VFL-82-JP
Bleedin' Orange...
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We're all Vols fans here, right? I mean, mostly. We have a few Gator, Bama, and Georgia fans hanging around for the conversation, but by and large we're all fans of Big Orange.
But why? What's our motivation as fans? What do we really care about? This probably won't surprise anyone who takes a minute to think about it, but we're each a little different in how we answer the Why? question.
Here are a few of the most common types of Volunteer fans:
1. Self-centered. It's all about 'me' for some folks. Winning games is important for the bragging rights, being able to talk smack to the Gator or Vandy fan at work, the feeling of accomplishment-by-association. Vols fans who are focused primarily on themselves tend to be fair-weather friends when it comes to players and coaches. It's a "what have you done for me lately" kind of world. The hottest praise and quickest calls to 'fahr him' typically come from this quarter. Players are often treated like commodities, rather than fellow human beings, young men in college. Self-centered fans are sometimes even happy to sacrifice other people's values for their own benefit ("I don't care what they have to do to win, just win, dammit!"). They're real fans, just very self-oriented.
2. Star-centered. Some fans have a particular player (or coach) they're intensely interested in. Often a relative or friend, maybe a namesake, or just someone they took a shine to for whatever reason. This type of fan celebrates the team's success, yes, but most especially the success of the individual. Can be counter-productive when what's good for the player/coach does not match what's good for the team.
3. Team-centered. I like to call these the true fans, but there's room for all types in Vol Nation. Team-centered fans care most about the program, about UT, and about the players and coaches and trainers and administrators and workers who make up the program. A loss hurts for all types of fans, but it hurts the team-centered fan most to see the disappointment in the players' faces; it is as much an empathetic pain as it is a personal one. Team-centered fans are willing to sacrifice a bit of glory if that's what it takes to uphold certain values, and understand that there's life after college for all 100+ young men who put on orange each Saturday in the fall. Team-centered Vols fans are happy to talk smack with the Dawg fan in the next cubicle, but don't get mean or cruel about it (or try not to, and mostly succeed). Team-centered fans will discuss how the team did with other Vols fans, including frank criticism when deserved, but make every effort not to show disrespect to a fellow Vol--player, coach, or fan (we're all human, and all sometimes slip up in this particular).
4. Bandwagon. Yes, you know who you are, hehe. And this category doesn't even really need explanation. Folks who are only fans when the Vols are winning shouldn't really count as fans. But they'll be sporting orange alongside the rest of us as soon as things start going really well. Probably very few bandwagon fans in these forums right now...but if we have a breakout year in 2015, watch them start flocking in!
There are probably a handful of other categories, as well. I just hit on the four that seem most obvious to me these days. It's funny how easy it is to tell which type a Vols fan tends toward once you start paying attention.
So what kind of Vols fan are you?
But why? What's our motivation as fans? What do we really care about? This probably won't surprise anyone who takes a minute to think about it, but we're each a little different in how we answer the Why? question.
Here are a few of the most common types of Volunteer fans:
1. Self-centered. It's all about 'me' for some folks. Winning games is important for the bragging rights, being able to talk smack to the Gator or Vandy fan at work, the feeling of accomplishment-by-association. Vols fans who are focused primarily on themselves tend to be fair-weather friends when it comes to players and coaches. It's a "what have you done for me lately" kind of world. The hottest praise and quickest calls to 'fahr him' typically come from this quarter. Players are often treated like commodities, rather than fellow human beings, young men in college. Self-centered fans are sometimes even happy to sacrifice other people's values for their own benefit ("I don't care what they have to do to win, just win, dammit!"). They're real fans, just very self-oriented.
2. Star-centered. Some fans have a particular player (or coach) they're intensely interested in. Often a relative or friend, maybe a namesake, or just someone they took a shine to for whatever reason. This type of fan celebrates the team's success, yes, but most especially the success of the individual. Can be counter-productive when what's good for the player/coach does not match what's good for the team.
3. Team-centered. I like to call these the true fans, but there's room for all types in Vol Nation. Team-centered fans care most about the program, about UT, and about the players and coaches and trainers and administrators and workers who make up the program. A loss hurts for all types of fans, but it hurts the team-centered fan most to see the disappointment in the players' faces; it is as much an empathetic pain as it is a personal one. Team-centered fans are willing to sacrifice a bit of glory if that's what it takes to uphold certain values, and understand that there's life after college for all 100+ young men who put on orange each Saturday in the fall. Team-centered Vols fans are happy to talk smack with the Dawg fan in the next cubicle, but don't get mean or cruel about it (or try not to, and mostly succeed). Team-centered fans will discuss how the team did with other Vols fans, including frank criticism when deserved, but make every effort not to show disrespect to a fellow Vol--player, coach, or fan (we're all human, and all sometimes slip up in this particular).
4. Bandwagon. Yes, you know who you are, hehe. And this category doesn't even really need explanation. Folks who are only fans when the Vols are winning shouldn't really count as fans. But they'll be sporting orange alongside the rest of us as soon as things start going really well. Probably very few bandwagon fans in these forums right now...but if we have a breakout year in 2015, watch them start flocking in!
There are probably a handful of other categories, as well. I just hit on the four that seem most obvious to me these days. It's funny how easy it is to tell which type a Vols fan tends toward once you start paying attention.
So what kind of Vols fan are you?
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