October 12, 2006

UT tells woman she cheers too much: Tennessee fan Victoria Caldwell said she was speechless after receiving a call from the UT Athletic Department on Thursday. Fans seated near her in Neyland Stadium would have a hard time believing that. Caldwell, a first-time season ticket holder, said UT's Bill Higdon called her at home and said other fans had complained about her. Their complaint? She cheers too much.

posted by AaronGNP to football at 09:33 AM - 108 comments

'Danny Arnold of LaFollette sits about three rows behind Caldwell. He was surprised by the call from UT to Caldwell but not surprised by the complaints . . . "I thought she was drunk the first time I saw her . . . [b]ut she wasn't." ' This seems like the kind of story where the headline gets people on the 'net all fired up, but the details (or a moment's reflection) suggest there's nothing wrong with it. No one bothers to see anyone around them in public anymore. If you paid money to attend a concert or movie or game, by all means, do whatever you feel like because you paid. Fuck everyone else's experience. Stand on your seat! Yell stupid shit! Bring a goddamn air horn and a cowbell and sit on some other dude's shoulders! USA! USA!

posted by yerfatma at 09:55 AM on October 12, 2006

If you paid money to attend a concert or movie or game, by all means, do whatever you feel like because you paid. Fuck everyone else's experience. Stand on your seat! Yell stupid shit! Bring a goddamn air horn and a cowbell and sit on some other dude's shoulders! All fine and dandy, just hope I donn't have to sit through a movie while you're there.

posted by Folkways at 10:05 AM on October 12, 2006

Very true, yerfatma. She sounds obnoxious. In college, we had a student side and an alumni side. They couldn't have been more different. The students never sat down and were rarely quiet. The alumni side rarely stood and yelled only some time. Perhaps if she changed seats, she could find a group that appreciated her enthusiasm. I do think she would find few people supporting her "Pay them back!" chant when an injured player is lying motionless on the field.

posted by bperk at 10:06 AM on October 12, 2006

I think yerfatma was being sarcastic.

posted by apoch at 10:06 AM on October 12, 2006

Most of the stadium fell quiet when UT cornerback Inky Johnson was injured late in the Air Force game. Not Caldwell. "Pay them back!" she shouted as Johnson lay motionless on the field. That's disrespectful and unsportsmanlike. A ticket to a game is not a free pass to be a Neanderthal.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 10:21 AM on October 12, 2006

Yerfatma is fucking ridiculous! Don't go to the the movies, stay home and watch DVD'S, don't go to a concert, stay at home and listen to your stereo, and never attend a sporting event! I go to my son's football games and I cheer, I'm not obnoxious, but I cheer, I sure in the hell wouldn't want to be sitting next to yerfatma, thats for sure!!!!!!

posted by nay49erfan at 10:24 AM on October 12, 2006

Someone's irony detector must be on the fritz.

posted by psmealey at 10:38 AM on October 12, 2006

Someone's irony detector must be on the fritz Just a touch. I can see cheering to a point, but when you start to interfere with the other people around you, that have also paid to be there, something needs to be done.

posted by jojomfd1 at 10:47 AM on October 12, 2006

yerfatma, man im sorry my movie retort to your original comment caused a meltdown. Someone's irony detector must be on the fritz. Agreed

posted by Folkways at 10:53 AM on October 12, 2006

There's a difference in cheering for your team versus being obnoxious to everyone around you. agreed. I don't think anyone expects someone to be quiet at a football game, but can you imagine someone sitting behind you screaming at the top of their lungs "all the way!" over and over and over and over and over and over......all through the game? When your defense is on the field. When your offense is on the field. During timeouts. During commercial breaks. I would be annoyed too. I think that's all we're talking about here. Heck I get annoyed with the people who insist on standing when nobody in the 50 rows in front of them are standing, but because they are, everyone behind them has to stand just to see the game.

posted by bdaddy at 10:54 AM on October 12, 2006

And are there not sections for rabid cheerers and other sections for more spectatorial (or family-friendly, or whatever) fans? I would imagine that would be easy to set up and kind of important, especially for college sports at places like Tennessee, where there is such a spread of fandom. I would imagine.

posted by chicobangs at 11:02 AM on October 12, 2006

If there's no specific section for fans that have no feel for the ebb and flow of the game and prefer to shout the same stuff at the same volume regardless of the context... then there should be.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 11:05 AM on October 12, 2006

