Is "We" acceptable as a sports fan?

[rowech]

Are you allowed to use "we" in the context of you being a fan of a certain team. Are there acceptable circumstances where it is ok and others when it is not okay? Poll to follow...

[rowech]

A part to consider for the college fan...does it matter if you graduated from the college/university as to whether "we" is acceptable?

[MJ4H]

I'd say yes in almost all situations. If they are you exclusive team in that sport, absolutely, yes.

Especially fine if you went to the school or support it monetarily.

[larrymcg421]

I don't see why not. I could keep saying Miami Dolphins over and over again, but it's easier to just say, "We have Brandon Marshall this year." I think most people understand that I'm not taking credit for actually being part of the team in any way.

[Big Fo]

I don't see why not. I could keep saying Miami Dolphins over and over again, but it's easier to just say, "We have Brandon Marshall this year." I think most people understand that I'm not taking credit for actually being part of the team in any way.

This.

[molson]

I don't see why not. I could keep saying Miami Dolphins over and over again, but it's easier to just say, "We have Brandon Marshall this year." I think most people understand that I'm not taking credit for actually being part of the team in any way.

Agreed. And when you say "we" in that context - you're kind of talking about Dolphins fans as group. What you said is really short for "We, the Dolphins fans, have Brandon Marshall on the team we collectively root for".

But it does kind of sound weird when someone says it from the seeming perspective of an actual player on the team. "We played great today!"

If it's the college you went to or are going to - I think you get a whole lot more leeway, of course. Because you ARE a part of the program. "We really need to upgrade our facilities"

[EagleFan]

Never with a professional team.... UNLESS YOU PLAYED FOR THEM, OR WORK FOR THEM (you sound like a poser moron when using it elsewise)

Always okay with the college you are an alumni for.

Always okay when referring to your country.

[EagleFan]

I don't see why not. I could keep saying Miami Dolphins over and over again, but it's easier to just say, "We have Brandon Marshall this year." I think most people understand that I'm not taking credit for actually being part of the team in any way.

How about the word.... They

[Schmidty]

I personally think it's silly to say "we", but if it's your alma mater or country, I guess it's ok.

[sterlingice]

If it's the college you went to or are going to - I think you get a whole lot more leeway, of course. Because you ARE a part of the program. "We really need to upgrade our facilities"

I paid a crapload of money to say "we suck at football" and there's not a darn way anyone is going to be able to convince me otherwise :D

SI

[Tigercat]

I don't see why not. I could keep saying Miami Dolphins over and over again, but it's easier to just say, "We have Brandon Marshall this year." I think most people understand that I'm not taking credit for actually being part of the team in any way.

This. I never understood people who make an issue out of it. I would bet that this is the biggest subconscious reason for using "we," it's just shorter than any other noun that can be used to describe most teams.

I think the same people that lose sleep because of "we" are the same people that think its a cardinal sin for any adult to own a sports jersey.

[Marc Vaughan]

I use 'we' for Brighton without thinking tbh, I think its partially a sign of how 'into' a sport you are really - I tend to associate myself with Brighton as a natural thing and do it without thinking about whether its appropriate or not, same as I would when talking about my family .... sad but true.

[Big Fo]

I use 'we' for Brighton without thinking tbh, I think its partially a sign of how 'into' a sport you are really - I tend to associate myself with Brighton as a natural thing and do it without thinking about whether its appropriate or not, same as I would when talking about my family .... sad but true.

This post reminded me of something I read recently.

In life you can change your wife, your job, where you live, many things.

The only two things you cannot change are your mother and your club.

[RedKingGold]

Yes. Sports teams live and die by our business. No fans, no teams.

It's a job for players, and a business for owners, but a passion for us. We're allowed to take ownership of that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I never understood people who make an issue out of it. I would bet that this is the biggest subconscious reason for using "we," it's just shorter than any other noun that can be used to describe most teams.

I think the same people that lose sleep because of "we" are the same people that think its a cardinal sin for any adult to own a sports jersey.

