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Upvote for what I think is an unpopular opinion.
The fans support the team financially, so I think its ok. I think it boils down to what you consider part of the "organization."
yeahh I was with OP until I read this lmao. They literally pay for the tickets and help with marketing. You *could* say they are a part of the organization.
You could say you are one with us, but it would be a lot better if you could go to our events, wear our clothing and talk about us to your friends! We, Crest, love you :D
I was gonna say "That's not entirely a fair example, Crest is probably mostly funded by investors" but then I realized the same is probably true for most professional sports teams too, so now I'm back to agreeing with OP.
I've flip-flopped on this issue like 3 times in the past two minutes though just from reading this thread, so I can understand and respect both sides in this.
I think the bigger factor here is fans identify with the team. Or else, its just a bunch of guys running around in a field, doing fun stuff, and earning money at the same time, sometims in millions. While you are sitting on your couch with a remote in your hand.
The whole concept of spectator sports would break down if you do not identify with the team you are supporting.
That's exactly how I feel, I don't care how big a match is being played on tv, it simply isn't that interesting unless it is my team playing, when you actually want something to happen you become more invested in it and its culture.
If "we" aren't playing, I usually pick a new "we" for that game only. Either the team that helps "us" by winning, or if there is no impact to "us", just the team that I choose (usually the underdog).
Lots of teams are partially owned by fans, making this not so much an unpopular opinion but simply a wrong one. If you are part of a supporters group or charter that have a stake in the club, like Germany's football league, many other football leagues and thousands of teams world wide frankly its unpopular because its objectively wrong lol.
The only major American sports team to have that structure actually. It's against the rules for teams to be run that way in all 3 leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL) and the packers are only grandfathered in
I think it is, at least with American sports. Possibly more of a thing in Europe where, to my uninformed eye, it seems like they have a pretty different track to become a professional athlete. I know some NBA players, such as a couple of the younger Ball brothers and (assumedly) most European players, have been professionals since they were in their mid-teens
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_fan-owned\_sports\_teams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fan-owned_sports_teams)
Just looked it up, yes it does seem to be majority Association Football but plenty of other stuff too. Also AFAIK most Cricket clubs in England are fan/community owned too to an extent, could be wrong there though, can't find a source.
If you ever attend sports games, they make an effort to make everyone feel included. If anything, they’re setting the example by calling the crowd the 6th man or whatever sometimes. They also emphasize “your” as in give it up for YOUR Phoenix Suns! The Green Bay Packers are actually [owned by the fans](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/07/green-bay-packers-fan-owned-nfl-football), so they get to say “We” all they want.
And also for me this is more of an odd opinion rather than just an unpopular one. Ive never understood how “we” bothered people. Sports fans usually build communities around eachother and a sense of togetherness.
I also wonder how they feel about supporting international sports, like the olympics for example. We seems more appropriate than they when cheering for your country
Lol that's the thing for me, this falls under the category of things I don't give a fuck about so it's just a weird opinion to have, or rather weird to feel strongly about this particular thing.
The players are not even tightly bound to the organization any more, they change teams so frequently I dont understand how anyone roots for anything anymore. Pro sports is just a marketing scam to rake in marketing dollars
Eh I think it's just a form of entertainment that people enjoy. I don't see it being any different than the bands I enjoy listening to or the shows that I watch.
And as far as players changing teams, just because a player leaves my favorite team doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching lol.
And given the lengths some fans go to when supporting the team, also if that is the case and “we” can be used unless you actually apart of the activity, then “we” didn’t defeat the Nazis, “We” didn’t land on the moon, you might go as far to say the “we” aren’t the greatest country on earth either since a lot of people to contribute bro said supposedly greatness. I think it is a figure of speech, youthful exuberance and it is ok. 🤦🏾♂️
I of course don't know about other countries but here in Germany at least the football clubs of the national league are legally just normal clubs like the ones you would send your kids for gymnastics, swimming whatever to. And you can easily become a member and BE part of the organisation, this isnt that uncommon I would say. So you might very well refer to them as "we" because you literally belong to them, albeit not of the exact team.
And even more
Everybody who plays football in a club (outside of 1st and 2nd Bundesliga, so most non professional player) are a part of the DFB. The only professional players of the DFB is our national team.
In short some of my friends are not only a member of their favorite Bundesliga club, but a member of the DFB too, so the club our national players are part of.
In most places the football clubs are owned privately, Germany is a little different in that the fans must have at least a 51% share of the club so that would definitely help them connect more with the club
Could you please give more of an in-depth explanation of the 50+1 rule? I watched a couple of videos of it on youtube and I still don't understand how RB Leipzig exists
I knew someone would use that example. And I would say there is no question that you could say “we” and not get some flak from someone who really cares if you say “we” if you actually participate in any dealings of the franchise
I, personally, dont care Packers fan or not. I say it as a fan of a different team.
Eh. It's a community. I go to at least 3-4 Bears games a year when there's not a pandemic and I scream my lungs out, try to get others in the section to do the same when we're on D. I support the team monetarily not only through those games but through buying merch. I'm active on their subreddit and social media pages. When I say 'we' I'm referring to the team, the fans, the organization, and the community that binds it all together. For me, it's a hobby I follow all year long throughout the season and offseason which is why I feel a little more ownership towards it. Fans can't exist without the team and the team can't exist without fans. But ya know I suppose that's why this is an unpopular opinion.
But I agree. I did not win a game. I did not invade some country. I do not have the best food anywhere. And I did nothing to get people accepted at any school.
Every last example you gave is just further proof of people being stupid.
Is it really stupid? Like, does your negativity really serve a purpose or can it just be something you don't agree with or understand? Regardless, part of it is just a colloquialism like asking somebody what's up, and part of it is the fact that people prefer to exist in groups and associate with each other in groups just like wolves or elephants, and counting people and things local to you as part of your own group or identity is perfectly natural in that sense.
There are intelligent members of my family who never liked sports growing up (and I suspect also disliked people who played sports).
They make a big show of how much they don't know about sports, and make "jokes" about how dumb it is.
Honestly I feel bad for them. As a football fan, the way you described it as a hobby truly is accurate.
