...and the majority of folks rooting for these schools never attended them. You just get swept up in it, particularly during basketball season....
So you're a fan based on locality and/or because you work there. It seems like locality is the biggest factor.
The number of Irish Catholics from NY, Boston,Philly, Chicago who consider Notre Dame "their" school dwarves the population of South Bend many times over and for them it IS about the religion....
Here in western PA too.
I have a friend that tells the story of her father's disappointment upon her birth.
She was not male, so she could not go to Notre Dame. The dad so wanted a child that was a Notre Dame graduate, moreso than a priest!
That school that you attend and are so proud of for being great in football wouldn't be successful if it wasn't for all of the "t-shirt fans" blowing their money on tickets, apparel, concessions, ect, ect. How many people do you think would attend games in those 100,000 seat stadiums if it were only open to students and alumni?
I was born and raised in the Tampa Bay Area, my parents didn't go to college although my father (from Ohio) roots for Ohio State and my mother (from Tennessee) roots for Tennessee. The University of South Florida didn't have football until 1997 and the University of Tampa eliminated the program in the 1970's. When I got into elementary school, my friends and I all "picked sides."
Some chose Miami as they had just managed to win 5 National Championships in the 80's. Some chose the Gators, I chose Florida State and I've always loved the team and the school. My father taught me at a young age that when it comes to college ball, you ALWAYS support your home team, in Florida we were lucky enough to have a choice of 3 great ones.
I attend a community college because I didn't have the grades to attend FSU and I'll likely never be able to afford to go to school there (especially living in Texas now) but I guess if that makes me a "t-shirt fan" I can live with that, but I'll always be loyal to the unconquered garnet and gold.
The question still remains, why are people fans of colleges they've never attended? Plenty of locals are fans and did not attend nor are they Catholic, and this applies to many state schools as well. Ohio State fans living in Pittsburgh, yet they never attended the school.
I did not attend Ohio State, but I am a big fan of OSU because I live in Michigan and cannot stand Wolverine football.
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