This.

[Scoobz0202]

Where's the who gives a shit option?

Yeah, something that's never bothered me at all. Sometimes I say it, sometimes I don't.

[path12]

Nothing brings a diverse community together like sports. If that's not a "we" situation I don't know what is.

[Scoobz0202]

I think the same people that lose sleep because of "we" are the same people that think its a cardinal sin for any adult to own a sports jersey.


There's actually people out there that think that?

[RendeR]

If you don't say "We" you're not a FAN so shut the F*** up.

[Noop]

I refer to Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, and Florida State as we as well as my alma mater.

[Radii]

Yes. Sports teams live and die by our business. No fans, no teams.

It's a job for players, and a business for owners, but a passion for us. We're allowed to take ownership of that.

This is pretty much how I feel about it.

Hell, I spent 3 years giving lots of money to Georgia Tech but infinitely more likely to refer to UNC Basketball as "we", and don't really find anything to be odd about that at all.

[MrBug708]

Before I actually was at UCLA, I took a lot of crap for being a UCLA fan even though I wasn't an alumni. I didn't understand, and still don't understand, people who need a degree to validate their love for their college team

[MIJB#19]

I don't see why not. I could keep saying Miami Dolphins over and over again, but it's easier to just say, "We have Brandon Marshall this year." I think most people understand that I'm not taking credit for actually being part of the team in any way.Wouldn't it be just as easy to use "they"?

Unless you actually mentioned the Miami Dolphins earlier in the conversation, it would be confusing to me to throw out a line like that. Are you talking about the football cards that you and your son are collecting? Are you talking about your fantasy football team? Is Brandon Marshall coming over for dinner? Were you playing Front Office Football last night?

[MIJB#19]

Hah, looks like EagleFan beat me to it. ;)

Btw, what EagleFan sad in his post before that one, that's basically how I feel about this as well, except that I think being alumni is in a grey area. If there's any competition out there that could also apply as "we", things can get confusing. What about people that attended two schools? Are both legitimate "we"? What if school 1 beats school 2? "Yay, we beat us!"

[Suburban Rhythm]

How about the word.... They

Hah, looks like EagleFan beat me to it. ;)

Btw, what EagleFan sad in his post before that one, that's basically how I feel about this as well, except that I think being alumni is in a grey area. If there's any competition out there that could also apply as "we", things can get confusing. What about people that attended two schools? Are both legitimate "we"? What if school 1 beats school 2? "Yay, we beat us!"


I would think "they" would be reserved for the opponent.

I get your point if the discussion is a one-sided event (practice, draft, etc). "Who did we draft/who did they draft?"

But in reference to a game, "we" would be the side you are supporting, "they" is the opposition.

But really, who cares. Should we use "said team" instead, rather than repeating the team name?

[Joe]

I don't like it, but I suppose it would be acceptable for reasons already stated. But it's far from #1 on my list of worst things for a sports fan to do. It currently ranks behind:

- Rooting for different colleges in different sports
- Wearing clothes (jersey especially) of a team to a game in which that team is not involved

[JHandley]

Are you allowed to use "we" in the context of you being a fan of a certain team.

This only bothers me when combined with this:

- Rooting for different colleges in different sports

Rooting for two different schools depending on the season reeks of bandwagon, but that's their cross to bear. Just don't call them both "we". And yeah, I know people often go to two different schools. Tough ;)

[Poli]

I hate the "I root for all teams from Florida" and the different colleges in different sports as well.

There's also the guy that somehow is the fan of every team that wins a championship. I hate that guy.

[Tigercat]

There's actually people out there that think that?

Yup. There are people out there that think that owning or wearing a jersey is like pretending you play for the team, just like there are people that think you can only say "we" if you played for the team. I own one jersey that I rarely even wear on a gameday, but I think if you are a sports fan at all, it is ridiculous to ridicule someone because they say "we" or like to show their support of their team's favorite player(s) by owning and/or wearing a jersey. Everyone expresses their fandom differently.

