Saying "We" when talking about sports teams..
 

Assuming a person has never played for said team, or went to said school.

I find myself doing it, and I've never really given any thought to it, aside from "such and such is my team". I've never analyzed if it's "wrong". Until last night, when my brother questioned someone about it. Just wondering what some others may think.

I "support" the teams, both financially & emotionally. I buy their jerseys, and tickets. I'll be supporting them when the current group of players is long gone, and was supporting them before the current group showed up to town. Sports often talk about "Home field advantage", or "the 12th man", which leads me to believe I'm involved. Then again, I don't catch any pop flies, kick any field goals, or sink any free throws for them.

What say you, FOFC ?

I will look at it from a football(soccer) point of view.

If you are a supporter of the club, then yes it is "we"

If you are just a fan of the club, then no.

Besides all of your points, being emotionally and monetarily invested, it's simply an efficiency thing.

When I use "we", and conversely, "they", it's because it's easier.

"When the Steelers had the ball 3rd and 22, and the Ravens blitzed..."
"When we had the ball 3rd and 22, and they blitzed..."

Sheer laziness is my answer.

this is a point i bring up all the time in causal convo and it's probably broad strokes in response to your question but...

we're tribal creatures who've built a society that's the antithesis of tribal. as such we're constantly trying organize ourselves into smaller groups ie: i am a christian/republican/braves fan/nra member/country music fan etc. etc.

so when you say 'we' it's not really an exaggeration you genuinely identify yourself as part of that group(tribe). we need to get obama out of office. we need stronger gun control. we need to sign a third baseman etc

that's why online debates can be so heated because you're attacking a person's identity. a mb thread about politics or gun control or the pats being overrated becomes hatfields vs mccoys

There was a sports radio personality that would hang up on callers if they did this. I can't remember who it was, maybe Rome?

I don't think it is a big deal. People invest a lot of time, emotion and money into their sports teams.

Pretty sure we've had this discussion on here already. I fall into the camp of "the people who get annoyed by other people saying 'we/us' are the ones with the real problem". Let people say whatever they want to say.

I know Thomkal agrees.

do jim rome fans call themselves 'we'?

I've always noticed this. Sometimes found it weird, baffling, silly, and at times annoying, but only minorly. Not that I have a problem with people liking what they want. I don't like watching sports. But others don't like watching things I like. That's all fine. The whole "we" business though. It is definitely a psychological thing. The whole "belonging to a greater purpose" thing. Identifying with a winner. Making myself a part of a whoel and thus it makes "me" better as a person or entity. So if my life is basically nothing or perceivably not successfuol, because I affiliate my likes or my "self" with this large successful entity, that GIVES myself a cause...a purpose...a success. This immediately gets me "friends". Others that like the same team and immediately I have another family. This also gives me an "opposition" and thus another purpose...i.e. to badger or berate someone because they like a team that isn't mine. Gives me arch enemies for teams that regularly play "mine". Some even take it to instantly disliking another person that likes the rival of "my team".

It is a fascinating exercise. I still don't really understand it.
I understand watching the game and enjoying it. But can't you enjoy every game you watch? Why do you have to have "your team" and especially why does "your team" have to be the team of the town you live in?

I only use it with the Brewers I've noticed. Easily my favorite team and in-state. I don't use it with the Dallas Cowboys. Being a lone Cowboy fan in Packer country, it's not really conducive to using "we" as people will think I'm talking about the Packers.

I don't say "we." But that has more to do with how little connection I think that the team has to me instead of vice versa. None of the players, coaches, managers, etc. on the New Orleans Saints knows who I am. If I died tomorrow, they would neither know nor care. And, if they could take some action that would slightly improve the profits of the team while causing me great distress, they would do so without hesitation.

They provide me entertainment in exchange for my time/attention/money. In this way, they are no different than any other form of entertainment. And, sure, part of the enjoyment from my end is getting caught up in the tribalism. Just like part of the enjoyment of a good book or movie is getting lost in the story.

