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Are you a toxic sports fan?

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My idea of a toxic fan.

I flew up to Columbus for the BTCCG and drove to Indy with a buddy. The night before the game we went out to dinner and he found out the ESPN crew was sitting next to us. He gets up and goes to the table and in a voice loud enough for most of the restaurant to hear asks "why does ESPN hate Ohio State so much". He then proceeds to loudly debate with the entire table of people for a half hour. You could see the discomfort in the ESPN people. They wanted him gone so they could enjoy their evening.

After the loss the following night he says that he can't go down to workout the next morning because he can't face the MSU fans and their happiness over the win. Funny, he had no problem harassing them earlier while tailgating.

Then he goes to the Orange Bowl and spends half his time texting to me how horrible the Clemson fans were. After the game he texts to me that "Braxton should go pro. I'm so done with him". This is all from a 45 year old man.

I haven't spoken to him since. I just can't stand to be around that much negativity.
 
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I've posted at various sports forums and have watched fanbases become toxic over time. Teams go from being the best team in the nation to mediocre in a short few years. That's when some of the crazies stand out among the sane fans. I have left forums because the environment has become so toxic. I have also promised myself to never stool to the level of a toxic fan. I have other things to worry about in life. A team doing is moot as far as priorities in life.
 
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Yea, I'm "toxic." Especially after what happened this past weekend.

People, get on board with this. THE Ohio State University has an opportunity to produce an athlete that has accomplished what only three others have ever done next year at the D-1 level.

Logan Steiber just won his third National Championship. In the history of NCAA Wrestling there have been only three that have won 4. I can't wait until next year to see what this young man brings to the table. His brother Hunter comes back off his redshirt and the incoming class is just sick to look at. This team, next year, has a great chance to not only produce a 4-time NCAA Champ but a team title as well. I know its not a "sexy" sport, but next year this wrestling team, IMO, is gonna be special.

Peace
 
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Steve19 said:
Are you a toxic fan? If you see yourself in these cameo portraits, then you have something to think about (Are you in a toxic relationship with your team?).
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A better word than "toxic" would probably be "delusional". And based on the title of that article, particularly the word "relationship", the author is involved in the same delusion. Because most fans are in a "relationship" with their favorite team in the same sense that Jax is in a "relationship" with Jessica Alba.
 
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Maybe this post belongs in the Urban Meyer thread. But I think it reflects a small part of me that is toxic. But I think it's small. I don't think I expect too much from my sports teams. I try not to be too down when they lose. I try to enjoy the moment when they're winning. I keep reminding myself that this football team just won 12 games - when was the last 12-win season that felt this crappy? 2006? Yeah, maybe.

Anyway, on to my point:
I remember in the mid-90's sometime, Cooper was bragging about his team winning 41 games over the past 4 years - more than any other Buckeye team had won. Remember that that was when 11-game regular seasons were normal. Not 9. Not 10. Not 12. But he did have a very good win percentage in there. Woody had a couple of 4-year stretches with better win percentages, if I remember correctly, but Cooper's was nothing to sneeze at.
Tressel began coaching just before the 12-game season became common. Because of the way the calendar worked with the seasons in 2002 and 2003, teams were allowed 12-game seasons, but it wasn't until 2006 that they became permanent. And Tressel used that 12th game to his advantage in breaking Cooper's record with 41 wins over a 4 year stretch, when he won 43 games from 2002 to 2005. He also won 43 games from 2005 to 2008, then 44 games from 2006 to 2009.
If Meyer can win 10 games a year (a feat Tressel failed to do only twice in 10 years), he will tie Tressel's record. Here's where my toxicity shows: I will consider it an epic failure if Meyer cannot at least tie Tressel's record of 44 wins from 2012 to 2015.
 
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I just read all 4 pages. The great thing about forums is that you can get enlightened or horribly disturbed all at the same time. You can have an intellectual debate or get into a kindergarten level discussion. You can take what you want and ignore what you don't like. Personally, I love the people on here who are either really smart or really funny. If you're both, well, I look at all of your posts I can find. I like people who think differently than I do. I can only learn something from someone who knows something I don't. By definition, I can't learn anything from the +1 crowd. Unfortunately, there is that dark side of forums - guys whose minds haven't developed past a 14 year old level, hypersensitive, unrealistically provocative, etc. that anonymity provides with the ability to say things they would never say face to face to anyone.

Passion comes with people who care about something. Ohio State athletics, football in particular, is something that millions of people care a lot about. I wouldn't want it any other way. But when people are coming from an emotional place, reason gets displaced - and you see that on every forum. Someone who can be passionate, but retain some objectivity and rationality are probably pretty healthy fans. Toxicity comes when I care about Ohio State winning that game more than anything, and by God, someone is going to feel my wrath for why they didn't. I'm miserable, so I'm going to try to make sure everyone else is too.

