Talk about prejudice

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I just have to vent because this really bothers me. I recently started working in a new office. I found some Orange and Blue Florida Gators decoration in my desk and made a joke about FSU (Florida State Seminoles). I was informed everyone was a Gator fan - now I know there is a rivalry between those teams but honestly:

 

Today, I joked with someone because they had a garnet and gold t-shirt and the gator people got their dander up. They get offended they said. Offended by mentioning another football team. I then made some comment that I had lived in Tallahasse for six years and one woman replied - she was offended by that. I honestly don't think she was kidding. It has bothered me all day. How can you be such a fan of a stupid football team that you feel it justifies being rude to people. I really don't like football - I never root for any team - I just don't care. But to be told I offend someone because I lived in a college town they didn't like. I still don't know what to say.

[LordOfTheBorg 1]

Thats stupid, i mean, they cant dislike you just because you're from a town of a Football team they dont like. Thats kinda like my not liking americans because i dislike they're hockey team, or something. I mean, come on, how much shallower can you get?!?!? And all because of STUPID STUPID STUPID football? IMHO, i think football sucks. And, while i like hockey from canada, i would never dislike people cause they're from a hockey team from the USofA. Its so stupid, what people do these days because of some STUPID sport. IMHO.

[HRH The KING 0]

A lot of people are passionate about their sports teams.

 

It happens all over the world in football where the supporters of two rival teams can be hostile to each other.

 

In football, there are fierce rivalries between Liverpool and Everton, Manchester United and Leeds United, Arsenal and Tottenham, Real Madrid and Barcelona, AC Milan and Inter Milan, Lazio and Roma, Celtic and Rangers and in Argentina Boca Juniors and River Plate where their fans will actually kill each other.

[mj 7]

Well, I think that is carrying things a bit far. Are you sure they are serious, TUH?

 

You know, I am from Indiana originally. Indiana high school basketball all-stars play Kentucky high school all-stars every year. It is a long-standing rivalry. ( Actually I don't know if they still play...I just presume they do.) It's been more than 30 years since high school for me, and I still care about Indiana beating Kentucky in basketball. And I would be happy if Indiana or Purdue were in the top ten college polls, and not Kentucky.

 

But I am not crazy. If I was that serious about it, then I would be mad at Ace ( a generation and a half younger than me raised in the tradition of Kentucky basketball) for being a Kentucky fan. Does that make sense?

 

People sometimes confuse the words rivalry and emnity. Rivals compete, and live to compete another day. :o Some people need a reality check. ( Indiana University just has not been the same without Bobby Knight. If "we" ---I haven't lived in Indiana for a quarter of a century---still had Bobby Knight, IU would be in the top ten for sure. :P )

 

And they made the movie "Hoosiers," not Kentuckians. :P

 

Seriously, TUH, I am sorry you are having to deal with this. Maybe they will turn out to be a little more sensible than they currently seem to be.

[trekz 7]

These people seem to not be sensible. Perhaps you should hunker down and be very quiet for a while and try to figure these people out a little. You do have to work with them, unless you decide to bail out and go to a sane workplace (just kidding - there are no sane workplaces - just kidding AGAIN) Good luck!

[Gotabite 0]

UH, I live in a state where sports and team rivalry are often taken to extremes. So I do understand exactly where you are coming from. I live in North Carolina, where the ACC conference seems to be almost "Larger Than Life." The ACC colleges of Duke, The University of North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest have contributed greatly to NBA basketball. At times things can get out of hand during and after these games are played. Fans of these teams are also ridiculous............I happen to work at Wake Forest University School of medicine.........Does this mean that I must be a Wake Forest fan?.........Well, to my Boss it does........... in my office I must be very careful about making comments about teams other than Wake Forest...............My boss absolutely will not tolerate his employees being fans of other ACC teams. Personally,I CAN'T STAND WAKE FOREST!!! But this is something I have to keep to myself. I once had on a shirt at work, which was considered "Carolina Blue." He actually said to me.."Do you know who writes your pay check every month?"........I haven't worn it since. It does seems to me that the fun that use to exist around sports has gone. Everything is too serious, competitive, and even ruthless at times. I try now to keep most of myself ,to myself these days. I wear what I am suppose to........And am at my happiest when I am away from work. :P

[Odo 0]

We are all one RACE HUMAN.

Anything else is Alien.

[Yillara Skye 1]

Yeah, living FL I can agree they can get pretty ridiculous over the teams. And the hostilities rage to fever pitch, though I have not heard people killing each other over UF and FSU. True they have deliberately rammed into an opposing fan's vehicle and started fights.. but no deaths that I have heard about in the papers.

 

Gets like that when UF is going against Georgia as well.. almost more hostile.