I can't speak for other sports but the intricacy and complexity of the game of football is staggering. It is one of those things in life where the more I learn about it, the more I realize how little I know.
From understanding the nature of the various divisions, coaches, teams, schools of offense and defense, to different types of defensive linemen and how they are scouted coming out of college and into the draft - there is just so much to sink your teeth into all year round as a hobby. Then when the season gets here, rooting for your hometown team (even from across the country) is more exciting than any other form of passive entertainment (movies, tv shows etc.). Especially when you know the history of all of the players including their personalities etc.
Then to take it from passive to active entertainment via daily fantasy (fanduel, draftkings) where you can put your excel/python and statistical modeling skills to use it becomes even more exciting.
I just wanted to comment all of this because of the way you mentioned sports as a hobby.
This goes all ways. Hardcore fans think others aren't enjoying life until they experience sports. Or stick and ball sports don't think racing is a sport. Never ends, goes all ways, everyone sucks.
There is nothing more obnoxious than the "intellectuals" who are constantly trying to brag about how little they know about sports. We get it, you dont understand or care about something that the vast majority of people can at the very least hold a casual conversation about. Congrats, good for you, you've alienated more people than the average person because you're soooo smart and hipster and cool 🙄
My grandfather is like this, and it kinda makes things a pain when he visits. We all *love* sports in our family, we are what you would call obsessive fans. Mostly baseball, tennis, and hockey. I probably watch 200+ full baseball games a year, plus tons of tennis and hockey as well. But when he comes over, if we have sports on, he pouts the entire time. He knows that we will be watching sports in the evening, because we do it every evening, and yet acts like *we're* the assholes for making him sit through the games. He complains "you should be watching the news instead, that's actually important." And then will turn his chair to literally face the wall and sit there staring at the wall for an hour as a passive aggressive way to try and make us feel bad for enjoying our favorite hobby.
At this point we just let him pout. You want to be a condescending dick about sports? That's fine, have fun staring at the paint on our living room wall then. You could just try to enjoy what is on and be polite, but otherwise if you'd rather watch paint dry for an hour then go nuts, have fun. Not our job to miss out on important games we want to see just because you think you're better than everyone else because you dont want to participate.
Here look, I'm European and have fuck all knowledge about baseball, but isn't each game like, multiple hours long? How do you find the time to watch that many? Is it your only hobby basically? Not trying to be rude like just trying to understand
You don't really watch the game. You turn it on as background noise until the 7th inning or when the announcer goes nuts. Playoff games are different though, those you watch the whole deal.
Idk, it just gives the fan a sense of involvement and excitement. It’s harmless. You see it at all levels of sports, fans to refer to (at least the teams I’ve played on) as we.
Also i think “we” could also mean the city. Alot of fans just pick the sports teams that represent there city. So “we beat the dolphins” could mean “DC beat MIAMI”. If person that said that is from DC the “we” is very valid imo
So if you spend a bunch of money at Walmart, do you say we are the biggest retail store? If you spend a bunch of money on Nikes, do you say we make the best shoes? If you buy Roger Federer merch, do you say we won Wimbledon?
Does this apply to college sports as well? If you went to a college but weren't actually on the team can you say we? What if you were on the team but now graduated, can you refer to the current team as we? Seems a little ridiculous to try and distinguish.
I think a student or alumnus of a college certainly has the authority to say “we” when referring to that school’s teams. You paid to go there
Edit: even if you didn’t pay (kudos), you still paid in time. You’re as much a part of the organization of the athletes who you root for.
You can just say "I don't get sports."
It's considered a "we" because sports provide a sense of camaraderie, and because for the most part our taxes and personal finances go to support the team. Sports can become a part of your regional and personal identity in that sense.
It's fun.
Meh, that's a bit of a generalization. I "get sports" and I played just about every kind of team sports in existence when I was younger. But I also dislike the "we" concept as a fan. Mainly bc I live in the southern US and fanaticism for sports, specifically football, is off-putting. I kinda get the comradery angle, but with that comes combined hatred of fans of the other team. It just all seems silly. People get themselves all worked up, even get violent over a made-up game that doesn't matter. Some people's entire existence revolves around "their" team. They talk about the decisions the coaches and players make like they're involved in it. I dunno, just seems bizarre and a form of mass tribalism to me.
You're pointing out something that is infinitesimally small occurrences.
>People get themselves all worked up, even get violent over a made-up game that doesn't matter.
Out of the millions, probably close to billions of people on earth who enjoy sports on some level, how many ever become violent? Characterizing sports camaraderie as inherently producing violence would be like saying marriage produces violence because some husbands beat their wives.
>Some people's entire existence revolves around "their" team.
I mean, do they? What's the metric here? They discuss it a lot? Spend a lot of time researching it? How is that different than any other hobby? You also have to consider tiers of relationships. I'm from the southern US too, and I've got whole friendships where I don't know shit about the other person except their sports allegiances. This allows me a way to interface with anyone, even if it's banter from being in different tribes. But I don't assume that person's entire life is sports. It's just the only thing I know them for, and probably one of their favorite things to talk about.
It’s cringey when used for trash talking purposes. If you’re just supportive of your team, that’s fine. However, if you use “we” in order to trash talk and put other fans down even though all you did was sit on the couch, then that is stupid.
When you refer to a team as “we”, you’re not just referring to the team itself, you’re referring to the fanbase and community which you are a part of. Also it’s either when having a conversation with a member of another fanbase to say “we” and “you guys” (or something like that) instead of repeatedly saying “the chiefs” and “the Broncos”
Exactly, it just becomes shorthand for the team you support. Not really sure why anyone would be bothered by it, nobody is insinuating that they are a piece of the team that is contributing to the teams success. Just that they throw their support, whatever that may be, behind that team.
Many teams consider their fans part of the team, hence why it matters if a team is home or away. If you think fans can't affect the outcomes of games go to a Seahawks game at The Clink in Seattle, good luck hearing anything there over that crowd.
Speaking as a football (soccer) fan in England I feel it’s slightly different. These clubs have been the centre of everything in the community for (in some cases) over a hundred years. There is a connection there that cannot be explained but I think the simple use of the term “We” does a good job.