[Abe Sargent]

I don't like it, but I suppose it would be acceptable for reasons already stated. But it's far from #1 on my list of worst things for a sports fan to do. It currently ranks behind:

- Rooting for different colleges in different sports
- Wearing clothes (jersey especially) of a team to a game in which that team is not involved

EXCEPTION - If that jersey is a player in the game, that is okay. I can wear a Marc Bulger WVU jersey to a game where he is the NFL QB, for example.

[Abe Sargent]

I think using We for the major college in your state or area, is like using it for your country, and acceptable, even if you did not go there. If I live in Portland, it's okay for me to "We-"ify Portland State, even if I graduated from WVU.

[TRO]

This was discussed on Mike & Mike recently and one of their guests suggested that it's only OK to use "we" if you use it when talking about positive and negative things about the team.

IE, you can't claim "we won the game" one night and then complain about how "they blew the game" the next night.

[OldGiants]

Never with a professional team.... UNLESS YOU PLAYED FOR THEM, OR WORK FOR THEM (you sound like a poser moron when using it elsewise)

Always okay with the college you are an alumni for.

Always okay when referring to your country.

I agree with this as the 'Golden Rule' of We-ness.

The issue for me with the use of 'we' is that real reason people use it is to change the course of the discussion from facts about a team to their own emotional investment in that team--a topic I'm never interested in even when it is about a team I've rooted for for over one-half century.

Once I hear 'we' in a sports discussion, I look to leave the room. There is no chance of interesting opinions and useful facts turning up any more.

'We' is the last refuge of the sports scoundrel.

[TroyF]

I always laugh at these discussions. I'm an adult and I'll cheer for MY team and enjoy the thrill of victory when WE win or WE lose however the hell I want.

I don't own a lot of jerseys, but I do own a lot of sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. And if I happen to throw one of those shirts on when I'm going to a game that MY team isn't involved in, I'm not going to cry because people like Joe are upset by it.

If that means some people walk out because they think my opinion isn't interesting or useful, so be it. (IMHO, I'll let the actual opinions and facts issued determine if the person is worth talking to or not. Cowherd doesn't cheer for any team and he's a complete and total moron. I've known some "we" guys to be very damned intelligent when talking about their team.

I'm not saying those who disagree don't have a right to their opinion. That said:

1) I'm not changing the way I talk because a small group of people are annoyed by it.

2) If this pet peeve causes them not to listen to me or drives their opinion of me downward, we probably never had much of a chance to be friends anyway.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

I have never understood people who get worked up over others saying "we". I've been a sports fan as long as I can remember and always identify with my teams. I also don't understand why people really give a shit about how other people feel about their teams.

[Noop]

I hate the "I root for all teams from Florida" and the different colleges in different sports as well.

There's also the guy that somehow is the fan of every team that wins a championship. I hate that guy.

I root for the ACC when they are not playing Florida State am I that guy?

[sabotai]

It's a case by case thing. I don't saw "we" or "us" just because it feels weird to, but I don't usually mind if other people do it. It's kinda hard not to just be used to it now. But if I know the person talking has never played team sports in their life at any level, it does annoy me bit.

But no, I don't lose sleep over it, I'm fine with people owning jerseys (it is cheesey to get your own name on it, though), and I've never been confused over what team someone was talking about when they use either "they" or "we".

[JonInMiddleGA]

I root for the ACC when they are not playing Florida State am I that guy?

I'd say you're not that guy, since no other team in the ACC is your primary rival.

If you were consistently pulling for Gators & 'Canes in all games except those against FSU simply because they happen to be in the same state as you, then I'd say you're that guy.

Poli's mileage may vary of course.

[Terps]

I have a 5"x3" Orioles tattoo on my forearm, I'll say whatever the hell I want.

[larrymcg421]

Wouldn't it be just as easy to use "they"?

