How many other folks find sports fans abhorrent (please, no more #12 flags!) (Seattle: houses, neighborhood)

[homesinseattle]

Minougirl. I shop at PCC coop, volunteer at a homeless shelter, backpacked Ethiopia for a month solo last year, have lived alone with indigenous groups in the Amazon and Darien jungles-does that mean I am succumbing to tribalism ? I also donate to KIVA microfinance and Doctors Without Borders, listen daily to classical music, have an brilliant, powerful 11 year old daughter, love Renoir and Gaughin, come from a family of rather pacifist intellectuals.

I also have a Marshawn Lynch "Beastmode" Seahawks jersey and a small "12" flag, sometimes drink perfectly bland American beer, eat nachos and have been known to enthusiastically high five and fist bump my good friends during Seahawks games. I imagine it will confound you to learn my mates and I have also discussed GMOs, gun control and Hindu mysticism at halftime during these same games. Maybe you could add a third option to your survey that includes those of us like me, there are many more than you know. Seattle people are full of wonderful surprises, label us at your own peril. Perhaps you should study Buddhism, you may learn more about shades of grey.

[homesinseattle]

Thanks for another fun season, Seahawks! With all the injuries and horrid start, I'd say they overachieved.

[jm31828]

This is not unique AT ALL to Seattle. You will see this in any city that has a popular sports team- whether it be professional or college sports. I guess I don't understand the complaint- the only way not to see much of this would be to move to a city that really doesn't have any sports teams- or at least none that are good or popular.

[pikabike]

Better not visit Calgary, either.

[Legacy Bear]

It was only becauae of recent success sort of speak, that you see so much seahawk gear around the city.

Like said, you get this with every big city. The scary part is when you rep the opposing gear amd sometimes, that doesn‘t bode well.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by minougirl

Since moving here I have found plenty of great things about this city, but I find it very odd how common it is to see someone wearing a Seagulls scarf/beanie, and the "12th man" flags. Gee whiz, I sure hope the whole city isn't engulfed in this mania. I detest sports fandom in general. I just wanted to make a poll to see how many Seattlites on here sympathize with being crazy enough over any local team to sport the attire and whatever else that goes with the craze, and sane people.

Maybe you need to move to a city that doesn't have any sports?

[minougirl]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Minougirl. I shop at PCC coop, volunteer at a homeless shelter, backpacked Ethiopia for a month solo last year, have lived alone with indigenous groups in the Amazon and Darien jungles-does that mean I am succumbing to tribalism ? I also donate to KIVA microfinance and Doctors Without Borders, listen daily to classical music, have an brilliant, powerful 11 year old daughter, love Renoir and Gaughin, come from a family of rather pacifist intellectuals.

I also have a Marshawn Lynch "Beastmode" Seahawks jersey and a small "12" flag, sometimes drink perfectly bland American beer, eat nachos and have been known to enthusiastically high five and fist bump my good friends during Seahawks games. I imagine it will confound you to learn my mates and I have also discussed GMOs, gun control and Hindu mysticism at halftime during these same games. Maybe you could add a third option to your survey that includes those of us like me, there are many more than you know. Seattle people are full of wonderful surprises, label us at your own peril. Perhaps you should study Buddhism, you may learn more about shades of grey.

Not sure why you told me all these things about yourself; they're irrelevant. I never contended that people who travel to developing countries, donate money, etc., cannot also be ardent sports fans.

[minougirl]

Another thing I dislike about sports is how arbitrary it is which team to support--it's often about where you live rather than which team has the members that play the best. This is very much similar to chauvinism -- shunning those outside "your" borders, and I think that this mindless evaluation and attitude even if it's something as innocent as sports fandom is something we should move away from if our ("our" as in this human species) common goal is intelligent thinking.

I think the ultimate goal of living is to be happy, and to continue to promote aggression based on made-up borders only inhibits progress.

Another asinine thing is how fans tend to think of themselves as part of that team they support (the concept behind the whole "12th man" thing as far as I've heard), when in fact they are not. People act as though if the team in their city wins (or the one they support--less common I'm sure), it's as if THEY are sharing in that success. It's delusional.

Most would think of my arguments as silly, but I think it is in the best interest of us to question even the most seemingly innocuous actions we partake in on a regular basis.

[homesinseattle]

Minou, just responding to your comment that you "detest" sports fandom and your further words "crazy enough over any local team to sport the attire". Your very post title included the emotionally laden word "abhorrent", you clearly judge fans to be quite inferior to you. My attempt was to illustrate that there are all kinds of sports fans. Lighten up, can't you tell people are just having fun, screaming, being silly, letting their hair down?

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by minougirl

Another thing I dislike about sports is how arbitrary it is which team to support--it's often about where you live rather than which team has the members that play the best.

Are seriously saying that? Or you are just another troll.