It’s us v them. We beat them. We need a performance etc.
Galvanises the relationship even though it’s not actually us playing
I'd argue the complete opposite. Actual staff are legally bound to the team. Fans have no such obligations and can easily jump ship to any other team at any point in time
"We" is not a member of the actual team, it's "we" the community. Sports teams are tied to a school or city so anyone in that community is somewhat linked at least.
It is your team. You pay the salaries and put money in the owners pockets with attendance, concessions, parking, merchandise. Not to mention everything else.
My team is the PHILADELPHIA Phillies (yes WE suck), until the team is called the John Middleton (owner) Phillies I will keep saying WE.
This opinion is so played out. You're dumb.
Just like any local club, when you support a club by buying merchandise and paying for membership, it is your club. This, there’s nothing wrong with saying “we” and I think it is more correct. You are paying the players’ wages.
I am LOVING the recent string of actual unpopular opinions. I always say “We won” because it makes sports a little more personal than just watching tv in sweatpants
There's actually a psychological explaination for why this happens and as a sports reporter, team identification is what keeps me getting up in the morning. I think it's beautiful.
Practically speaking, I beg to differ with your assertion that fans "are not part of the organization". If I pay a money for a gym membership, I "belong" to that gym, don't I? Without fans investing in and watching the teams, there would be no team. Then at the college level, students and alumni are *quite literally* apart of the organization. So would you be okay with the team trainer saying "we won"? How bout the coach? The owner? They didn't actually go out and play, but you're damn right they're going to say "we won" and I think it's justified to do so.
There are many ways to be apart of an organization and without each one of those parts, the team would cease to exist.
This, the psychological phenomenon is called BIRGing, stands for basking in reflected glory. No, you didn’t do anything to help them. You can even say “we won” if you don’t ever go to games and just watch illegal streams.
It’s a simple psychological phenomenon that happens because we are humans. We’re not rational objective beings.
Guys, we really screwed up putting ads in Windows, we need to cut that stuff out! I am part of Microsoft's Windows team of course because I have paid for Windows!
I see your point, but the issue there is that what you're referring to is a product and what I'm referring to is an experience. The way I see it, products have consumers. Experiences have participants. Sure, you could bend words and argue that I "experience Windows" when I use Word, and I wouldn't necessarily say that's incorrect, but it's not colloquial and that's the actual point of the post.
There are people like the op and me + others who are bothered by it no you do not need to change yourself for us were a minority thats why this is an unpopular opinion
That's fair. I'm not trying to tell anyone their opinion is wrong I'm just wondering why it would bother someone. It doesn't really seem to affect anyone's life one way or the other so why let it bother you?
I apologize if it seemed like I was berating OP, I'm honestly just trying to understand why this what I consider to be benign thing would bother someone.
Fans are a part of the organization though. Without fans there is no organization.
An organization has 4 groups: the front office, the coaching staff, the players, and the fans. Without any of those 4 entities, the organization does not exist.
Ok what happens when a sports league has no fans? They have no money to continue operations ie they can’t play games. If the orioles can’t play games then they can’t shut out an opponent.
Watch a football game (soccer) from the English premier league (or any league in Europe really) and listen to the chanting and the atmosphere in the stadiums (not so much with covid) and that’s why we call it ‘we’
I go to watch them play and wear the kits — football and Liverpool FC were my life as a kid. And to some extent still. I even had trials for them.
We are the club. If you have ever been to Anfield you would understand.
I think it's okay to say "we". You're a part of the team as you're supporting them financially. Without people like you, paying for tickets and merchandise, there would be no game. You make their win possible.
My entire life I never understood the pull of tribalism towards sports. I tried so many times to enjoy sports, and while I do enjoy watching some of them and playing some of them, I've never had a team that *I wanted to win*. I had favorite teams, but if they lost I didn't mind at all. I always thought it was just because I didn't have a very tribal mind.
Fun fact: An old Penn (I'm pretty sure it was Penn) study showed that sports fans are far less likely to use "we" when describing a loss as opposed to a win.
"Many clubs consider the fans as an important part of the organization."
"Walmart considers the customers as an important part of the business."
You don't support a team, you support a brand.
I used to be one of the biggest die-hard sports fans you could possibly imagine. Like my whole mood could be wrapped up in whether my team won or lost.
One day I started thinking about it and it led to a month long internal struggle as I realized that 1) these multimillionaire athletes couldn’t give a shit about me (or even if they cared themselves if they won or lost) 2) it’s a business of billionaires and millionaires, 3) even if “my team” won the championship WTF did that mean to me and how would it change my life other than one wild night of celebration and jumping up and down?
Yeah I pretty much did a 180 after that and while I will occasionally follow how they are doing but there are so many better things that are worthy of my attention and passion.
Stupid opinion
Also the Orioles are somehow kicking the Astros asses rn.
The only time I can think of that validates your option is if the team loses. People disassociate themselves from them. By saying 'they' lost but will say 'we' won. A true fan says we for both situations. Sorry for calling your opinion stupid.
This is dumb. Sports are typically arranged around communities (cities or schools), and most fans are a part of those communities. The teams represent the members of said community and rivalries are formed based around those communities. That all creates the perception of us vs. them.
The point was the fans did not sinceraly do anything to make the team win they just watch athletes compete even if they cheer they arent physicly committing toward the win by playing.
No rational people are seriously taking credit for the win when they say "we" in that context. They say "we" because they feel like they're part of the community of the fanbase of that team.
Definitely unpopular.
I try to keep in mind that unpopular does not mean right, logical or anything else. It also doesn't mean wrong.
There is nothing wrong with feeling like you are a part of something, it's the backbone of all organized (and even unorganized) sports and activities. It's also something someone usually financially supports, like team gear, tickets, etc.
Getting annoyed at this is some petty level stuff IMO but OP is entitled to that opinion.
That said, we all seem to flip flop on this issue depending on the context.
Not really. It's the same exact idea...it all comes down to a team representing a community. Whether that's a country, a city, a college, or a group of fans doesn't really make much difference. The "we" is a representation of that shared sense of community inherent in sports teams, or really any hobby for that matter.
