Toothless Cracker Kills Trees

[infrared41]

Indeed. I'm no longer a fan, just a well-wisher of various athletic programs, at the academic, semi-professional, and professional level.

Seriously?

Alright good. There's so much extreme "sports are irrelevant, I'm not so childish as to take them seriously and actually call myself a, ehem, 'fan'" crap around here that I believed you. Unless that's all a joke too.

There's being a fan and there's being the guy who says things like "this is personal now." If you don't know the difference then you're probably the subject of the "extreme sports are irrelevant, I'm not so childish as to take them seriously and actually call myself a, ehem, 'fan'" crap" talk.

[Milo Meningocele]

Indeed. I'm no longer a fan, just a well-wisher of various athletic programs, at the academic, semi-professional, and professional level.

Seriously?

Alright good. There's so much extreme "sports are irrelevant, I'm not so childish as to take them seriously and actually call myself a, ehem, 'fan'" crap around here that I believed you. Unless that's all a joke too.

There's being a fan and there's being the guy who says things like "this is personal now." If you don't know the difference then you're probably the subject of the "extreme sports are irrelevant, I'm not so childish as to take them seriously and actually call myself a, ehem, 'fan'" crap" talk.

Same here, I consider myself a casual observer. The only team I consider myself an actual fan of, is the Lions. Beyond that, I follow entire leagues, and root on a game-by-game basis or based on a given storyline.

[gingerbreadmann]

There's being a fan and there's being the guy who says things like "this is personal now." If you don't know the difference then you're probably the subject of the "extreme sports are irrelevant, I'm not so childish as to take them seriously and actually call myself a, ehem, 'fan'" crap" talk.

There's also saying "This is personal now" on a message board and poisoning a meaningful 130-year-old tree with potentially harmful pesticides, or even holding a memorial service for said tree. And there's killing someone. If I'm one of the "fans" who "ruins sports for the rest of you," then I'm sorry, but I really think that's on you. Sports exist and thrive because so many people care about them, and taking them seriously (or personally, even), is not an automatic mark of immaturity or insecurity -- just look, here we all are, actually spending time discussing something that's not necessary to our survival! Sports mean different things to everyone, just like any product or activity (do you have any other hobbies that I may not deem interesting or worth caring about?), and while they can obviously be taken too far in reality, I think you're oversimplifying matters and greatly exaggerating the relative worthlessness of entertainment.

[infrared41]

There's also saying "This is personal now" on a message board and poisoning a meaningful 130-year-old tree with potentially harmful pesticides, or even holding a memorial service for said tree. And there's killing someone. If I'm one of the "fans" who "ruins sports for the rest of you," then I'm sorry, but I really think that's on you. Sports exist because people care about them and taking them seriously (or personally, at times), isn't an automatic mark of immaturity or insecurity -- here we all are, actually spending time discussing something that's not necessary to our survival! Sports mean different things to everyone, just like any product or activity (do you have any other hobbies that I may not deem interesting or worth caring about?), and while they can obviously be taken too far in really, I think you're oversimplifying matters and greatly exaggerating the relative worthlessness of entertainment.

No one is saying that "being a fan" is bad or immature etc. When I said "fans ruin sports for the rest of us" I wasn't referring to typical sports fans. I consider myself a sports "fan." The difference is the "fans" I was referring to see sports as far more than just entertainment.

Does the fact that you're concerned about how I, or anyone else feels about your "fandom" make you wonder if maybe you are taking it a bit too seriously? Weren't you the one who posted the equivalent of "Whew, I thought you were serious when you said you don't take sports seriously. Thank goodness you were just kidding."

For what it's worth, I think you're taking the entire conversation far too seriously. Then again, you've always taken this place just a bit more seriously than I'd be comfortable with if it were me.

[BlueSky]

There's also saying "This is personal now" on a message board and poisoning a meaningful 130-year-old tree with potentially harmful pesticides, or even holding a memorial service for said tree. And there's killing someone. If I'm one of the "fans" who "ruins sports for the rest of you," then I'm sorry, but I really think that's on you. Sports exist because people care about them and taking them seriously (or personally, at times), isn't an automatic mark of immaturity or insecurity -- here we all are, actually spending time discussing something that's not necessary to our survival! Sports mean different things to everyone, just like any product or activity (do you have any other hobbies that I may not deem interesting or worth caring about?), and while they can obviously be taken too far in really, I think you're oversimplifying matters and greatly exaggerating the relative worthlessness of entertainment.

No one is saying that "being a fan" is bad or immature etc. When I said "fans ruin sports for the rest of us" I wasn't referring to typical sports fans. I consider myself a sports "fan." The difference is the "fans" I was referring to see sports as far more than just entertainment.

Does the fact that you're concerned about how I, or anyone else feels about your "fandom" make you wonder if maybe you are taking it a bit too seriously? Weren't you the one who posted the equivalent of "Whew, I thought you were serious when you said you don't take sports seriously. Thank goodness you were just kidding."

For what it's worth, I think you're taking the entire conversation far too seriously. Then again, you've always taken this place just a bit more seriously than I'd be comfortable with if it were me.