Unless you actually mentioned the Miami Dolphins earlier in the conversation, it would be confusing to me to throw out a line like that. Are you talking about the football cards that you and your son are collecting? Are you talking about your fantasy football team? Is Brandon Marshall coming over for dinner? Were you playing Front Office Football last night?

Well, often I'm speaking with people who already know that I root for the Dolphins. I certainly make no secret of that during football season. If it's someone who doesn't know, then I'll mention the Dolphins up front and then use "we" the rest of the conversation. "They" would be confusing if the other person is also talking about their team.

I'm honestly surprised this gets people so worked up. People can assume what I mean by the pronoun all they want, but that's not what I mean. So I'd say that's their problem, not mine.

[sterlingice]

I have never understood people who get worked up over others saying "we". I've been a sports fan as long as I can remember and always identify with my teams. I also don't understand why people really give a shit about how other people feel about their teams.

I believe this is a big Jim Rome talking point (along with the adult jersey thing, which is why you are seeing those mentioned together).

For better or for worse, he was kindof like a 90s California Rush Limbaugh of sports talk, defining many of the conventions and mannerisms. With a lot of modern sports talk hosts who love to parrot his style and producers who are trying to find "the next Jim Rome", you just run across a lot of people with similar tendencies and who copy a lot of his views.

As for looking for logic and consistency in his views... there probably isn't much. It's likely whoever he wanted to piss off on a given day when he rolled out of bed in the morning, like a high school kid who never gets tired of picking on someone.

SI

[ISiddiqui]

Never with a professional team.... UNLESS YOU PLAYED FOR THEM, OR WORK FOR THEM (you sound like a poser moron when using it elsewise)

Always okay with the college you are an alumni for.

Always okay when referring to your country.

This.

[Cuckoo]

I always laugh at these discussions. I'm an adult and I'll cheer for MY team and enjoy the thrill of victory when WE win or WE lose however the hell I want.

I don't own a lot of jerseys, but I do own a lot of sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. And if I happen to throw one of those shirts on when I'm going to a game that MY team isn't involved in, I'm not going to cry because people like Joe are upset by it.

If that means some people walk out because they think my opinion isn't interesting or useful, so be it. (IMHO, I'll let the actual opinions and facts issued determine if the person is worth talking to or not. Cowherd doesn't cheer for any team and he's a complete and total moron. I've known some "we" guys to be very damned intelligent when talking about their team.

I'm not saying those who disagree don't have a right to their opinion. That said:

1) I'm not changing the way I talk because a small group of people are annoyed by it.

2) If this pet peeve causes them not to listen to me or drives their opinion of me downward, we probably never had much of a chance to be friends anyway.

Well said...

[Drake]

I refer to my teams as "stupid motherfuckers" most of the time.

I need to pick new teams, apparently.

[EagleFan]

Here's a good test of the word we, for the "supporters" of the word.


You're having a conversation about your favorite professional team. A star of said team is standing right next to you. Someone walks up to you to ask about the conversation.

With said star standing next to you do you answer...

"Talking about how the (insert team name) just won a big game."

"Talking about how they (motion to the star player) just won a big game."

"Talking about how we just won a big game."



Which of those answers do you use, without feeling like a smacked ass?

[Logan]

Here's a good test of the word we, for the "supporters" of the word.


You're having a conversation about your favorite professional team. A star of said team is standing right next to you. Someone walks up to you to ask about the conversation.

With said star standing next to you do you answer...

"Talking about how the (insert team name) just won a big game."

"Talking about how they (motion to the star player) just won a big game."

"Talking about how we just won a big game."



Which of those answers do you use, without feeling like a smacked ass?

The opposite of whatever you use, since you've been nothing but a complete dickhead in this thread.

[MJ4H]

hahahaha

[Tigercat]

I believe this is a big Jim Rome talking point (along with the adult jersey thing, which is why you are seeing those mentioned together).


Ah, that would explain why when I would cross a person who was very anal about one, they would usually be anal about the other.