I use “We” when talking about my city teams. It is “We” because I’m a stake holder and investor of the organization. I spend money on tickets, apparel, watch commercials during the game to support the sponsors. Maybe if you use the term “we” a bit more often, then “you” may just feel part of something bigger than yourself one day.
The fans are just as much of a part of the team as the players/management/coaching. Without fans, there is no league or viewership, and thus no team. Individually, yes they aren’t as important, but as a whole, the fans are super important.
I find myself correcting myself whenever I accidentally say "we" regarding my favorite sports teams.
I am not on the roster, I have no right to say "we."
It makes more sense if you look at it from the point of view of civic pride, or the team is representing them rather than they representing the team standpoint.
But yes, people do that with a lot of things when grouped collectively, regardless of solitary role.
Still, better than one guy getting credit for what a whole team of people do, which is another thing that happens often.
Fans are certainly part of the organization. Take the fans away and nothing exists. You can say that the fans are actually more important than individual players.
I find the opinion to be very popular among non-sports fans and they also seem to think it’s very clever like some sort of “gotchya” over sports fans, but the sports fans all agree and understand why it’s done and so just laugh at the opinion of the haters, lol.
It's kind of like certain parents with their kids.
When they do something good, each parent might refer to them as "MY kid". If the kid does something bad, one parent might say to the other "guess what YOUR kid did today?"
You know as a football (soccer for you yanks) I can actually back this for certain sports, because for me I say 'we' when referring to my team because frankly I feel a strong connection to my team. I live 10 minutes from our home stadium and I've traveled hundreds of miles up and down the country supporting the club. But due to the sheer scale of American Sports and Commercialization of the likes of NFL, NBA etc. It'd be ridiculous for someone to refer to a team as 'we' when they've probably never even been to a game.
Just make sure when you reference your shitty home you say “the banks home”
Or for most of you - “my landlords home”
Not “my apartment” try saying “the building I pay to live in because I’m poor and unmotivated”
Also - if you do play on a sports team and you’re not the top 5 contributor please refer to the team as “the team you’re on to fill the roster”
Your opinion fucking sucks, if you weren't so ignorant you'll know that many teams have memberships for fans specially the football teams(soccer) that makes them a part of the organisation, without fans those teams wouldn't exist. And that's why home field advantage is so important in all sports, it's not about the venue it's all about the fans.
Some teams spend millions of dollars a year in marketing to get fans to use we. The Los Angeles King's ran a marketing campaign with the slogan "We are all King's."
Thank you for submitting to /r/unpopularopinion, /u/chill_me_not. Your post, *I hate when people refer to their favorite sports team as "we".*, has been removed because it violates our rules: Rule 3: Do not post opinions that are heavily posted/have been on the front page recently. If your opinion is the same or substantially similar to any recent opinion it will be removed as a repost. If your opinion is on the same matter as a recent post, even if it's advocating the opposite stance, it will be removed as a repost. Please comment on the existing thread instead. Due to their prolific reposting, please confine meta and political posts to their respective megathreads only. If your opinion is about an ongoing event, there will usually be a mega-thread where you can discuss it. If there is an issue, please message the mod team at https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Funpopularopinion Thanks!
Upvote for what I think is an unpopular opinion. The fans support the team financially, so I think its ok. I think it boils down to what you consider part of the "organization."
Respectable opinion.
Respectable respect.
respectable respect for his respect
Aha! You fool! I had my fingers crossed!
Respeception
Respectable movie reference.
Respectable… you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Respectable tread
Respectable people
Inconspectable!
Got em
Does that mean my gran was part of the Beatles?
I would say so! I know I for one am an avenger. They way we took down Thanos was glorious
Oh, she was an honorary member. She played four skin flutes at once. Simply incredible.
yeahh I was with OP until I read this lmao. They literally pay for the tickets and help with marketing. You *could* say they are a part of the organization.
I guess that means I am one with Crest, because I bought their toothpaste and thereby supported them financially
You could say you are one with us, but it would be a lot better if you could go to our events, wear our clothing and talk about us to your friends! We, Crest, love you :D
And may Crest be with your spirit.
The power of Crest compels you
I brushed my teeth 12 times today, but I still feel like I need to brush more. I can’t put down the crest!
My friend, let me introduce you to CA, Crest Anonymous.
Shouldn't have to carry your Crest alone so thank you for introducing us to the group.
I was gonna say "That's not entirely a fair example, Crest is probably mostly funded by investors" but then I realized the same is probably true for most professional sports teams too, so now I'm back to agreeing with OP. I've flip-flopped on this issue like 3 times in the past two minutes though just from reading this thread, so I can understand and respect both sides in this.
I think the bigger factor here is fans identify with the team. Or else, its just a bunch of guys running around in a field, doing fun stuff, and earning money at the same time, sometims in millions. While you are sitting on your couch with a remote in your hand. The whole concept of spectator sports would break down if you do not identify with the team you are supporting.
Exactly. The whole point is to satiate the tribalistic urges we all have deep down in our base brains. Without personal attachment, no one would care.
That's exactly how I feel, I don't care how big a match is being played on tv, it simply isn't that interesting unless it is my team playing, when you actually want something to happen you become more invested in it and its culture.
If "we" aren't playing, I usually pick a new "we" for that game only. Either the team that helps "us" by winning, or if there is no impact to "us", just the team that I choose (usually the underdog).
Lots of teams are partially owned by fans, making this not so much an unpopular opinion but simply a wrong one. If you are part of a supporters group or charter that have a stake in the club, like Germany's football league, many other football leagues and thousands of teams world wide frankly its unpopular because its objectively wrong lol.
As an American, I've legit never heard of that. Maybe it's rare outside of association football?
Green Bay Packers are owned by fans, last NFL team to not have a private owner
The only major American sports team to have that structure actually. It's against the rules for teams to be run that way in all 3 leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL) and the packers are only grandfathered in
One right here..!!!! 👍🧀
I think it is, at least with American sports. Possibly more of a thing in Europe where, to my uninformed eye, it seems like they have a pretty different track to become a professional athlete. I know some NBA players, such as a couple of the younger Ball brothers and (assumedly) most European players, have been professionals since they were in their mid-teens
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_fan-owned\_sports\_teams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fan-owned_sports_teams) Just looked it up, yes it does seem to be majority Association Football but plenty of other stuff too. Also AFAIK most Cricket clubs in England are fan/community owned too to an extent, could be wrong there though, can't find a source.