Right. There are fans and then there are nuts. But it's not just sports, it's anything that takes on a larger than healthy role in someone's life. Take World of Warcraft for example. There are those who keep a normal balance, then there are those who sacrifice everything else just to get online and play that game. Or Facebook...really, is it worth your child's life to check out the latest updates?

[gingerbreadmann]

No one is saying that "being a fan" is bad or immature etc. When I said "fans ruin sports for the rest of us" I wasn't referring to typical sports fans. I consider myself a sports "fan." The difference is the "fans" I was referring to see sports as far more than just entertainment.

Does the fact that you're concerned about how I, or anyone else feels about your "fandom" make you wonder if maybe you are taking it a bit too seriously? Weren't you the one who posted the equivalent of "Whew, I thought you were serious when you said you don't take sports seriously. Thank goodness you were just kidding."

For what it's worth, I think you're taking the entire conversation far too seriously. Then again, you've always taken this place just a bit more seriously than I'd be comfortable with if it were me.

I think the point is that I'm not concerned. I'm not going berserk over the fact that you joke that I live vicariously through an online sports message board. Seeing sports as more than entertainment isn't necessarily a bad thing, and in fact we are doing that very deed right now by giving it conscious thought/discussion. It seems to be a common idea that taking sports seriously is something we should be above (e.g. throwaway lines like "I love when people forget that sports don't matter."), and all I'm saying is depending on who you are, YMMV and that's not a bad thing or a reliable point of judgment.

[gingerbreadmann]

Right. There are fans and then there are nuts. But it's not just sports, it's anything that takes on a larger than healthy role in someone's life. Take World of Warcraft for example. There are those who keep a normal balance, then there are those who sacrifice everything else just to get online and play that game. Or Facebook...really, is it worth your child's life to check out the latest updates?

That's it. My argument whittles down to: for some people that normal balance is zero, for some it is passionate interest, and just because someone's balance is higher than yours doesn't make them a nut. Good post.

[infrared41]

No one is saying that "being a fan" is bad or immature etc. When I said "fans ruin sports for the rest of us" I wasn't referring to typical sports fans. I consider myself a sports "fan." The difference is the "fans" I was referring to see sports as far more than just entertainment.

Does the fact that you're concerned about how I, or anyone else feels about your "fandom" make you wonder if maybe you are taking it a bit too seriously? Weren't you the one who posted the equivalent of "Whew, I thought you were serious when you said you don't take sports seriously. Thank goodness you were just kidding."

For what it's worth, I think you're taking the entire conversation far too seriously. Then again, you've always taken this place just a bit more seriously than I'd be comfortable with if it were me.

I think the point is that I'm not concerned. I'm not going berserk over the fact that you joke that I live vicariously through an online sports message board. Seeing sports as more than entertainment isn't necessarily a bad thing, and in fact we are doing that very deed right now by giving it conscious thought/discussion. It seems to be a common idea that taking sports seriously is something we should be above (e.g. throwaway lines like "I love when people forget that sports don't matter."), and all I'm saying is depending on who you are, YMMV and that's not a bad thing or a reliable point of judgment.

Yes, I was mostly giving you a hard time. I think we all know the difference between the fans we have here and the fans that poison trees. When I made the original comment I was referring to the type of "fan" that would go to the effort of poisoning a tree. That's the degree of "seriousness" and the type of fan I'm referring to when I say "fans" ruin sports for the rest of us. I've always assumed that the level of "seriousness" we display here is within the context of these boards. It's not a reflection of our "real" lives.

[Jigga]

Right. There are fans and then there are nuts. But it's not just sports, it's anything that takes on a larger than healthy role in someone's life. Take World of Warcraft for example. There are those who keep a normal balance, then there are those who sacrifice everything else just to get online and play that game. Or Facebook...really, is it worth your child's life to check out the latest updates?

That's it. My argument whittles down to: for some people that normal balance is zero, for some it is passionate interest, and just because someone's balance is higher than yours doesn't make them a nut. Good post.

You argument has a hole in it though. While it doesn't absolutely make them a nut, it certainly doesn't mean they aren't a nut either. Harvey "Roll Damn Tide" Updyke had a higher balance than others, and he is damn sure a nut.

The word "fan" is a shortened form of fanatic. A fanatic is someone that displays excessive enthusiasm and intense (and often uncritical) devotion. Is that normal in the context of sports?

I'll leave it with this, "those that don't get it, don't get that they don't get it." Take that phrase any way you wish.

[gingerbreadmann]

There's no upper limit. It's a good question, but I believe what you're saying is a nut is far less common than we think. How many Harvey Updykes are there compared to sports fans overall? Essentially zero. There are those that let the intense devotion control their lives, and those that go a step further and let it hurt others. I would say either of those is a nut, but objectively, I would say most of even the most passionate and intense fanatics are still in control of themselves.

[BlueSky]

Right. There are fans and then there are nuts. But it's not just sports, it's anything that takes on a larger than healthy role in someone's life. Take World of Warcraft for example. There are those who keep a normal balance, then there are those who sacrifice everything else just to get online and play that game. Or Facebook...really, is it worth your child's life to check out the latest updates?