So, yeah, its fun to root. And they are "my" team. And I certainly want their opponents to lose and be sad and cry on the field, etc. etc. etc. But I know that that's a one way street and that I will always care about them infinitely more than they care about me.

Fixed

hard to believe a narcissist can't identify with groups.

also, this is stuck in my head now

To me it seems like people use we more when they are happy with something the team has done - "We made a great trade, we're going to kick ass next year!" But if it's something bad it seems to quickly become "I can't believe what those stupid XYZ did! Never should have signed that guy."

I have a similar tendency to this I think. Hawks & Falcons are never really "we", they're "they". No real emotional connection to them for me. Braves are sometimes we & sometimes they.

GT & the Vols are more often a "we", as are the HS teams I follow. Not exclusively but a great deal more frequently.

I think it is fine, like Doug said, you are a part of the fan base, spend money, time, etc...and if there were no fans there would be no team ( I'm looking at you Sacramento Kings).

I think if you went to school there it gives you an added reason to.

The thing I always find a bit odd is when someone is passionate about a college team while having no conection to it at all. Not living in the state, etc... Granted, you see this with the Dukes of the world, but I just find it a bit strange.

I don't have a lot of interest in sports anymore unless it involves watching or following one of the teams I've watched and followed since I was in a kid, or since I attended the college. Which kind of makes it feel like a "we"/habit/addiction kind of thing, though I'd never say "we" in public when referring to one of those teams, really just to avoid this conversation about whether it's the proper term. Otherwise, I'd probably use it, just for simplicity.

I asked my wife if I do this. She said, "you only say we when you coach a team, play on a team, or when you were a partner in owning that soccer team."
But I bet a nickel, I have said "we" before when the team I supported had no idea who I was. Though I can't recall one.

That's kind of interesting concept I haven't thought much of as a non-soccer fan. We don't really have that "supporter" thing in the U.S. Except in college I guess, then we call then "boosters".

+1 - Find it more in the South, but why are people so die hard for college teams they never went to?

Probably just to be part of the group and to create some reason to be interested in the game and the team. I think a lot of people do a little of this every time there's a super bowl or something they want to be interested in when they don't have any connection to the teams - they try to figure out what team they're rooting for.

Same as we end up kind of rooting for TV shows, bands, etc I think. There's something about them that we find appealing/relatable/admirable/remarkable/whatever. Or maybe they're something we aspire to in some cases (kinda {shrug} on that one, but it seems possible).

oh, probably worth mentioning that, while I don't use "we," I certainly have no problem if others do. Whatever increases your enjoyment/immersion/etc.

I definitely use "we," it's probably not really justified when it comes to pro teams, but whatever. Of course I actually know some of the coaches and personnel with the University of New Orleans (and am an alum) so that works, I think.

Of course, most importantly, whichever random team I might have wagered on becomes "we" for the day, and every single call against them, including very obvious calls, become part of a grand conspiracy to screw me over personally.

I think it's slightly different than shows or bands. I don't usually get into shouting matches about shows and bands (well I don't with my team either, but I know some who do who never went to the colleges in question).

I've seen, and to a fairly mild extent been involved in, "spirited discussions" about both. Bands in particular.

i don't think there's such a thing as 'zoning' in england. stadiums are smack dab in the middle of residential neighborhoods. easy to see how you'd get attached

There is - however its often not as clean cut, especially in the case of some clubs where their stadium might have been built 100 years ago when such restrictions weren't in place or indeed everything around it was just fields ;)

(most more modern stadiums are built in sensible places - for instance the new Brighton stadium is located on the outskirts of town, whereas our old one was smack in the center of Hove pretty much .... a few streets down from where I used to live when I was at Uni actually, was fantastic being able to stroll down the road to the match :D)

Why would I identify myself with a sports team/player or any kind of celebrity? I am content of who I am and what I have accomplished that I don't need an association with a team to make me a 'winner' (or loser). I think too many people are putting their well-being and faith in the wrong thing. It's fun to have teams that you like and dislike, but it should be no different than movie or tv series or food that you like or dislike.