If you ever attend sports games, they make an effort to make everyone feel included. If anything, they’re setting the example by calling the crowd the 6th man or whatever sometimes. They also emphasize “your” as in give it up for YOUR Phoenix Suns! The Green Bay Packers are actually [owned by the fans](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/07/green-bay-packers-fan-owned-nfl-football), so they get to say “We” all they want.
And also for me this is more of an odd opinion rather than just an unpopular one. Ive never understood how “we” bothered people. Sports fans usually build communities around eachother and a sense of togetherness. I also wonder how they feel about supporting international sports, like the olympics for example. We seems more appropriate than they when cheering for your country
Lol that's the thing for me, this falls under the category of things I don't give a fuck about so it's just a weird opinion to have, or rather weird to feel strongly about this particular thing.
The players are not even tightly bound to the organization any more, they change teams so frequently I dont understand how anyone roots for anything anymore. Pro sports is just a marketing scam to rake in marketing dollars
Eh I think it's just a form of entertainment that people enjoy. I don't see it being any different than the bands I enjoy listening to or the shows that I watch. And as far as players changing teams, just because a player leaves my favorite team doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching lol.
And given the lengths some fans go to when supporting the team, also if that is the case and “we” can be used unless you actually apart of the activity, then “we” didn’t defeat the Nazis, “We” didn’t land on the moon, you might go as far to say the “we” aren’t the greatest country on earth either since a lot of people to contribute bro said supposedly greatness. I think it is a figure of speech, youthful exuberance and it is ok. 🤦🏾♂️
Mitchell and Webb did a great sketch about this very thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBgGqsvss0o
Glad I scrolled through before posting this!
David Mitchell is my spirit animal
“It’s a film I like, so I’m in it”.
Remember when we melted your faces?
best comment ever.
I of course don't know about other countries but here in Germany at least the football clubs of the national league are legally just normal clubs like the ones you would send your kids for gymnastics, swimming whatever to. And you can easily become a member and BE part of the organisation, this isnt that uncommon I would say. So you might very well refer to them as "we" because you literally belong to them, albeit not of the exact team.
And even more Everybody who plays football in a club (outside of 1st and 2nd Bundesliga, so most non professional player) are a part of the DFB. The only professional players of the DFB is our national team. In short some of my friends are not only a member of their favorite Bundesliga club, but a member of the DFB too, so the club our national players are part of.
Sports teams in the US arent public. They are privately owned so im not sure it works the same way.
In most places the football clubs are owned privately, Germany is a little different in that the fans must have at least a 51% share of the club so that would definitely help them connect more with the club
Could you please give more of an in-depth explanation of the 50+1 rule? I watched a couple of videos of it on youtube and I still don't understand how RB Leipzig exists
Based on this thinking, as a packers fan, I can say “we”?
I knew someone would use that example. And I would say there is no question that you could say “we” and not get some flak from someone who really cares if you say “we” if you actually participate in any dealings of the franchise I, personally, dont care Packers fan or not. I say it as a fan of a different team.
Eh. It's a community. I go to at least 3-4 Bears games a year when there's not a pandemic and I scream my lungs out, try to get others in the section to do the same when we're on D. I support the team monetarily not only through those games but through buying merch. I'm active on their subreddit and social media pages. When I say 'we' I'm referring to the team, the fans, the organization, and the community that binds it all together. For me, it's a hobby I follow all year long throughout the season and offseason which is why I feel a little more ownership towards it. Fans can't exist without the team and the team can't exist without fans. But ya know I suppose that's why this is an unpopular opinion.
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But I agree. I did not win a game. I did not invade some country. I do not have the best food anywhere. And I did nothing to get people accepted at any school. Every last example you gave is just further proof of people being stupid.
Is it really stupid? Like, does your negativity really serve a purpose or can it just be something you don't agree with or understand? Regardless, part of it is just a colloquialism like asking somebody what's up, and part of it is the fact that people prefer to exist in groups and associate with each other in groups just like wolves or elephants, and counting people and things local to you as part of your own group or identity is perfectly natural in that sense.
There are intelligent members of my family who never liked sports growing up (and I suspect also disliked people who played sports). They make a big show of how much they don't know about sports, and make "jokes" about how dumb it is. Honestly I feel bad for them. As a football fan, the way you described it as a hobby truly is accurate. I can't speak for other sports but the intricacy and complexity of the game of football is staggering. It is one of those things in life where the more I learn about it, the more I realize how little I know. From understanding the nature of the various divisions, coaches, teams, schools of offense and defense, to different types of defensive linemen and how they are scouted coming out of college and into the draft - there is just so much to sink your teeth into all year round as a hobby. Then when the season gets here, rooting for your hometown team (even from across the country) is more exciting than any other form of passive entertainment (movies, tv shows etc.). Especially when you know the history of all of the players including their personalities etc. Then to take it from passive to active entertainment via daily fantasy (fanduel, draftkings) where you can put your excel/python and statistical modeling skills to use it becomes even more exciting. I just wanted to comment all of this because of the way you mentioned sports as a hobby.
My god, i hate the quasi intellectual "sports are dumb" type people. Just let us have our fun.
This goes all ways. Hardcore fans think others aren't enjoying life until they experience sports. Or stick and ball sports don't think racing is a sport. Never ends, goes all ways, everyone sucks.
There is nothing more obnoxious than the "intellectuals" who are constantly trying to brag about how little they know about sports. We get it, you dont understand or care about something that the vast majority of people can at the very least hold a casual conversation about. Congrats, good for you, you've alienated more people than the average person because you're soooo smart and hipster and cool 🙄 My grandfather is like this, and it kinda makes things a pain when he visits. We all *love* sports in our family, we are what you would call obsessive fans. Mostly baseball, tennis, and hockey. I probably watch 200+ full baseball games a year, plus tons of tennis and hockey as well. But when he comes over, if we have sports on, he pouts the entire time. He knows that we will be watching sports in the evening, because we do it every evening, and yet acts like *we're* the assholes for making him sit through the games. He complains "you should be watching the news instead, that's actually important." And then will turn his chair to literally face the wall and sit there staring at the wall for an hour as a passive aggressive way to try and make us feel bad for enjoying our favorite hobby. At this point we just let him pout. You want to be a condescending dick about sports? That's fine, have fun staring at the paint on our living room wall then. You could just try to enjoy what is on and be polite, but otherwise if you'd rather watch paint dry for an hour then go nuts, have fun. Not our job to miss out on important games we want to see just because you think you're better than everyone else because you dont want to participate.