That's it. My argument whittles down to: for some people that normal balance is zero, for some it is passionate interest, and just because someone's balance is higher than yours doesn't make them a nut. Good post.

You argument has a hole in it though. While it doesn't absolutely make them a nut, it certainly doesn't mean they aren't a nut either. Harvey "Roll Damn Tide" Updyke had a higher balance than others, and he is damn sure a nut.

The word "fan" is a shortened form of fanatic. A fanatic is someone that displays excessive enthusiasm and intense (and often uncritical) devotion. Is that normal in the context of sports?

I'll leave it with this, "those that don't get it, don't get that they don't get it." Take that phrase any way you wish.

No, his argument was fine. The word "normal" has to be in front of "balance," his point being someone's personal normal balance can be as a casual fan or it can be painting your face and wearing a jersey, etc. as long as you keep it within the bounds of social behavior (i.e. if you're not going to abnormal extremes like spitting on opposing players and so on). If you're poisoning trees, that's not a healthy balance, you're a nut.

[Jigga]

Right. There are fans and then there are nuts. But it's not just sports, it's anything that takes on a larger than healthy role in someone's life. Take World of Warcraft for example. There are those who keep a normal balance, then there are those who sacrifice everything else just to get online and play that game. Or Facebook...really, is it worth your child's life to check out the latest updates?

That's it. My argument whittles down to: for some people that normal balance is zero, for some it is passionate interest, and just because someone's balance is higher than yours doesn't make them a nut. Good post.

You argument has a hole in it though. While it doesn't absolutely make them a nut, it certainly doesn't mean they aren't a nut either. Harvey "Roll Damn Tide" Updyke had a higher balance than others, and he is damn sure a nut.

The word "fan" is a shortened form of fanatic. A fanatic is someone that displays excessive enthusiasm and intense (and often uncritical) devotion. Is that normal in the context of sports?

I'll leave it with this, "those that don't get it, don't get that they don't get it." Take that phrase any way you wish.

No, his argument was fine. The word "normal" has to be in front of "balance," his point being someone's personal normal balance can be as a casual fan or it can be painting your face and wearing a jersey, etc. as long as you keep it within the bounds of social behavior (i.e. if you're not going to abnormal extremes like spitting on opposing players and so on). If you're poisoning trees, that's not a healthy balance, you're a nut.

But "normal" and "balance" are completely relative and subjective terms. And like I said, "those that don't get it, don't get that they don't get it." Most people, even the nuts, think their "balance" is "normal" don't they? Just look at Gingy here.

[Kevin W.]

So, Updyke had a hearing today and was attacked at a gas station after leaving the hearing.

[Cujo]

Now that's Southern justice!

[Kevin W.]

His attorney's name is Glennon Threat. The jokes write themselves.

[The_Admiral]

Either we don't let the South have college football or we don't let them stay in America. They haven't demonstrated that they can have both.

[rams80]

So, Updyke had a hearing today and was attacked at a gas station after leaving the hearing.

Not justifying the assault, but dumbass got gas here.

[Norva]

Either we don't let the South have college football or we don't let them stay in America. They haven't demonstrated that they can have both.

The South has plenty problems, but so does everywhere else in the nation. I am a southerner myself and grew up in a southern family, I moved north for college and while I knew jokes were made I was shocked at the derision of southerners up here (I'm near Buffalo). It isn't even the occasional crack or joke it is downright ridicule and mockery. I don't even talk about where I am from if I don't have to, not because I am afraid for my safety or anything like that but because I have seen my own professors make pretty offensive comments and I just don't want to deal with it. It's good my accent isn't thick I guess. Now I know plenty of nice people who don't harbor those stereotypes but I was surprised at how many did. I certainly felt quite isolated sometimes.

It is absolutely amazing the stereotypes against us, hell if someone has a southern accent they have to hide it to get a job because people for some reason associate the accent with being below-average intelligence to say the least.

Jokes once in a while are fine but this thread is amazingly full of ignorance and hatred. This guy was an ass and it doesn't excuse what he did, but it is about what HE did, not throwing an entire region under the bus.

[The_Admiral]

So, Updyke had a hearing today and was attacked at a gas station after leaving the hearing.

Not justifying the assault, but dumbass got gas here.

Looks like a Tiger certainly expressed himself today! uh'do what?

[TFoA]

From what I'm hearing, Updyke just delivered one of the all-time classic interviews on Finebaum today...and considering the fact that Finebaum's show is basically a gold mine/treasure trove of Alabama football fan schadenfreude, this is an accomplishment.

Highlights:

• Kicks off the interview by apologizing to everybody...except Auburn. The tone has been set.
  
• "This is not a Charlie Sheen stunt. I am not winning. I'm losing."
  
• "Updyke did not think the joke that Cecil Newton hit him on the head yesterday funny." - from @wareagleextra
  
• His stop at the gas station was for green tea. Yep...
  
• "I actually wanted to name my baby girl 'Ally Bama.'
  
• Ends the interview with "ROLL DAMN TIDE." Amazing.

If I can find this interview in mp3 form, I am going to digitally wear it out.