Reflection on VolNation and Fandom

#1

VFL-82-JP

Bleedin' Orange...
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#1
You walk into the bar. You've been a patron of this bar since you turned 18, many years ago. It's "your" bar, the bar closest to home, the one with all the folks you know, all your friends and ex-girlfriends and former enemies, even the moms and dads of some of your old high school classmates. It's as close to "home" as a place with a liquor license can be.

And everyone in this bar loves the Vols. Venerates them. Each and every game is played live on all seven TVs hanging in all the corners and side walls, and then played again at least four or five more times during the week. Orange is by far the predominant color, both in the decor and on the backs of the patrons.

It's okay to talk trash about the head coach, as long as it's clear you love the guy and would run through the wall for him. Not because his name is Butch, but just because he's our coach. Some of the folks in the bar think he's not the long term answer, sure, and plenty of beer has been spilt over heated debates on that topic. But even for them, while Butch may be an idiot, he's OUR idiot. Any fan of another school walks in that door and takes advantage of some insider criticism, and they'll quickly find out that the color orange is FAR more important to us than petty disagreements about any particular coach or player.

This is a Tennessee Volunteers bar. It's a second home. Arguing, dancing, or watching the game together, it is comfortable as the womb, because it's full of people who share a love. A Vols love.

...

break/break

...

That, that word picture I just drew, that's what a lot of us would like VolNation to be. An online version of your favorite bar, the place where you get together with friends to talk Vol Football.

Trouble is, Freak doesn't sell beer.

Okay, we can get beer out of our own refrigerators. So we'll overlook that one.

Trouble is, the social anonymity of the internet encourages people to act like jackwagons to each other.

Okay, that's just life online. Have to roll with that.

Trouble is, we're infiltrated with fans of other schools pretending to be Vols fans just enough that they can cause trouble. Not talking about 99gator or bamawriter, or guys like them. They're open and honest about who they support, they're guests in our house, and welcome for their (wrong, inbred and socially inept, haha) opinions. No, talking about the trolls who pretend to be Vols but are really just here to denigrate.

Again, that's just life online. Have to ignore them as best we can and get on with it.

...

break/break

...

This thread is really for and about the other group. Those folks who haven't yet figured out how to be a devout fan while criticizing. Those who, when they turn on the negative flow, don't know how to control it, who haven't developed their fine tuning enough to avoid being nasty, petty or boorish when they want to talk about how things aren't perfect.

Norm walks into Cheers, everyone shouts NORM! He sits down, orders a beer, and joins the chatter about the Red Sox. He's not a big fan of John Farrell, and he's free to explain why, BECAUSE he is so well known in the bar to be a consumate Red Sox fan. Because for everything critical he might say about the manager or one of the players, he says ten or twenty positive things about the team. And even if he's not the hugest fan of Farrell, he wouldn't for a minute put up with a Yankee fan walking into the bar and talking trash about him or any other member of the team.

Why can't we all be like Norm?

When did disagreement forcibly turn into hate and rudeness?

Something to think about.

Go Vols!



NOTE: Not saying anyone (other than the trolls, they know who they are and we do, too) isn't a fan. This isn't about defining fandom or excluding anyone. It's about suggesting that we, as a group of Vols fans, consider raising our game, becoming more the fan base that ALL of us can be proud of.
 
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#4
#4
"Where everybody knows your name."
1249634605_cheers.jpg.gif
 
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#7
#7
You are entirely missing the point, Yankee. Entirely. There's an entire forest to contemplate in the OP, and you're walking around peeing on one tree at a time. Try seeing the forest, instead.
 
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#8
#8
We had a bar like that in Brentwood. The area OSU and Gator clubs took it over because they could guarantee management a full house on Saturdays when a lot of us were going to Knoxville or watching with friends at someone's home. The trolls you reference seem to generate a lot of traffic because nobody wants to let them go unchallenged. I think you can see where I'm going.
 
#13
#13
Interesting post. I mostly lurk. The thing I believe is most oft overlooked is the age of the poster. I think there are many times you have a kid (no offense kids) arguing with, belittling, badgering other posters. Sometimes I'll read an exchange and ask myself...I wonder if this guy is sitting in a middle school cafeteria posting this bull? Again, no offense to anyone, there's just a different way people communicate based on how much life they have experienced.
 
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#16
#16
You are entirely missing the point, Yankee. Entirely. There's an entire forest to contemplate in the OP, and you're walking around peeing on one tree at a time. Try seeing the forest, instead.

You can't get rid of them and they aren't going away.
 
#21
#21
Again, not what it's about.

You're trying so hard, I feel bad for you. But you're still missing the forest.

You're not gonna stop the criticism either.

People are going to have differing opinions. You aren't likely to change ones views. It is what it is.

I get what you're saying, but all I'm saying is your wasting your time lol.
 
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#22
#22
You're not gonna stop the criticism either.

People are going to have differing opinions. You aren't likely to change ones views. It is what it is.

I get what you're saying, but all I'm saying is your wasting your time lol.

This isn't about changing people's views. It's not about stopping criticism.

You're really struggling with the OP, Yankee. Get past your pre-conceived notions of what it might be about, and really read it, and I think you'll find out what it IS about.
 
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#23
#23
This isn't about changing people's views. It's not about stopping criticism.

You're really struggling with the OP, Yankee. Get past your pre-conceived notions of what it might be about, and really read it, and I think you'll find out what it IS about.

I get it just fine, thanks. You're gonna get fans all across the spectrum. Not everyone is Norm, or wants to be Norm.

You want a fan base to be proud of? Stop trying to get everyone to fit a type. Having all types is what makes it fun.

I get trying to get rid of the 'hate and rudeness' but thats not likely going anywhere either. People are strong in their opinions.

Enjoy it for what it is.
 
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#24
#24
I get trying to get rid of the 'hate and rudeness' but thats not likely going anywhere either. People are strong in their opinions.

You did get it. :good!:

Why on earth would we not TRY to dial down the hate and rudeness? Sure, we'll never succeed completely, and it's a never-ending battle, but that doesn't mean it's not worth spending a bit of effort on, anyway.

People can be strong in their opinions and still decent to each other, even while disagreeing.

We're (almost) all Vols fans here. We should treat each other like we've been patrons of the same bar for many years, and will be for many to come.

Sure, a fight will break out in the parking lot from time to time, but that should be the exception rather than the rule. And those two fellas, they're drinking buds a week or two later.

We just gotta remember to be human to each other and our team. Then we can disagree all we want.
 
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