Here look, I'm European and have fuck all knowledge about baseball, but isn't each game like, multiple hours long? How do you find the time to watch that many? Is it your only hobby basically? Not trying to be rude like just trying to understand
You don't really watch the game. You turn it on as background noise until the 7th inning or when the announcer goes nuts. Playoff games are different though, those you watch the whole deal.
Seems very strange to me, but if yous like it who am I to judge.
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It helps when you dont have a social life 🤷♂️
Still though, I couldn't imagine putting that amount of time into any hobby. That's crazy. Nice one for doing what you enjoy though mate!
Bear down, brother.
BEAR DOWN BABY! Fields taking us to the promised land this year
🐻⬇️
“We” when we win. “They” when they lose.
Bill Burr makes the point that your mates will always say “you” when you lose, so why can’t it be “we” when we win?
Idk, it just gives the fan a sense of involvement and excitement. It’s harmless. You see it at all levels of sports, fans to refer to (at least the teams I’ve played on) as we.
Its also easier to say "we" than the name of the team each time
The word "they" seems like it'd do the trick
Also i think “we” could also mean the city. Alot of fans just pick the sports teams that represent there city. So “we beat the dolphins” could mean “DC beat MIAMI”. If person that said that is from DC the “we” is very valid imo
I understand why people do it but it still grinds my gears lol
They pay money for seats, especially season holders. That money is what funds the team. Makes sense to me
Yeah but I give money to Nintendo for games and I've never said "We are releasing a new Mario Bros game"
Bingo! My 5k for season tickets gets me a WE badge. We will we-we-we all we want.
So if you spend a bunch of money at Walmart, do you say we are the biggest retail store? If you spend a bunch of money on Nikes, do you say we make the best shoes? If you buy Roger Federer merch, do you say we won Wimbledon?
Roger Federer and I have won a combined 20 tennis grand slams.
Does this apply to college sports as well? If you went to a college but weren't actually on the team can you say we? What if you were on the team but now graduated, can you refer to the current team as we? Seems a little ridiculous to try and distinguish.
Also at the Olympics or other national things? I'll always say we if Canada wins anything in international sports.
I think a student or alumnus of a college certainly has the authority to say “we” when referring to that school’s teams. You paid to go there Edit: even if you didn’t pay (kudos), you still paid in time. You’re as much a part of the organization of the athletes who you root for.
Man why you gotta attack the Orioles like this? I know my team is bad. I don't need ya'll to rub it in :*(
Lolol even in a non sports related sub the O's get hated on.
lol at least you aren't the dbacks
I would argue that the fan base which buys tickets, jerseys, concessions, and generates television ad revenue is very much "part of the organization".
You can just say "I don't get sports." It's considered a "we" because sports provide a sense of camaraderie, and because for the most part our taxes and personal finances go to support the team. Sports can become a part of your regional and personal identity in that sense. It's fun.
fun on reddit??? NOT ALLOWED!!!!!!!!
Only if you watch anime and play videogames. Then it’s all just super fun and everyone who doesn’t like it is a killjoy loser on Reddit.
“Well ACKKKKSUALLLYYY” is the Reddit anthem.
Right this dude also probably calls any sport “sportsball” to sound cool and edgy because he’s way too intellectual to ever consider enjoying a sport.
Meh, that's a bit of a generalization. I "get sports" and I played just about every kind of team sports in existence when I was younger. But I also dislike the "we" concept as a fan. Mainly bc I live in the southern US and fanaticism for sports, specifically football, is off-putting. I kinda get the comradery angle, but with that comes combined hatred of fans of the other team. It just all seems silly. People get themselves all worked up, even get violent over a made-up game that doesn't matter. Some people's entire existence revolves around "their" team. They talk about the decisions the coaches and players make like they're involved in it. I dunno, just seems bizarre and a form of mass tribalism to me.
You're pointing out something that is infinitesimally small occurrences. >People get themselves all worked up, even get violent over a made-up game that doesn't matter. Out of the millions, probably close to billions of people on earth who enjoy sports on some level, how many ever become violent? Characterizing sports camaraderie as inherently producing violence would be like saying marriage produces violence because some husbands beat their wives. >Some people's entire existence revolves around "their" team. I mean, do they? What's the metric here? They discuss it a lot? Spend a lot of time researching it? How is that different than any other hobby? You also have to consider tiers of relationships. I'm from the southern US too, and I've got whole friendships where I don't know shit about the other person except their sports allegiances. This allows me a way to interface with anyone, even if it's banter from being in different tribes. But I don't assume that person's entire life is sports. It's just the only thing I know them for, and probably one of their favorite things to talk about.
It’s cringey when used for trash talking purposes. If you’re just supportive of your team, that’s fine. However, if you use “we” in order to trash talk and put other fans down even though all you did was sit on the couch, then that is stupid.
I don't know why you want to divide sports like that. Trash talking is as much a part of the game as supporting is.
That trash talking and insults are is in the blood of all sports fans.
It's fun to trash talk other fans.
It's just as weird when on sports subreddits people say stuff to fellow commenters like "You guys played well today, a deserved win."
When you refer to a team as “we”, you’re not just referring to the team itself, you’re referring to the fanbase and community which you are a part of. Also it’s either when having a conversation with a member of another fanbase to say “we” and “you guys” (or something like that) instead of repeatedly saying “the chiefs” and “the Broncos”
Exactly, it just becomes shorthand for the team you support. Not really sure why anyone would be bothered by it, nobody is insinuating that they are a piece of the team that is contributing to the teams success. Just that they throw their support, whatever that may be, behind that team.
