I’ve often wondered which is more important to the average American sports lover…their favorite team(s) or their jobs, friends, and family. As an avid sports fan, I can honestly say that up until very recently, I had no idea just how "out of whack" my priorities were. But it wasn’t necessarily anything I did. It was something someone else made me aware of through a random email.
Unless you just don’t know me that well, or unless you are blind (no pun intended) and can’t see my avatar, then I’ll just go ahead and tell you that I’m the biggest UNC fan on the planet. I make no bones about that fact. There are games I can watch with others. However, there are other games I just need to be alone to watch. And admittedly, UNC is probably the most televised college basketball team of all time. So it’s not like I’m deprived of Tar Heel air time, that’s for sure. Knowing this about me, then you must also know that I’m an avid Duke (dook) hater. After all, I am a Tar Heel fan. But it wasn’t until I received a random email from a Duke fan, that I began to see just how warped some of our priorities really are.
I rarely blog or even comment on this site anymore. But I did happen upon a blog that brought up the subject of Duke, and how many believe they are a fallen dynasty. So naturally, I chimed in and agreed, and threw in my two cents about how I "really" felt about the dookies. Little did I know that I would be summoned by a dookie via personal email.
Here is the quote taken directly from that email:
"I used to like the Tarheels. But due to many #### fans like you, who put down Duke by calling them "Dook" and "Puke," I have been a stalwart Duke fan for years. I have never met more #### and "no class" fans than the Tarheels. I mean, they are always denigrating Duke.Anyway, maybe you should take coach Roy's job. Frankly, he is one Tarheel who has "class"; so maybe you should take his job and complete the "no class" package."
Now, of course, anyone who reads this can see that this is nothing more than the pot calling the kettle black. And I’ve got no problem "debating" UNC and dook basketball. However, in the following days it became very evident that this guy had lost his marbles.
Apparently, he is in the process of writing a book about hatred for dook basketball. Now, I may not be a smart man, but when you become infatuated with what others think about a sports team, then I can only assume that family, work, and friends may be in for a long road. I have no idea who this guy is. I can tell you that he says he is a teacher….which I find either really scary, or highly unlikely. But the amount of personal hatred he has thrown out to UNC fans via myself, has been frightening, and apparently undetectable by him. We had several emails that went back and forth. But the more we emailed, the more I began to realize that this man was so infatuated with hatred for dook basketball, that he failed to see how it had taken over his life.
I finally just told him that enough was enough. I pointed out that he had started the whole fiasco by personally attacking me, someone he had never met, nor knew anything about. He is still in denial about this fact. And apparently he is still working on his book.
How far do we take our love for our teams? Should it be taken to the point that we personally attack those who show a disdain for "our" team. Should it be taken to the point that we take valuable time away from what’s really important in life? Should we really care about those who "hate" our teams? I sure as heck don’t care. And I sure as heck aint gonna write no book about it!!
Thanks Rev..it has been a long while my friend. I think Billy D has got a team that will be hard to handle over the next few years. It honestly looks like the UNC/Fla show for the foreseeable future. Now I'm not saying UNC will win it this year. But they have been dominant, and will remain so for the next few years...as Florida will also.
Yeah, that's what I had heard also. But sometimes word on the street is just that...you guys will be fine anyway. I hope you are...it's much more interesting that way!!!
Matt There's nothing wrong in showing your loyalty to the team or team's that you've an affinity for. Just as long as it doesn't get too entangled into your love life. Then if it does then more likely than not all bets'll be off once and for all.
I look at it this way: the Duke dude is a coward. All harassers are. They would never say half the garbage that spews out of their keyboard to a real person...they would get beat up. Hence, they bully with the keyboard. They are known as trolls. Laugh at 'em...I do. But there's nothing wrong with loving your team. You're a good fan.
Personally, I like "dook". Of course, they're out already, so don't have to worry about that anymore. Even as a Duke fan, I have a brain, and I picked UNC to win the whole thing. Good luck to your guys.
That said, you're right. Some people take sports way to seriously. I could think of at least a hundred things more important than sports. Friends, family, work, relationships...
Thanks guys...all of you...for your comments. It's been a long while since I've posted a blog on this site. It's good to see the same ole crowd still hanging around.
Jgrace...I'm sorry for your allegience!! LOL
Hey, your team actually crashed my brackets. I had the dookies picked to go the final four...and they should have made it. Their draw was pretty darn good. Although, I'm not necessarily crying about their loss :)
Matt, good to see you here again. Life has a strange and funny way of telling us to reexamine our priorities. While I am not a Duke fan in college basketball, I do respect what they have accomplished. Coach K is this generation's John Wooden.
JGrace, I couldn't agree with you more. I was one of those that were rabid fanatics. As I've gotten older, I still have my teams I root for, but give props to those teams that have earned them, even if they are teams that I am not a fan of.
Hello sports fans. My name is Matt Faw. I am from North Wilkesboro, NC. North Wilkesboro is a small town about 90 miles north of Charlotte, NC. I am a United States Marine and was very happy when we were able to follow college and professional football while deployed to Iraq in 2004. I am a die-hard Tar Heel fan. I actually grew up a huge Oakland Raider fan, a closet Chicago Bears fan, and came to be a die-hard Carolina Panthers fan after their inception into the league in 1995. Needless to say, the Raiders nor the Bears have given me much to cheer about over the years, with the exception of few good years. The Panthers have been more competitive on a more consistent basis over the past ten years than either the Raiders or the Bears. Debate on fellow sportsters. mattfaw@gmail .com