I think part of it is just the nature of having fewer/no professional sports teams. Everyone's at least a little provincial, and as dumb as it is to tie up any of your identity or self-worth in the performance of a team you have absolutely no control over, up here people can bond together some over the Red Sox/Pats/Celtics/Bruins representing us on the national stage, while in Alabama the Crimson Tide Football team (and occasionally Auburn) is their emissary to the rest of the country. Up here, the one state where the highest percentage of non-alums are passionate and supportive about State U. is Connecticut. Part of that us undoubtedly due to recent success, but part of it is due to the lack of fragmentation in the media coverage because there are no professional sports teams.

I think you are reading to much into it.

I may say "we " when refering to my team, such as saying " we really shit the bed in the apple Cup this year." That doesn't mean I am going to let it ruin my day or motivate me in some way. Nor do I over blow my teams victories. I say "we" because thats instinctivly what comes to mind, not because I have some sense of added faith or need to be a part of something.

I would imagine most people are like me.

I don't have an issue with someone living in Alabama rooting for Alabama, etc...there is a regional tie there. I root for Rutgers because my dad went there and I grew up going to games.

I am talking about the random Duke/ USC, etc... fan that has no ties at all to the team.

I really don't find it that odd at all. College sports are very similar to pro sports, bigger in some areas actually.

People become fans of professional or college teams for all kinds of reasons. Granted, the most common is being from the city/state (for pro teams) or attending the university for college, but there are a ton of other reasons. Perhaps the person's father was a big fan of the team. Perhaps another relative. Perhaps they just really liked the look of the uniforms when they were younger, or perhaps the team was just good when they were young, or had a great player and they started to follow the team and became passionate about it.

There are a ton of University of Michigan fans in Michigan who never went to the school. I think in many cases it's because of some family tie, but another big reason is that college football is pretty big in the state and the Lions have been so bad for so long, that many football fans gravitated to Michigan because at least they were good. People like cheering for successful teams.

As for the original topic, it doesn't bother me when people say "we". I think it is just laziness or habit or whatever. I never pay it much attention. I do it sometimes, but it's never really intentional or done with any meaning.

I find myself doing it on forums like this, and then often times in my re-read, I catch it and correct it, because it feels stupid for me to say "we" about one of my sports teams.

I've been dinged a few times by the head coach for saying "we did such and such...".

"They did such and such, Coach Polston. We didn't."

I was responding to ISiddiqui's assertion he notices it more in the South. For yours - I think HB is close to the mark that people want someone to root for and gravitate towards successful teams when they are young. I don't have a problem with anyone who does that as long as they don't switch allegiances when the team is bad (f.e. I'm a Notre Dame football fan - not a very original choice, but they've sucked for 15 of the 20 years I can remember rooting for them and I've stuck with them, so I like to think I'm allowed to call myself a fan of them and don't qualify as a bandwagon fan.)

None of this touches on the original point, but I doubt anyone has any new insight there that wasn't covered in the huge previous thread we had on this topic.

Ah, but even when there are professional sports teams, it's the college that gets the attention. Look at the relative following of the Atlanta Falcons & the University of Georgia in Atlanta, when, as far as I can tell, UGa doesn't particularly represent itself as the team to unite all of GA (esp not with GTech an hour away) - whereas the Falcons do represent themselves as Atlanta's team.

To a point, I disagree with this, especially if the we is for a team-wide concept ("we played well today"), as opposed to something more specific, like running backs fumbling too much ("we had trouble holding onto the ball today"). I think if you're a coach, you are an integral part of the team concept, and "we" is an acceptable pronoun for you to use.

That said, what the head coach says... :D

I found it odd as well. Making a coach say "they" seems like the coach doesn't want to accept any personal responsibility, when in fact they should be accepting most of it.