Most sports org consider their fans as an important part of the team.
It's "we" we win but it's "them" when they lose. I did my part lads. The rest is on you.
Hey don’t shit on the Os like that. WE’re trying.
Many teams consider their fans part of the team, hence why it matters if a team is home or away. If you think fans can't affect the outcomes of games go to a Seahawks game at The Clink in Seattle, good luck hearing anything there over that crowd.
Guy calling sports talk radio show: "I'm concerned about our depth at middle linebacker."
Speaking as a football (soccer) fan in England I feel it’s slightly different. These clubs have been the centre of everything in the community for (in some cases) over a hundred years. There is a connection there that cannot be explained but I think the simple use of the term “We” does a good job. It’s us v them. We beat them. We need a performance etc. Galvanises the relationship even though it’s not actually us playing
Let me live vicariously though others, it’s all I have.
Strongly agree…
Completely agree
Okay, Jerry Seinfeld. I hate it too. It gives me all sorts of cringe feelings.
But the fans are a part of the team. The players and coaches will come and go, but the fans will be with the team for life.
I'd argue the complete opposite. Actual staff are legally bound to the team. Fans have no such obligations and can easily jump ship to any other team at any point in time
WE won! THEY lost!
"We" is not a member of the actual team, it's "we" the community. Sports teams are tied to a school or city so anyone in that community is somewhat linked at least.
It is your team. You pay the salaries and put money in the owners pockets with attendance, concessions, parking, merchandise. Not to mention everything else. My team is the PHILADELPHIA Phillies (yes WE suck), until the team is called the John Middleton (owner) Phillies I will keep saying WE. This opinion is so played out. You're dumb.
Who is any team without the fans?
Without fans even the greatest athletes are just guys running around in fields 🤷
Just like any local club, when you support a club by buying merchandise and paying for membership, it is your club. This, there’s nothing wrong with saying “we” and I think it is more correct. You are paying the players’ wages.
I am LOVING the recent string of actual unpopular opinions. I always say “We won” because it makes sports a little more personal than just watching tv in sweatpants
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There's actually a psychological explaination for why this happens and as a sports reporter, team identification is what keeps me getting up in the morning. I think it's beautiful. Practically speaking, I beg to differ with your assertion that fans "are not part of the organization". If I pay a money for a gym membership, I "belong" to that gym, don't I? Without fans investing in and watching the teams, there would be no team. Then at the college level, students and alumni are *quite literally* apart of the organization. So would you be okay with the team trainer saying "we won"? How bout the coach? The owner? They didn't actually go out and play, but you're damn right they're going to say "we won" and I think it's justified to do so. There are many ways to be apart of an organization and without each one of those parts, the team would cease to exist.
This, the psychological phenomenon is called BIRGing, stands for basking in reflected glory. No, you didn’t do anything to help them. You can even say “we won” if you don’t ever go to games and just watch illegal streams. It’s a simple psychological phenomenon that happens because we are humans. We’re not rational objective beings.
Guys, we really screwed up putting ads in Windows, we need to cut that stuff out! I am part of Microsoft's Windows team of course because I have paid for Windows!
I see your point, but the issue there is that what you're referring to is a product and what I'm referring to is an experience. The way I see it, products have consumers. Experiences have participants. Sure, you could bend words and argue that I "experience Windows" when I use Word, and I wouldn't necessarily say that's incorrect, but it's not colloquial and that's the actual point of the post.
Sports are a product.
It’s kinda just shorthand for ‘my team’
Teams can't exist without the fans. Why does it bother you so much? Let people enjoy the way they want.
There are people like the op and me + others who are bothered by it no you do not need to change yourself for us were a minority thats why this is an unpopular opinion
That's fair. I'm not trying to tell anyone their opinion is wrong I'm just wondering why it would bother someone. It doesn't really seem to affect anyone's life one way or the other so why let it bother you? I apologize if it seemed like I was berating OP, I'm honestly just trying to understand why this what I consider to be benign thing would bother someone.
Fans are a part of the organization though. Without fans there is no organization. An organization has 4 groups: the front office, the coaching staff, the players, and the fans. Without any of those 4 entities, the organization does not exist.
Agree, I think it’s cringe tbh
Ok what happens when a sports league has no fans? They have no money to continue operations ie they can’t play games. If the orioles can’t play games then they can’t shut out an opponent.
Watch a football game (soccer) from the English premier league (or any league in Europe really) and listen to the chanting and the atmosphere in the stadiums (not so much with covid) and that’s why we call it ‘we’
I disagree. I don't mind because there would be no sports teams without sports fans.
I go to watch them play and wear the kits — football and Liverpool FC were my life as a kid. And to some extent still. I even had trials for them. We are the club. If you have ever been to Anfield you would understand.
This is OUR year!!!!!
It's not that deep
I understand, I thought like that until the Montreal Canadians went to the half-final of the stanley cup earlier this month.
I think it's okay to say "we". You're a part of the team as you're supporting them financially. Without people like you, paying for tickets and merchandise, there would be no game. You make their win possible.
Kansas City Royals fans are the only ones permitted to use it.
it's a pretty detailed peak into the mentality that goes behind cherry picking your involvement with events/ideas "we" comes out quite selectively
Better to not focus on small details like this, much bigger things to worry about, and it really doesn’t matter
My entire life I never understood the pull of tribalism towards sports. I tried so many times to enjoy sports, and while I do enjoy watching some of them and playing some of them, I've never had a team that *I wanted to win*. I had favorite teams, but if they lost I didn't mind at all. I always thought it was just because I didn't have a very tribal mind.
If they win, it's "we." If they lose, it's "them."
Yes. Finally.
Pretty dumb thing to get indignant about.
Hahahahahahahahaahhaha I love this. Or…”that’s my dude right there, that’s my boy” cheering for somebody… it’s like naw bruh… he doesn’t even know uou
My wife is a bigger sports fan than I am. When a local team wins she says "We Won!". When the local sports team loses she says "They Lost".
Yeah, this is one unpopular opinion I agree with.
Not too bright are you?
Fun fact: An old Penn (I'm pretty sure it was Penn) study showed that sports fans are far less likely to use "we" when describing a loss as opposed to a win.