I was there to some degree 25 years ago. Any football loss wrought much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. One day my wife simply asked me, "Why do you allow a bunch of people playing a ballgame, most of whom you have never personally met, dictate how you are feeling?" I replied, "Uh, well, er, you see, uh, I have no idea." Thanks Hon.
 
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OSUK said:
I just read all 4 pages. The great thing about forums is that you can get enlightened or horribly disturbed all at the same time. You can have an intellectual debate or get into a kindergarten level discussion. You can take what you want and ignore what you don't like. Personally, I love the people on here who are either really smart or really funny. If you're both, well, I look at all of your posts I can find. I like people who think differently than I do. I can only learn something from someone who knows something I don't. By definition, I can't learn anything from the +1 crowd. Unfortunately, there is that dark side of forums - guys whose minds haven't developed past a 14 year old level, hypersensitive, unrealistically provocative, etc. that anonymity provides with the ability to say things they would never say face to face to anyone.

Passion comes with people who care about something. Ohio State athletics, football in particular, is something that millions of people care a lot about. I wouldn't want it any other way. But when people are coming from an emotional place, reason gets displaced - and you see that on every forum. Someone who can be passionate, but retain some objectivity and rationality are probably pretty healthy fans. Toxicity comes when I care about Ohio State winning that game more than anything, and by God, someone is going to feel my wrath for why they didn't. I'm miserable, so I'm going to try to make sure everyone else is too.

I was there to some degree 25 years ago. Any football loss wrought much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. One day my wife simply asked me, "Why do you allow a bunch of people playing a ballgame, most of whom you have never personally met, dictate how you are feeling?" I replied, "Uh, well, er, you see, uh, I have no idea." Thanks Hon.
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+1....wait what....

Actually love the last paragraph about what your wife said. My wife and I have had that same exact discussion. I am not sure I am totally past it, but I have gotten better. I am actually much better going to watch the games with other folks than I am if I sit home watching the games by myself.
 
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JMHO but I don't really think of internet rants as neccessarily toxic unless taken to the extreme. People are going to go overboard on the internet, it's the internet. What I normally think of as toxic is in your face stuff that happens at the games. I think I read ssomething about a drunk guy in Wisconsin telling Nick Mangold's little sister that he hoped Nick broke his pumpkining leg. That's what I think of as toxic. Being classless out in public. Before the University of Washington game in 03 I remember some guy driving around in a pickup truck honking his horn and yelling at the UW fans that purple is gay. That's toxic in my book.
 
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How long has it been since Mike Kudla played? His jr or sr year we were playing Purdue in the Shoe, and we were running Dave for about 0.1 yds/carry. We were behind something like 6-3, and I was a frustrated guy sitting in my easy chair. I thought, "We are not going to be able to score on these guys on offense. The defense is going to have to do it." After 2 more Daves and and incomplete pass, we punted and downed the ball on the Purdue 1 yard line. Then it happened... someone dislodged the ball, Kudla fell on it in the endzone, and the good guys took the lead. When it happened, I jumped up out of my chair and let out a scream - and then I promptly passed out and melted in front of my chair. I was probably out for only 5 sec, and I hoped that my wife, who was cooking in the adjacent kitchen had not seen me faint, but when I came to, I looked back toward the kitchen, and there she was with her hands on hips. She began scolding me while shaking a spatula at me. I remember her saying something about being out of control. Uh yeah.

I think I'm better too, but it may only be a parallel reality I have created to allow me to deny the embarrassing truth. :)
 
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OSUK said:
How long has it been since Mike Kudla played? His jr or sr year we were playing Purdue in the Shoe, and we were running Dave for about 0.1 yds/carry. We were behind something like 6-3, and I was a frustrated guy sitting in my easy chair. I thought, "We are not going to be able to score on these guys on offense. The defense is going to have to do it." After 2 more Daves and and incomplete pass, we punted and downed the ball on the Purdue 1 yard line. Then it happened... someone dislodged the ball, Kudla fell on it in the endzone, and the good guys took the lead. When it happened, I jumped up out of my chair and let out a scream - and then I promptly passed out and melted in front of my chair. I was probably out for only 5 sec, and I hoped that my wife, who was cooking in the adjacent kitchen had not seen me faint, but when I came to, I looked back toward the kitchen, and there she was with her hands on hips. She began scolding me while shaking a spatula at me. I remember her saying something about being out of control. Uh yeah.

I think I'm better too, but it may only be a parallel reality I have created to allow me to deny the embarrassing truth. :)
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It wasn't a toxicity, but I got seriously over-excited during the OT game against NC State in 2003. I discovered I was hyperventilating and had something akin to an anxiety attack when I thought TA McLendon had scored on the 4th and goal....yeah wasn't doing so well then.

It wasn't negative, it was more of a 'being too excited'....
 
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