I think we're all missing the obvious question here: Is she hot?

posted by Stu Pidasso at 11:14 AM on October 12, 2006

Someone who is as relentless and constant as that really missed out on their true calling as a professional protestor. Nice cell phone video of her cheering too. I can see why they thought she might be chemically enhanced at the game.

posted by chris2sy at 11:21 AM on October 12, 2006

yerfatma, man im sorry my movie retort to your original comment caused a meltdown. Makes one of us. I love to see that kind of thing. I think we're all missing the obvious question here: Is she hot? I think some of us are missing the obvious action here: click the link. If you then click the picture of her, you'll get the bigger picture. [ed. - suggestion of # of previous occurences of big picture receiving redacted]

posted by yerfatma at 11:40 AM on October 12, 2006

"I don't want to make people miserable. I'm hurt and embarrassed. But I'm also shocked. If you're so "embarrassed" by this, why make a freakin' story out of it? The story said the university has to make several calls such as this each year, so why should she think them contacting her needs to be a newspaper article? They told her what they think, and that she needs to tone it down a bit, so she has to decide for herself if she's going to do that or not. There's a huge difference between cheering and being annoying for four quarters. She needs to be bright enough to understand the difference. Maybe she just needs to get on some medication. I mean, the Vols have a good team and all, but not every move they make is worthy of going crazy to the point you lose control of your bowels.

posted by dyams at 11:44 AM on October 12, 2006

Anybody else get the "please, please, please, please pay attention to me" vibe from this girl?

posted by SummersEve at 11:59 AM on October 12, 2006

Here's the link to the cell phone video: http://web.knoxnews.com/special/loudfan/video.html She seems like some sort of screaming idiot nut job. I wouldn't want to be sitting next to her and I scream myself hoarse at games. I suspect that in many northeastern cities, this would have been handled by the fans sitting around her rather than by team management.

posted by cjets at 12:03 PM on October 12, 2006

"At this point, I don't know if I would feel comfortable going to the games," she said. "I might change my mind for LSU because everybody will be cheering real loud and I'll blend in more." Yea, I'd say so, SummersEve

posted by jmd82 at 12:07 PM on October 12, 2006

Well, that does answer the question about if she's hot or not. She's freakin' HOT with a capital HOT!! Ok. She may be loud but if ur a fan of a certain team and u paid good money for season ticket, who cares what anybody has to say? If I go to a game and there's someone sitting in front of me that's acting similar, I probably will be annoyed but who am I to tell someone that paid to get in just like I did to 'tone it down?' I sure as hell know that if the roles were reversed and I was the one that was aske to 'tone it down', I would first think if I used profanity and second, if any kids were around. If not, I would tell that person to go to hell and then keep doing what I was doing.

posted by BornIcon at 12:08 PM on October 12, 2006

A ticket to a game is not a free pass to be a Neanderthal. DrJohnEvans, as a Neanderthal I take deep exception to that comment and demand an apology. I'm not a stupid caveman.

posted by irunfromclones at 12:10 PM on October 12, 2006

She's freakin' HOT with a capital HOT!! BI, I want to give you the benefit of the doubt because we're fellow Met fans, but she's about as hot as Cheri Oteri's cheerleader character in SNL. And even more annoying.

posted by cjets at 12:14 PM on October 12, 2006

Wow...after watching the video, I have an urge to fly to TN and slap her myself. I'm all for being enthusiastic, but if she's like that for the whole game, somebody needs to check her meds.

posted by ctal1999 at 12:32 PM on October 12, 2006

...she's about as hot as Cheri Oteri's cheerleader character in SNL cjets: So ur saying u don't like Cheri Oteri? I think she pretty damn cute too. Especially with the cheerleading skirt on. Makes me wanna play with her pom-poms.

posted by BornIcon at 12:36 PM on October 12, 2006

To each his own, BI

posted by cjets at 12:37 PM on October 12, 2006

Tru indeed. We still have the Mets brah. We kick ass tonite. LET'S GO METS!!!

posted by BornIcon at 12:38 PM on October 12, 2006

...she's about as hot as Cheri Oteri's cheerleader character in SNL cjets: Yummy!

