Are Sports Fans Nerds? - General

When people are into sports they generally get to the point where it occupies most of their lives outside of work/school. They play the sport, dress up in gear from it, buy random items with the logos on it, wear the colors, know about the most insignificant crap and statistics about players and the teams they favor. It's generally seen as normal in a lot of places and to me it's just a really strange thing to think about. The obsessions people have with it and what they do to show they're a fan is just fucking crazy. I live in Tampa, Florida and when the Rays started to become competent a couple of years ago, people were doing shit like this to their hair. Seeing that around everywhere was just odd and I thought it was kind of pathetic. [img]http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2008/10/11/QfLIy6zs.jpg[/img] So, Facepunch, what do you guys think?

Sports nerds are like any other kind of nerd. Obsessed with a topic, and often not competent in the thing they're obsessed with.

Only the ones that argue obsessively on the topic.

They're being interested in what they're interested in. I don't really care and it shouldn't bother anyone.

No because sport isn't a "nerd" activity. Being obsessed with TF2 hats or coding in gmod would be though

I thought sports fans were called Jocks?

[QUOTE=En-Guage V2;32677905]No because sport isn't a "nerd" activity. Being obsessed with TF2 hats or coding in gmod would be though[/QUOTE] You're an idiot, "nerd" means obsessed with something.

That hurt my feelings bro

[QUOTE=Rapist;32677929]You're an idiot, "nerd" means obsessed with something.[/QUOTE] Well, this thread might be put to shame by Wikipedia/Dictionary.com, but... [quote][B]Nerd[/B] is a term that refers to an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit.[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerd#cite_note-0"][/URL][/quote]

Well mate looks like you're the idiot. Enjoy eating your own words

Well it's basically what I said. There are many non-social sports anyway.

I wouldn't call the official terminology of the word 'nerd' the correct one because if you played Dungeons and Dragons with multiple people, or went to LAN parties (assuming that you talked to people around you and did a little more than just stare at your screen) you'd still be considered a nerd. Just because you're AROUND 50000 people at a football game it doesn't mean you're being social. If you're there alone, or only talk to a single person then you're being even more anti-social than someone sitting at home playing TF2 talking to dozens of their fellow players using a mic. And as a side note: I've only stacked up a dozen or so hours in TF2 since it first came out (in fact I rarely play any game online), nor do I go to football games or play D&D, so I have no bias in this.

no but they [B]are[/B] faggots!

I think a lot of football fans fit the criteria of being geeks.

It can be if it gets to the point where you're having arguments about opinions or completely filling your life with it. However being a fan, following a team, and being genuinely interested in a sport is far from nerdy... Calling sports fans 'nerds' seems kind of like a deflection or damage control after being picked on by SPORTS NERDS at school because you spent all of your lunchtimes inside playing video games.

[QUOTE=Jebus;32678281]It can be if it gets to the point where you're having arguments about opinions or completely filling your life with it. However being a fan, following a team, and being genuinely interested in a sport is far from nerdy... Calling sports fans 'nerds' seems kind of like a deflection or damage control after being picked on by SPORTS NERDS at school because you spent all of your lunchtimes inside playing video games.[/QUOTE] I am not really doing any type of damage control and I wouldn't know where you got that idea. I just generally think people who take things an extra step too far or play Fantasy sports are getting a little too attached.

Yes. My dad is an avid sports fan on an level that I can only stand in awe of. Since he lived in New York as a kid he's been to thousands of sporting events. He's been to every baseball stadium in the country and some that don't even stand anymore. The man is a walking encyclopedia of baseball, football and basketball. I am having a had time trying to describe how much he actually knows about sports because it's so fucking much. It's a true aspect of his life. My dad may be the biggest nerd I know but not because of computers and D&D.

i wrote a paper about how those who are considered sports fans are indefinitely as socially awkward as those who are considered, say, sci-fi nerds or whatever. effectively, my paper was about how being a jack of all trades, even if not a superstar at everything and just average, is the key and being profound in just one or two categories socially sucks dong. here's a watered down explanation: most sports fans are really only actual avid followers of one particular sport, walk into even a sports bar and you get avid followers of different sports, what happens when a basketball fan talks to a football fan? not really much. same thing applies to different teams. and if they follow every team or perhaps every sport, they can't really hold a conversation with a "regular" individual as it is because "regular" people really don't give enough shit about sports to talk about [I]just[/I] sports for more than 5 minutes, so the conversation takes an awkward nose dive into the abyss of silence after the other, regular person stops caring about the topic. of course this isn't limited to sports fans, really applies to all shapes of fanaticism.