Teams are extensions of their communities. They are meant to represent those communities almost as much as college teams represent their college communities. (And both are supported by supporters' dollars.) They are the Detroit Lions, they aren't the Ford Lions that happen to play in Detroit and could quite easily play anywhere else next year.

If groups of people want to represent that representation by saying "We," it seems more immature to hold it against them (or expect them to do otherwise) just because you might not like that language for your personal use.

[Sweed]

Here's a good test of the word we, for the "supporters" of the word.


You're having a conversation about your favorite professional team. A star of said team is standing right next to you. Someone walks up to you to ask about the conversation.

With said star standing next to you do you answer...

"Talking about how the (insert team name) just won a big game."

"Talking about how they (motion to the star player) just won a big game."

"Talking about how we just won a big game."



Which of those answers do you use, without feeling like a smacked ass?

Is it obvious in the situation as it evolves to both your "someone" and the player that I am a huge (for the sake of argument Yankees fan, which I'm not)?

If it's obvious, and the player was close enough to hear all of the relevant conversation or, if I'm wearing my Yankee apparel than I would have no problem using "we".

Assuming were at a post game player hangout and the hypothetical guy doesn't know the Yanks won since he seems to be inquiring I could see something like this..

"Hey how did the Yankees do?"
Me (in my apparel): "We won and Derek Jeter, or whoever (standing next to me) played a hell of a game".

As a player, owner, or anyone involved with the team I would want my fans to feel like a part of the whole thing. Hearing "we" from my fans would be a good thing not a negative.

On a side note if I were from the city in question IE if I lived in New York, was wearing my Yankee gear, was approached and by someone and asked "who won?" I would find it more strange to answer "New York" or "the Yanks" than "we did". Again it goes back to, as others have stated, if it's obvious what team is being talked about and it is obvious that they are the team you root for then "we" is as acceptable as either the city's, team's, or country's name. IMHO.

[larrymcg421]

Here's a good test of the word we, for the "supporters" of the word.


You're having a conversation about your favorite professional team. A star of said team is standing right next to you. Someone walks up to you to ask about the conversation.

With said star standing next to you do you answer...

"Talking about how the (insert team name) just won a big game."

"Talking about how they (motion to the star player) just won a big game."

"Talking about how we just won a big game."



Which of those answers do you use, without feeling like a smacked ass?

"Yeah, we were just talking about how great a game he played tonight."

"That's cool. So how do you think the rest of the season will go?"

"As long as we got great guys like this on the roster, we can't be beat."

I'm pretty sure that the player or the questioner would call me a smacked ass, poseur, douche, or whatever other lovely names the anti-we crowd has spouted in this thread.

I do find it funny that people who think using a pronoun is so beneath them are so willing to throw around blanket insults about large groups of people.

[Scoobz0202]

Jim Rome hates the use of the word "we" in this situation?

I'm using it all the time now.

[TroyF]

Here's a good test of the word we, for the "supporters" of the word.


You're having a conversation about your favorite professional team. A star of said team is standing right next to you. Someone walks up to you to ask about the conversation.

With said star standing next to you do you answer...

"Talking about how the (insert team name) just won a big game."

"Talking about how they (motion to the star player) just won a big game."

"Talking about how we just won a big game."



Which of those answers do you use, without feeling like a smacked ass?

Because most of us average guys get to stand around talking to the players who just played in the game, right?

I would hope to God that whoever I was talking to, be it the star QB of MY team or an opposing fan, would comprehend that I'm not implying I walked out onto the field and took a shot to the head for the cause.

If they were so stupid they couldn't comprehend that simple fact, see #2 of my previous post.

[Raiders Army]

Usage of "we" also connotates some form of support.

Also, wouldn't a fan be more correct to say "we" than the minimum paid player on the practice squad who doesn't give two shits about the team? Or, to put it into perspective, I think I have a right to say "we" when referring to the Raiders more than say...JaMarcus Russell, who played for them.