posted by myshtigo at 12:45 PM on October 12, 2006

She may be loud but if ur a fan of a certain team and u paid good money for season ticket, who cares what anybody has to say? Oh, a paying fan has the right to behave however they damn well please? I wasn't aware of this. That changes my whole outlook at sporting events, concerts, etc. Thank you, BornIcon for opening my eyes. By extension, then, that fan at The Palace had every right to throw his beer at a player. And that guy that came onto the field to take the ball from Favre last year, that's OK too. Just supporting their team, showing their enthusiasm for the game. It's all good because they were paying fans. And then I guess that other paying fans could express their annoyance at the obnoxious fans by beating them unconscious with their shoes? Right? Brilliant.

posted by cybermac at 12:59 PM on October 12, 2006

cybermac: That truly was an extreme version of my point. I did not suggest any type of violence in my comments but I can see where ur going with it. If ur a fan and express ur approval or displeasure, that's ur right as a fan. I am not talking about throwing objects or running on to the field of play. That's ur opinion and ur entitled to it, but don't make it seem as if I support violent behavior at sporting events because I don't and if an individual pays for a ticket like everybody else, they can boo, say, jeer or cheer if they want to. By the way, those voices u hear in ur head...don't listen to them.

posted by BornIcon at 01:35 PM on October 12, 2006

With all that jumping up and down, she has to be in great shape. Did anyone else notice the look on the older couples faces? Priceless. I use to go to my high school football games and this lady use to bring a siren that she had to crank. It made the most awful sound. Needless to say, not many sat around her but the ones who did seemed to have a great time.

posted by dbt302 at 01:38 PM on October 12, 2006

BI: When ru going 2 b spelling words n ur posts?

posted by dyams at 01:39 PM on October 12, 2006

dyams: What exactly do u mean?

posted by BornIcon at 01:43 PM on October 12, 2006

can see where ur going with it. If ur a fan and express ur approval or displeasure, that's ur right as a fan. I am not talking about throwing objects or running on to the field of play. That's ur opinion and ur entitled to it,

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 01:53 PM on October 12, 2006

So what ur point? I didn't know this was 9th period English class. Do I have to raise my hand cuz I have to use the restroom?

posted by BornIcon at 02:02 PM on October 12, 2006

It's just hard to follow your point when you butcher the medium you use to express your point.

posted by igottheblues at 02:10 PM on October 12, 2006

Feed the animals! Why not leverage her nuttiness -- get all the loud, obnoxious fans just like her and offer them a seat in a special (perhaps better) section, where they're completely noticeable, on a platform...and contained. If the team can show that they appreciate this kind of fanaticism, then everyone wins.

posted by diastematic at 02:11 PM on October 12, 2006

u = 21st letter of Latin alphabet you = "the pronoun of the second person singular or plural, used of the person or persons being addressed, in the nominative or objective case" ur = "ancient city in southern Mesopotamia, located near the original mouth of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers on the Persian Gulf and close to Eridu" your = "possessive form of you" you're = "contraction of you are" And I don't think I was carrying your argument to an extreme - I was merely following it to its logical conclusion. Someone's being a "paying fan" does not give them license to act outside of social norms.

posted by cybermac at 02:15 PM on October 12, 2006

Re: the "ur" issue To paraphrase the great Edie McClurg as Grace in Ferris Bueller's Day Off: (Using "ur" and "u") makes you like an ass is what it does, BI.

posted by wfrazerjr at 02:30 PM on October 12, 2006

Is this world full of a bunch of uptight bastards?

posted by SDM at 02:41 PM on October 12, 2006

This one is touchy. She is most assuredly within her rights, but is equally assuredly one of the most annoying people I've ever heard. Frankly, I think the other people beating her to death with their shoes is thus far, the best idea. But BornIcon, I would suggest that the "every person is entitled to do what they do with the price of a ticket (short of violence)" scenario is no good for the organization - they have customers complaining about their experience and a good organization is necessitated to take appropriate action.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:44 PM on October 12, 2006

In my experience, people who "cheer" like this chick are less knowledgeable about the sport they are spectating and therefore have to alleviate their boredom/lack of understanding by being a disrespectful idiot. I'm all for doing whatever it takes to encourage fans to be fun and respectful, but then I can barely tolerate booing, so I may not be the best barometer.

