What makes teams more hated?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Likewise .

I don't like Arsenal either .

Unfortunetly, ManU has on its team a player I really like: Ryan Giggs. It just diminishes the guy.

[Agathon]

I find Giggs a bit frustrating. He does nothing for ages and then out of nowhere comes up with a jaw-dropping piece of brilliance. I think a move would do him good but Taggart (my name for Ferguson - after a Brit TV character) won't let him go.

I've got a mate who's an Arsenal nut, so I have to bite my tongue when he's around. I have to admit though Arsenal and Man U come after Sunderland in my hate stakes (this year was a good one, we made the CL and they got relegated with the worst season in the history of the PL ).

I'm going over to England in August. My uncle has season tickets at SJP (which is a lot nicer now than it was last time I went, when Newcastle were playing in the second division). I'll have to post a pic if I manage to makeit to a game.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Wutang!

That'd be nice... pictures of a true soccer/football pitch .

Ah, Sunderland... is Reyna still on that team? I like him (good US captain), so hopefully someone else buys him.

And I confess, another reason I like Giggs is because he plays for Wales... I mean, who does that?

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Wutang!

That'd be nice... pictures of a true soccer/football pitch .

I'll try to make it. It currently depends on the whims of the league scheduler.

Ah, Sunderland... is Reyna still on that team? I like him (good US captain), so hopefully someone else buys him.

I think he's gone. He's far too good to play for them.

And I confess, another reason I like Giggs is because he plays for Wales... I mean, who does that?

Craig Bellamy - Shearer's current partner in crime. Good player too.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Both of them are poor saps .

And I remember the name Bellamy... from when I played the demo of CM 01/02 or CM4 .

[orange]

Logos. It's all about the Logos.

I mean, how many people do you know that are fans of the Denver Nuggets? How about the Los Angeles Clippers? Chicago Cubs? Who the **** is afraid of a cub? What is this, the scouts? Montreal Canadians...hah...Canadians...as if anyone could respect a Canadian...Cleveland Browns...Browns? A ****ing colour? Give me a break.

People support teams that have respectable names, names that instill fear in their opponents. Strong logos and a powerful name is all that is required to gain support.

[GePap]

YANKEES RULE!



Certainly it is winning. Knicks fans hated the Bulls, specialy since the Knicks were always second banana. I think plenty of people hate the Lakers now.

Also, it has to be winning championships. The Athletics may win games, but they haven;t won a Series is a decade plus so it is hard to hate them.

[Dis]

I have to root for Newcastle because I like their beer . Although I have no idea what the team is or what sport it is- although I figure it is football (soccer)

[Harry Seldon]

People hate winners. Unless, of course, the winners are your team.

[TheStinger]

I hated Man Utd when they wern't winning anything just as much as I hate them now

[Solly]

Originally posted by Agathon
Being Manchester United. Every true football fan hates their guts.

In footy is basically this:

1) They win because they are rich and can afford to buy up all the best players.

2) Their fans wouldn't be there if they weren't winning (hence the immortal terrace chant, "Where were you when you were sh*t?"). To show you how lame this is, Agathon has fervently supported Newcastle for 24 years during which they've won nothing. Agathon's Uncle Billy has supported them since before they last won the league in 1928.

3) Their fans are mostly middle class yuppies who can't sing properly and don't chant rude slogans about the opposition.

4) They get preferential treatment from the referees.

5) The news media rave on about them all the time, even if they're sh*t. Whereas even if your unglamourous team is doing really well they might get three lines.

6) If your team thrashes them 5-0 in a complete display of football including a humiliating chip of the keeper by the centre half; journalists spend their whole column on how bad they played and not on how well your team played.

7) Every other team in the league sings a song called "Stand up if you hate Man U".

Down with the red scum.

Man Utd

Actually I get the impression Arsenal are the most arrogant team right now; they finish second and still declare themselves the best team in the league.

[Arrian]

It's about the winning mostly. The money is part of it, but usually money & winning go hand-in-hand. Nobody hates the Angels right now, but if they rip off a streak of 3 WS wins in a row, they will become hated (they will also make more and more money, and their payroll will increase, and people will ***** about how they "buy their players" as if that's not what every team does in a professional sport).

I think there is also a basic division among sports fans:

Some who think that it's noble to suffer though decades of failure & misery so you can say you're a "real fan."

Some who appreciate quality play & success, and who find the suffering of "real fans" amusing.

If the ownership & management of "my" team sucks ass and can't field a decent team, screw 'em! I'm not gonna support that! Begone, fools! And bring in somebody who knows what they're doing.

JohnT.

Remember when Seattle was a "small market" team with no hope? Then good management turns the team around & wrangles a new ballpark, and suddenly they're one of the top earners. So now they're "large market?" Anyone who says that Pittsburgh or Philly are "small markets" should be shot for stupidity. Why does no one evaluate the "market potential" of an area?

Let's Go Yankees!

-Arrian

p.s. Having said all of that, NY is still a huge market, and probably should have a 3rd team. That would do a helluva lot more than "revenue sharing" or a "luxury tax"

[TheStinger]

I don't like Arsenal much either.

I do think that saying Arsenal are the best team whilst unwise is not neccesarily untrue. In 10 years time when looking back at the eraly part of this decade people will say Arsenal were the best team.(although closely followed by Man U)

[Solly]

You have amazing foresight.

[Solly]

United would walk the FA Cup if we played to get knocked out by quarter final stages of the European Cup like Arsenal do.