 

 

Me.. I do like football, but only High school(more so when my siblings or I was still in HS) and NFL. I really am not a fan of college ball (I do follow one college sport, I follow the SEC and PAC-10 for Gymnastics. Mainly because I was in the sport 20 yrs, and almost went to Auburn and was trying out for a spot on their squad...decided to stay in FL though, and am retired from the sport)

[gul_nodrog 2]

You know, I am from Indiana originally. Indiana high school basketball all-stars play Kentucky high school all-stars every year. It is a long-standing rivalry. ( Actually I don't know if they still play...I just presume they do.)  It's been more than 30 years since high school for me, and I still care about Indiana beating Kentucky in basketball. And I would be happy if Indiana or Purdue were in the top ten college polls, and not Kentucky.

 

And they made the movie "Hoosiers," not Kentuckians. :P   

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This is hilarious! I graduated from the University of Kentucky and I have two favorite teams ... U.K. and whoever is playing I.U. :P I'm thinking about switching to University of Louisville, though, because U.K. ain't been the same since Pitino left!

 

I grew up in Milton, Kentucky, right across the river from Madison, Indiana and lived in both Hanover and Madison after college. I never cared a thing about high school basketball, so I'm not sure if they still do that high school all-star thing.

 

I can't imagine caring enough about a sport of any kind to not like someone just because they were a fan of a different team ... who cares? Not me.

 

And unlike many of my fellow Kentuckians, I've actually seen "Hoosiers" and own it on DVD ... it's one of my favorite movies. I know folks who won't watch it just because it's about Indiana basketball ... you'd think they were promoting Satan in the movie by the irrational reactions it gets among some of my fellow U.K. alumni.

[Valeris 2]

How ridiculous. I am a North Carolinian and I do not even know what the ACC conference is! I think it is ridiculous how a sport can get so much attention. Yesterday, my school had a State basketball game, and in the town where it was being played, businesses and everything were shut down for the entire day so people could watch a high school basketball game. As the games today and yesterday were at 1500 hours, school was let out at 1230 hours for everyone. Sports are all well and good for those who like them, but when they interfere with things like school and real life, I think people should sit back to reorder their priorities.

[Wishfire 2]

How can someone be offended simply because you lived in a certain city?!

 

I've heard some dumb things before, but that takes the cake!

[Yillara Skye 1]

How can someone be offended simply because you lived in a certain city?!

 

I've heard some dumb things before, but that takes the cake!

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The worst part is that they do just that. All some people have to do, is like UH said.. mentioned they lived or were born in Tallahassee.. and Gator fans get all indignant with them. Just like if you mention you were from or born in Gainesville.. FSU fans will get a little cranky.

 

 

Some fans do other ridiculous stuff too, at all ages. :blush 2: :o :P Sadly this was done in my mom's car when I was about 11 or 12. My teammate was riding with us to a competition in Gainesville(home of the Gators), and well, she is an avid Seminole fan. Even though my mom & I begged her to stop and that what she was doing was rude and uncalled for.. she kept giving the people on the side of the road the finger and mooning some of them :P ! She was about the same age as me.

 

Personally, I never have had a problem with either city.. I guess it is because I do not follow the football teams *shrug* Even with NFL, I am not that rabid to make fun of people for the town they come from.

[Ace 0]

Well, I think that is carrying things a bit far. Are you sure they are serious, TUH?

 

You know, I am from Indiana originally. Indiana high school basketball all-stars play Kentucky high school all-stars every year. It is a long-standing rivalry. ( Actually I don't know if they still play...I just presume they do.)  It's been more than 30 years since high school for me, and I still care about Indiana beating Kentucky in basketball. And I would be happy if Indiana or Purdue were in the top ten college polls, and not Kentucky.

 

But I am not crazy. If I was that serious about it, then I would be mad at Ace ( a generation and a half younger than me raised in the tradition of Kentucky basketball) for being a Kentucky fan. Does that make sense?

 

People sometimes confuse the words rivalry and emnity. Rivals compete, and live to compete another day. :P  Some people need a reality check. ( Indiana University just has not been the same without Bobby Knight. If "we" ---I haven't lived in Indiana for a quarter of a century---still had Bobby Knight, IU would be in the top ten for sure. :)  )

 

And they made the movie "Hoosiers," not Kentuckians.     

 

Seriously, TUH, I am sorry you are having to deal with this. Maybe they will turn out to be a little more sensible than they currently seem to be.

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:P Indeed.

(Though I wasn't necessarily raised in the tradition; I was pretty much the first member of my family to even care about UK sports.)

 

Rivalries exist, of course, but to take offense for such reasons as TUH described is idiotic, imo. There are people in other areas that actually HATE my team, for whatever reasons, and take their opinions too far. It's just a sport; it's not meant to be taken so seriously.