You're right, they represent Bulldwag (intentional) NATION. :lol:

I get Lathum's point about the bandwagon fans latching onto Duke basketball or USC or Alabama football, but for most it is a deep cultural tie to the local team. You sort of have to experience it to understand it.

This is pretty interesting. Something tells me it's 'east of the Mississippi' thing in my opinion.

Anecdotal evidence: When I was a kid, I lived for about 4 years in Wyoming. I played sports and my friends all played sports. We NEVER talked about the Wyoming Cowboys or BYU or any other college teams, it was always pro teams. For the kids that grew up there, they were either Broncos fans or Steelers fans.

Now back to southern California, you here about USC and UCLA and other colleges, but, that was mostly from people who went there or knew someone that went there. Plus, there's so many pro teams in California, it makes it easy to pick one over a college team in my opinion. Plus, the weather is pretty much great throughout the year so there's more things to do than be holed up in your house during the winter rooting for Hoosier basketball or sports in general being the only 'outlet', because you can't really do much else due to the weather.

Plus, I never use 'We' when talking about my favorite teams. Especially since I'm not on their payroll. ;)

I apologize. When I said "we", I was referring to a different school. "One year we did this, that, and the other."

I don't think he'd have any problem with "we" being part of our football program. "We" just can't be part of another.

Exactly. The sensible connection of 'we' if you are a member of the team, otherwise it's 'they'. Same thing about congratulating a fan for the team's win. I feel a coach should use we, never thought otherwise.

Latham, there was a classic study done a long time ago about Pittsburgh and fanaticism. It was very much a personal identity and tied to behavior and well-being.

Sports give you a chance to root for Good vs. Evil, with no real stakes on the line. I have no problem with people who say "we". For instance, Hoosier Nation helps make IU basketball what it is. It helped IU rise up from their down years after the Sampson fiasco. The fans as a collective are a "we", and they do have an effect on the success of the team. Even if we aren't out there setting screens or shooting three-point shots.

Kinda like "WE ARE."

I wouldn't discount the "team of Georgia" thing quite as completely as you seem to be doing. Just think about all of the "but they're the state university, how could you?" stuff that goes on if you have, say, ACC conference loyalty against them in a bowl game. (Granted, I pull for all but one team in the country against them & in that case I hope for a scoreless tie). Even my own Tennessee transplanted mother-in-law - a Vol fan through & through - can't get her head completely around pulling against an in-state school.

There are also multiple generations of "sidewalk alumni" that treat being a part of the DawgNation as part of their birthright/heritage, and I believe there's a fair amount of patriotism/nationalism associated with that; i.e. it's a common bond that exists from Dalton to Savannah.

I have literally never run into this in Atlanta. People understand if Tech fans root for, say, Clemson over UGA.

There's a certain amount of understanding about Good Clean Old Fashioned Hate but in more genteel quarters, you'll even see UGA people root for GT in a bowl game (against any non-SEC opponent). And by "more genteel quarters" I pretty much mean anything outside of the 5 county metro area.

The problem I have with people saying 'we' is that they are trying to change a pleasant discussion about sports and it into one about their feelings and emotions and I'm never interested in that topic.

Unless you didn't mean to generalize so broadly, it sounds like you're projecting this belief on those people.

Not a fan of we but if you use it at least have it be for a team that you grew up with. Really don't get it for people that seem to have random association with teams (like one guy that is a Cowboys fan in NFL, Devils fan in NHL, Sixers fan in NBA, Phillies fan in MLB, Michigan fan in college football and North Carolina fan in college basketball). He didn't go to either of those schools and that seems even odder to me (to like one school in one sport and a different one in another sport and having no actual connection to either).

I look at it this way. I am "we" as in "we Philly sports fans" but not "we" as in the individual teams. So no, "we" didn't trade so and so and "we" didn't win and world series but "we" did rock the stadium.

If you are standing next to the star of your team and say to him "we really need to run the ball better"... do you feel like a chump hearing yourself say that? If so, then we is not the way to go when referring to the team.