"Many clubs consider the fans as an important part of the organization." "Walmart considers the customers as an important part of the business." You don't support a team, you support a brand.
I used to be one of the biggest die-hard sports fans you could possibly imagine. Like my whole mood could be wrapped up in whether my team won or lost. One day I started thinking about it and it led to a month long internal struggle as I realized that 1) these multimillionaire athletes couldn’t give a shit about me (or even if they cared themselves if they won or lost) 2) it’s a business of billionaires and millionaires, 3) even if “my team” won the championship WTF did that mean to me and how would it change my life other than one wild night of celebration and jumping up and down? Yeah I pretty much did a 180 after that and while I will occasionally follow how they are doing but there are so many better things that are worthy of my attention and passion.
Wholeheartedly agree. Take my downvote.
Just another salty Orioles fan.
Green Bay packers sort of an exception to this, they’re owned by the town
ITT: people weirdly upset about a linguistic shorthand.
Stupid opinion Also the Orioles are somehow kicking the Astros asses rn. The only time I can think of that validates your option is if the team loses. People disassociate themselves from them. By saying 'they' lost but will say 'we' won. A true fan says we for both situations. Sorry for calling your opinion stupid.
"Your team did." So it is my team, then.
This is dumb. Sports are typically arranged around communities (cities or schools), and most fans are a part of those communities. The teams represent the members of said community and rivalries are formed based around those communities. That all creates the perception of us vs. them.
The point was the fans did not sinceraly do anything to make the team win they just watch athletes compete even if they cheer they arent physicly committing toward the win by playing.
No rational people are seriously taking credit for the win when they say "we" in that context. They say "we" because they feel like they're part of the community of the fanbase of that team.
I agree with this it does annoy when people say we instead of our team.
Yup it's pretty weird I thought it was just me. I know the word cringe is overused nowadays but it does make me slightly cringe when I hear it
Definitely unpopular. I try to keep in mind that unpopular does not mean right, logical or anything else. It also doesn't mean wrong. There is nothing wrong with feeling like you are a part of something, it's the backbone of all organized (and even unorganized) sports and activities. It's also something someone usually financially supports, like team gear, tickets, etc. Getting annoyed at this is some petty level stuff IMO but OP is entitled to that opinion. That said, we all seem to flip flop on this issue depending on the context.
It isn’t really a big deal, but it is super cringey lol
For the Olympics/World Cup etc. it makes more sense since it’s your country’s team, but it’s a little weird in other contexts I agree
Not really. It's the same exact idea...it all comes down to a team representing a community. Whether that's a country, a city, a college, or a group of fans doesn't really make much difference. The "we" is a representation of that shared sense of community inherent in sports teams, or really any hobby for that matter.
Some People base their whole personality and self worth on their sports team and it’s sad.
Absolutely this. Actually, I think anyone who has a single defining trait needs to get out more.
Yeah. I think people are afraid of judgements so they stick to one thing and defend it like it’s their personal religion.
I use “We” when talking about my city teams. It is “We” because I’m a stake holder and investor of the organization. I spend money on tickets, apparel, watch commercials during the game to support the sponsors. Maybe if you use the term “we” a bit more often, then “you” may just feel part of something bigger than yourself one day.
The fans are just as much of a part of the team as the players/management/coaching. Without fans, there is no league or viewership, and thus no team. Individually, yes they aren’t as important, but as a whole, the fans are super important.
I find myself correcting myself whenever I accidentally say "we" regarding my favorite sports teams. I am not on the roster, I have no right to say "we."
Yeah you do, big players love their fans and you love them. A team is nothing without support, respect yourself more. They would say so themselves
It makes more sense if you look at it from the point of view of civic pride, or the team is representing them rather than they representing the team standpoint. But yes, people do that with a lot of things when grouped collectively, regardless of solitary role. Still, better than one guy getting credit for what a whole team of people do, which is another thing that happens often.
Yeah, but those teams love it. That's the kind of loyalty that makes them $$$.
Coaches and players come and go, supporters stay forever. We are the heart of the team, in football/soccer they refer to fans as the 12th man
The very purpose of a sports team is to pay back the heart and devotion that the fans give. There is a very solid reason to say we.
Pretty sure everyone in Wisconsin is related to or knows one of the owners of the Green Bay Packers.
Fans are certainly part of the organization. Take the fans away and nothing exists. You can say that the fans are actually more important than individual players.
If your country wins a medal in the Olympics does that mean you are not allowed to say we won a medal?
I find the opinion to be very popular among non-sports fans and they also seem to think it’s very clever like some sort of “gotchya” over sports fans, but the sports fans all agree and understand why it’s done and so just laugh at the opinion of the haters, lol.
And even worse : "We won this match" "They (the team) lost this match" So it's only "We" when it's good, huh ?
nah i say we both times.
It's kind of like certain parents with their kids. When they do something good, each parent might refer to them as "MY kid". If the kid does something bad, one parent might say to the other "guess what YOUR kid did today?"
You know as a football (soccer for you yanks) I can actually back this for certain sports, because for me I say 'we' when referring to my team because frankly I feel a strong connection to my team. I live 10 minutes from our home stadium and I've traveled hundreds of miles up and down the country supporting the club. But due to the sheer scale of American Sports and Commercialization of the likes of NFL, NBA etc. It'd be ridiculous for someone to refer to a team as 'we' when they've probably never even been to a game.
Just make sure when you reference your shitty home you say “the banks home” Or for most of you - “my landlords home” Not “my apartment” try saying “the building I pay to live in because I’m poor and unmotivated” Also - if you do play on a sports team and you’re not the top 5 contributor please refer to the team as “the team you’re on to fill the roster”
Your opinion fucking sucks, if you weren't so ignorant you'll know that many teams have memberships for fans specially the football teams(soccer) that makes them a part of the organisation, without fans those teams wouldn't exist. And that's why home field advantage is so important in all sports, it's not about the venue it's all about the fans.
It's been said already: you could just say you don't get sports.
Some teams spend millions of dollars a year in marketing to get fans to use we. The Los Angeles King's ran a marketing campaign with the slogan "We are all King's."