 

Take Kentucky/Louisville, for instance (sorry, mj; IU is 'small fries' to us now :) -j/k). There was talk of a civil war here when Pitino went to L-ville, but it was only hype. I have friends who support L-ville (though they go to UK), and even though we joke around, we're accepting of each other's teams-of-choice. Heck, I even support multiple teams; I'm sitting here rooting for Florida (vs Bama) as I type.

 

The fact is, sports rivalries are supposed to be lighthearted. If someone lets their support for a team turn into a hatred for the opposition, they're ignoring the true spirit of the game. It's sad, really.

 

For you, TUH, I don't know what to suggest. I wish there were an easier way to know if they were truly offended or just playing around. If they were (which would be absolutely ridiculous!), it may be best to hold back the Seminole comments for the time being. Hmm...

 

This is hilarious!  I graduated from the University of Kentucky and I have two favorite teams ... U.K. and whoever is playing I.U. I'm thinking about switching to University of Louisville, though, because U.K. ain't been the same since Pitino left!

 

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Bite your tongue. :P

[mj 7]

(sorry, mj; IU is 'small fries' to us now   -j/k)

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IU, like the South, shall rise again!!! ........someday........ :P

 

 

(Louisville.......yeah, yeah......they are in Kentucky too....just squeaked by somebody to win their

conference championship.........well they better not get too comfortable.....IU'll be back!!!)

 

Valeris, when I was a senior in high school, our basketball team won a sectional championship.

The next day we had a pep ralley in the gym and the rest of the school day was cancelled. This was one of the best academic high schools in the state. They did not even let us stay out of school for bad weather. We would listen for school closings after bad snows, and every surrounding school system would be closed. We would have to slip and slide our way to school.

 

Sectionals are the first round of the state tournament. That sectional championship banner is still in our gym...the best we ever did. Of course we were demolished in the regionals. But school was cancelled for winning one round of the state tournament.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I can understand friendly ribbing and joking around when it comes to rival fans but when all is said and done everything has to be put into it's proper place though.

 

I've worked in offices where I was the only Eagles fan among Several Redskins and Cowboys fans and we could get pretty heated in our conversations and pranks, but it was understood that it was all in fun and. We could still enjoy lunch together and work side by side in peace.

 

For me, and I suspect for them also, it made going to work more enjoyable and made the day go by faster. If, however things were as you've described I think it would only make for a more stressful environment.

 

Some people do take their favorite sports teams very seriously though, I take my Eagles seriously and my Sunday night moods from September to February are usually a good indication of whether the Eagles won or not. If they lose then my friends and family know not to even try to call me because I won't answer the phone. If they win then all is well in the universe. And don't even bother to try to contact me during a game.

 

Nine times out of ten when I meet someone I usually find out who their favorite NFL team is. Once I know their team then they are forever identified in my mind with that team. I might forget your name or phone number or other details but I will know that you're a Redskins fan or a Packers fan. And if I see you and my Eagles have beaten your team, you'll hear about it from me but in a friendly ribbing kind of way.

 

And just for the Record SpaceTigger was never really in danger of being banned just because his Pats beat my Eagles in the Super Bowl

[mj 7]

And just for the Record SpaceTigger was never really in danger of being banned just because his Pats beat my Eagles in the Super Bowl 

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Hmmmm....yeah, but ST was a very gracious and subdued winner. It might have been different if

he had paraded all over the place with Patriots banners :) , or put the Patriots in his signature. :P

 

He was careful not to stir up the Boss's ire!!

[VaBeachGuy 12]

And just for the Record SpaceTigger was never really in danger of being banned just because his Pats beat my Eagles in the Super Bowl 

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Hmmmm....yeah, but ST was a very gracious and subdued winner. It might have been different if

he had paraded all over the place with Patriots banners :) , or put the Patriots in his signature. :P

 

He was careful not to stir up the Boss's ire!!

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LOL Well, I can't say that I'd have been as restrained if the Eagles had won. Not in any way to rub it in on ST but just because I've been waiting almost 30 years for the Eagles to win it all. I did give him fair warning though that if the Eagles won he should expect an portal story announcing my joy to the world lol

 

I guess my joy will wait for another year though. That's ok though, I'm used to having to wait till next season.

[cassidy 0]

I really hate the rivalry that sport causes, and, well, just sport in general :angry:

[mj 7]

I really hate the rivalry that sport causes, and, well, just sport in general  :angry:

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The case the TUH mentioned was certainly the extreme when people cannot put things in the right perspective, but a lot of the comments we have been making here was friendly jabbing between rivals with a healthy attitude. We were attempting to provide a contrast to TUH's situation.

 

Do you play card games, chess, checkers? They are competitive games meant for fun.

 

Sports, in the right context, are competitive and can be fun. (A lot of greed in professional sports, though. ) Rivalry can be helpful when people learn how to win and lose graciously.