Would You Root For Your College's Basketball Rival?

Apparently there's a Maryland student who wears Duke jerseys to all of the MD-Duke games. He does have a reason behind liking Coach K, but c'mon you gotta root for your school over all that other crap. Especially while you're a student. Only exceptions would be if a close relative is actually on the rival team. Am I right?

MD's paper ran a story on him:

http://www.diamondbackonline.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/02/10/43ec774840981

“So I was like, ‘well these guys are kind of rough.’ So I just started accumulating stuff so I could be ‘that guy.’ And I just wanted to piss people off, basically.”

Saeed has worn his No. 22 Jay Williams jersey to every Duke game. He usually tries to sit behind the Blue Devils bench, but sometimes gets stuck in the Terp stronghold behind the basket. That’s where he held up a big sign last year reading “J.J. is Redickulous,” and was foiled with a “ly gay” sign held by a Terp fan one row back.

Click to expand...

That last bit had me cracking up. (I doubt they put that on TV, and if they did I missed it.) But there is a picture...



Reason for the current attention on the guy is that MD hosts Duke this Saturday.

Redickulous? This guy goes to college? Even if he wanted to have "dick" in the word, he should know that ridiculous has no "e"s in it.

That being said, what does "LY Gay" mean?

[quote name='capitalist_mao']Redickulous? This guy goes to college? Even if he wanted to have "dick" in the word, he should know that ridiculous has no "e"s in it.[/QUOTE]

Woops, I probably should have explained the sign in the OP for people who don't follow ACC/Duke.

It's a play on their star player's name - J.J. Redick.

So the MD fan added 'LY GAY' on the end as a goof. Pretty funny IMO.

[quote name='wubb']Woops, I probably should have explained the sign in the OP for people who don't follow ACC/Duke.

It's a play on their star player's name - J.J. Redick.

So the MD fan added 'LY GAY' on the end as a goof. Pretty funny IMO.[/QUOTE]


I'm surprised you had to state the obvious.

If you watch college basketball (at all), you know who J.J. Redick is. I can't stand Duke, but I know full well who he is.

As for the sign. Clever on both parts. Especially the "ly Gay".

the -ly gay...that's some good stuff.

i think of all the fans, college b-ball fans can get the most creative. i've heard some good stories of how they heckle the other players.

[quote name='wubb']Apparently there's a Maryland student who wears Duke jerseys to all of the MD-Duke games. He does have a reason behind liking Coach K, but c'mon you gotta root for your school over all that other crap. Especially while you're a student. Only exceptions would be if a close relative is actually on the rival team. Am I right?
[/QUOTE]

I actually think you are wrong. Since when is it a requirement that we root for a given team because we go to that school or live in that city/state? I hate that thinking. I was born and raised in a near south suburb of Chicago. So I should be a huge Bears and Sox fan, right? that! I root for who I want to for my own reasons. Hell, even the Bulls were never my favorite basketball team. I have no obligation to root for someone for the mere purposes of proximity or perceived mutual interests. If you have an admiration for someone that's based on something real, coach or player, I don't see how you put blind loyalty above that (not sure if that is the right term, but that is what I call it when you follow a team only because you live there or go to the school).

All things being equal, sure...root for the home team. Otherwise, root for who you want.

EDIT: Clever signs indeed! Especially the "LY GAY."

Just goes to show I don't give a flying about the indentured servitude known as College Basketball.

Thats pretty messed up. I know if you went to school everyday in Gainesville wearing I love FSU shirts and hats, you would eventually get your ass kicked. We dont fool around about our gators.

[quote name='capitalist_mao']Just goes to show I don't give a flying about the indentured servitude known as College Basketball.[/QUOTE]

Sure, I agree that players should get something for the millions a lot of schools make off the games, but give me a break. No one is forced into anything (and a lot do get scholarships) and I would suspect that the majority of schools are not making the kind of money the huge programs are that get all the press. The top 10% of programs probably make 95% of the money made in college basketball.

[quote name='chickenhawk']Sure, I agree that players should get something for the millions a lot of schools make off the games, but give me a break. No one is forced into anything (and a lot do get scholarships) and I would suspect that the majority of schools are not making the kind of money the huge programs are that get all the press. The top 10% of programs probably make 95% of the money made in college basketball.[/QUOTE]
I'd be willing to bet that most of the players on most of the top basketball teams receive scholarships. I'd also be willing to bet that most of the players don't have much intention of finishing college, or are in some sort of easy/BS major, like Kinese, education, communications, etc (Or, in my school, Ag, since it's the easiest to get into), and would not have been able to get into college had it not been for scouts noticing their "skills". That being said, I'd be willing to bet that most of these sports players (short of the walk ons, which hardly exist) owe MUCH to getting into college to their sports affiliation, and are essentially obligated to stay on the team to stay in school (especially if they're from a poor family).

The only College sports I care about are the ones that get no attention and are comprised of people who play because they like the sport, not because of aspirations of making the pros. Case in point: Club Hockey. Best College sport EVER.

I always thought people would root for the home team myself.. but even given the tremendous hate between Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers fans, I saw a heck of a lot of Steeler's jerseys around town here recently.