[QUOTE=Nikota;32678430]I am not really doing any type of damage control and I wouldn't know where you got that idea.[/QUOTE] I got the idea because that's what I hear every time someone says "Sports fans are nerds" or "Sports are gay lol men touching each other" and so on. Anyway this isn't really much of a debate, may as well ask "Is sport cool y/n" or even "Do you like sport"

[QUOTE=M_B;32678728]i wrote a paper about how those who are considered [B]sports fans are indefinitely as socially awkward as those who are considered, say, sci-fi nerds or whatever.[/B] effectively, my paper was about how being a jack of all trades, even if not a superstar at everything and just average, is the key and being profound in just one or two categories socially sucks dong. here's a watered down explanation: [B]most sports fans are really only actual avid followers of one particular sport[/B], walk into even a sports bar and you get avid followers of different sports, what happens when a basketball fan talks to a football fan? not really much. [B]same thing applies to different teams.[/B] and if they follow every team or perhaps every sport, [B]they can't really hold a conversation with a "regular" individual as it is because "regular" people really don't give enough shit about sports to talk about [I]just[/I] sports for more than 5 minutes, so the conversation takes an awkward nose dive into the abyss of silence after the other, regular person stops caring about the topic.[/B] of course this isn't limited to sports fans, really applies to all shapes of fanaticism.[/QUOTE] I highlighted the parts that aren't true. As for the original question; I'd say it depends on the person. It's unfair to mangle dedication and nerdiness into one definition, but there are avid sports fans who fall into the nerd category (e.g. myself).

[QUOTE=sltungle;32678179] Just because you're AROUND 50000 people at a football game it doesn't mean you're being social. If you're there alone, or only talk to a single person then you're being even more anti-social than someone sitting at home playing TF2 talking to dozens of their fellow players using a mic. [/quote] It differs from country to country though, last time I went to the football I ended up getting into conversations with quite a few other fans there, even when I got to the station to go home I ended up speaking to fans.

[QUOTE=En-Guage V2;32677905]No because sport isn't a "nerd" activity. Being obsessed with TF2 hats or coding in gmod would be though[/QUOTE] Agreed, getting your heart pumping and sweating out doing sports with people is not nerdy. But uhh.. being a sports fan, like eating hotdogs / drinking beer and watching the game, personally I never saw the fun in that but I wouldn't call it nerdy either. Unlike pursuing a career in TF2's "economy" which is nerdy indeed, some people spend a lot of time on it and I'm sure most of them are what you might call "super-nerds"

[QUOTE=Billiam;32681679]I highlighted the parts that aren't true. As for the original question; I'd say it depends on the person. It's unfair to mangle dedication and nerdiness into one definition, but there are avid sports fans who fall into the nerd category (e.g. myself).[/QUOTE]actually no it is true. the only reason it's rarely exhibited is because it's none too common for people to visit many locale, bar or movie theater, by themself. [editline]8th October 2011[/editline] not to be an immovable object or anything but really it is true. my point is that the social awkwardness comes with meeting people who [I]aren't[/I] nerds of whichever field.

[QUOTE=M_B;32685442]actually no it is true. the only reason it's rarely exhibited is because it's none too common for people to visit many locale, bar or movie theater, by themself. [editline]8th October 2011[/editline] not to be an immovable object or anything but really it is true. my point is that the social awkwardness comes with meeting people who [I]aren't[/I] nerds of whichever field.[/QUOTE] You're basing this on...? Support your claims. -That's just a baseless claim -Season don't last year round. Most people who avidly follow one sport, follow at least one other sport. -Go to the Soccer thread or Football thread. Are people totally ignorant to their entirety of their respective leagues? -When approaching a person to talk about sports two things are likely to happen: A. This person follows the sport, which is pretty damn likely considering team sport has been attached to our society since forever. B. "Hey, you watch football?" "Nah, it isn't my thing" -Switch Topic-

[QUOTE=Eluveitie;32677921]I thought sports fans were called Jocks?[/QUOTE] No, that term's used for the arrogant/popular dudes in high school.

Nerds? No. Annoying? Somewhat.

It depends. If the fan is a walking encyclopedia of a certain sport, they are a nerd. If someone goes "I like X team, but I hate Y team." they are not a nerd.

[QUOTE=Gekkosan;32682576] But uhh.. being a sports fan, like eating hotdogs / drinking beer and watching the game, personally I never saw the fun in that but I wouldn't call it nerdy either. Unlike pursuing a career in TF2's "economy" which is nerdy indeed, some people spend a lot of time on it and I'm sure most of them are what you might call "super-nerds"[/QUOTE] Religiously spending every night sitting on a couch eating junk food and watching a football game is the same thing as religiously spending every night sitting on a couch eating junk food and watching Firefly. Its equally nerdy. Oh and if pursuing an online career in TF2's economy is nerdy (Although if you are successful you can make thousands of dollars) then spending tons of time online comparing football player stats and reading player bio's is also nerdy (Although you aren't going to make thousands off of that unless you are a gambler) There's no difference. But calling the people who go outside and play sports nerds is dumb, I do agree with you. There's the guys who wear jacket's with team logos on them and their house is full of sports stuff and they play Madden NFL or Fifa every night but probably haven't played a real sport in years, and those are the ones I am talking about, its equally as nerdy as their Star Trek counterparts.

AND they are the same people who go out and buy the same game each year. Probably paying more for a hobby then most nerd counterparts.

[QUOTE=Billiam;32681679]I highlighted the parts that aren't true. As for the original question; I'd say it depends on the person. It's unfair to mangle dedication and nerdiness into one definition, but there are avid sports fans who fall into the nerd category (e.g. myself).[/QUOTE] You have the nerve to call M_Bs paper full of lies and you don't even back up your argument? This is a debate form. Stop being an arse! Anyone who doesn't have a well rounded set of interests is a nerd. I program and play video games as my hobbies but i have other interests that I develop to maintain a social balance!