[quote name='Cornfedwb']I always thought people would root for the home team myself.. but even given the tremendous hate between Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers fans, I saw a heck of a lot of Steeler's jerseys around town here recently.[/QUOTE]
Some of that is probably a lot of Pittsburgh/western PA transplants (tons went to Case with me). I'm from Detroit and will root for the Lions wherever I am. I just don't hate the Browns since we play them like once every two years.

As far as who to root for... why wouldn't you root for your school's team? They represent you and your school. If you don't care about that, then why root for anyone? Unfortunately being a DIII school, we didn't really have any rivals... maybe Carnegie Mellon or Wash U? My adopted college basketball team is Michigan State (sister went there, dad grew up in the Lansing area).

[quote name='chickenhawk']I actually think you are wrong. Since when is it a requirement that we root for a given team because we go to that school or live in that city/state? I hate that thinking. I was born and raised in a near south suburb of Chicago. So I should be a huge Bears and Sox fan, right? that! I root for who I want to for my own reasons. Hell, even the Bulls were never my favorite basketball team. I have no obligation to root for someone for the mere purposes of proximity or perceived mutual interests. If you have an admiration for someone that's based on something real, coach or player, I don't see how you put blind loyalty above that (not sure if that is the right term, but that is what I call it when you follow a team only because you live there or go to the school).

All things being equal, sure...root for the home team. Otherwise, root for who you want.

EDIT: Clever signs indeed! Especially the "LY GAY."[/QUOTE]

Pros and college are entirely different animals. I still think you should root for your 'local' pro teams, but I can see some leaway there. Acceptable exceptions include your dad being a big fan of another team or having moved to a new area and staying loyal to the old teams. Unacceptable being things like 'Hey the Yankees win every year, so I'll root for them!'

As for college, you should first and foremost root for the school you are attending/your alma mater. If this guy had transferred from Duke I could see a case. Although even then wearing Duke gear and holding up signs in the MD student section is a sad cry for attention IMO.

[quote name='capitalist_mao']I'd be willing to bet that most of the players on most of the top basketball teams receive scholarships. I'd also be willing to bet that most of the players don't have much intention of finishing college, or are in some sort of easy/BS major, like Kinese, education, communications, etc (Or, in my school, Ag, since it's the easiest to get into), and would not have been able to get into college had it not been for scouts noticing their "skills". That being said, I'd be willing to bet that most of these sports players (short of the walk ons, which hardly exist) owe MUCH to getting into college to their sports affiliation, and are essentially obligated to stay on the team to stay in school (especially if they're from a poor family).

The only College sports I care about are the ones that get no attention and are comprised of people who play because they like the sport, not because of aspirations of making the pros. Case in point: Club Hockey. Best College sport EVER.[/QUOTE]

I agree with all of your points, but now I am a bit confused. It sounded like you were basically calling college bball slavery, but now it doesn't really sound like that anymore. One point is that a VERY small percentage of college athletes actually make it to the pros, so there are a good number of football and basketball players who play the sport because they love the game. Sure, not as much as club hockey, but still.

We digress.

[quote name='wubb']Pros and college are entirely different animals. I still think you should root for your 'local' pro teams, but I can see some leaway there. Acceptable exceptions include your dad being a big fan of another team or having moved to a new area and staying loyal to the old teams. Unacceptable being things like 'Hey the Yankees win every year, so I'll root for them!'

As for college, you should first and foremost root for the school you are attending/your alma mater. If this guy had transferred from Duke I could see a case. Although even then wearing Duke gear and holding up signs in the MD student section is a sad cry for attention IMO.[/QUOTE]

I guess we'll agree to diasgree then cause I completely disagree with the obligation to even root for your college team.

I didn't get a ticket to the MD-Duke game. Stupid UMD lottery system.

Oh well, I'll be in NY for a wedding tomorrow anyway, but I could've used the ridiculously large amounts of money that the ticket is worth.

[quote name='wubb']
[/QUOTE]

[quote name='afedock']Thats pretty messed up. I know if you went to school everyday in Gainesville wearing I love FSU shirts and hats, you would eventually get your ass kicked. We dont fool around about our gators.[/QUOTE]
did you even click the link?

Soheil Saeed, a fifth-year communication major, prides himself on being a Duke fan after Coach K helped pay for a crucial surgery for his cousin.

Click to expand...

Duke sucks.

/Fark

[quote name='capitalist_mao']I'd be willing to bet that most of the players on most of the top basketball teams receive scholarships. I'd also be willing to bet that most of the players don't have much intention of finishing college, or are in some sort of easy/BS major, like Kinese, education, communications, etc (Or, in my school, Ag, since it's the easiest to get into), and would not have been able to get into college had it not been for scouts noticing their "skills". That being said, I'd be willing to bet that most of these sports players (short of the walk ons, which hardly exist) owe MUCH to getting into college to their sports affiliation, and are essentially obligated to stay on the team to stay in school (especially if they're from a poor family).

The only College sports I care about are the ones that get no attention and are comprised of people who play because they like the sport, not because of aspirations of making the pros. Case in point: Club Hockey. Best College sport EVER.[/QUOTE]



People can play big name sports for both reasons.

No, because I would be forcing myself to stoop to the low level's of being an Iowa Hawkeye fan. I always root against Iowa opponents, regardless of who they are playing. I like to watch them play just to see them lose.

TBW