posted by cardsfan at 02:44 PM on October 12, 2006

We have all had to put up with the leather lunged person who yells the same dumb thing over and over until that person passes out or gets tired of the "stinkeye" that the rest of us are giving them. It's usually because 1. they are drunk, 2. they are showing off their keen knowledge of the game, 3. it is their first ever event, 4. they are just unaware of the common decency that is the norm. "Do and say/yell whatever you want but don't make your neighbors uncomfortable." As I'm typing this I am reminded of one of the 6-10 fans that attend Tampa Bay Devil Rays games. He sits behind the plate and is always yelling at the top of his lungs. He's always there. I can't understand what he is saying over the TV but I conclude that his verbal encouragement is not helping anybody--but I do notice him.

posted by Termite at 02:50 PM on October 12, 2006

Her cheering like that is not really fair to the other fans nearby who will be hit by pieces of her after she explodes from being caught in an endless-spirit-feedback-loop either.

posted by chris2sy at 02:53 PM on October 12, 2006

(Using "ur" and "u") makes you like an ass is what it does, BI. Now it's getting personal. The only asses are the people that make a big deal out of nothing. Stick with the subject at hand and move it along.

posted by BornIcon at 02:53 PM on October 12, 2006

I can't understand what he is saying over the TV but I conclude that his verbal encouragement is not helping anybody i'm pretty sure you're talking about the heckler.

posted by goddam at 02:58 PM on October 12, 2006

It speaks to how badly Tampa needs fans that he is allowed to continue. My favorite part is when his wife is with him: she usually reads a book or from a binder or something. In my observations, he picks one player on the opposite team and rides him all night and it's always the same guy all season. For the Red Sox, I think he always picks the second baseman: I remember it starting with Todd Walker, then Bellhorn. Not sure if he picked on Loretta or not. Does he do the same thing with other teams? goddam, I will never forgive you for that link. I hate that man, I hate that he is celebrated and I hate that he likes himself even a little bit. Miserable prick.

posted by yerfatma at 03:05 PM on October 12, 2006

From goddam's link: ...is officially Heckler Day, and the first 5,000 fans will receive free megaphones. Let's hope UT doesn't have one of those days and Victoria Caldwell does not get her hands on a megaphone. I get the impression she was the girl in high school who was gunning to be the head cheerleader but never made it.

posted by MrFrisby at 03:15 PM on October 12, 2006

Stick with the subject at hand and move it along. This isn't an instant message mentoring session with Mark Foley. Take the time to form entire words or get used to ridicule.

posted by rcade at 03:26 PM on October 12, 2006

gd, Thanks for the background on "the heckler". He is the guy I was talking about and your link makes him more likeable--to me anyway. I often attend Angel games with one or both of my daughters and respect that he keeps the language clean and topical. I sure wouldn't want to sit near him though.

posted by Termite at 03:27 PM on October 12, 2006

I often attend Angel games with one or both of my daughters and respect that he keeps the language clean and topical. I sure wouldn't want to sit near him though. You might be singing a different tune if you were going to Devil Rays games.

posted by bperk at 03:39 PM on October 12, 2006

I instantly thought of this guy.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 03:49 PM on October 12, 2006

This isn't an instant message mentoring session with Mark Foley. *spit take* I hate that man, I hate that he is celebrated and I hate that he likes himself even a little bit. Miserable prick. Seconded.

posted by Ufez Jones at 03:51 PM on October 12, 2006

Take the time to form entire words or get used to ridicule. That's exactly what I mean. As for the video of this gal, I'd be completely embarrassed to be sitting with or near her. Do you see anyone else in that short clip standing or going nuts? No. It was obviously a time in the game when nothing too dramatic was taking place, so for her to be acting like that appears to be uncalled for. If I had season tickets around someone acting in that manner all game, every game, I'd want something done, too. As for her being "Hot," I've got a pretty good idea you wouldn't have to search that stadium too hard to find several thousand women much hotter than her. She therefore doesn't get a pass, in my book, based on good looks.

posted by dyams at 03:59 PM on October 12, 2006

TBH, my thought too, except Robin was way better than the guy in Tampa. And even then I didn't really like him. At least Ficker stuck mainly to signs. They're all pikers compared to the guy who started the John 3:16 sign thing.

posted by yerfatma at 04:08 PM on October 12, 2006

What is it with the SEC? Remember the Cocky-Doodle-Lou flap at Univ. of South Carolina baseball games?

posted by SummersEve at 05:09 PM on October 12, 2006

As long as there is no profanity or racist rhetoric being spouted, then everyone else should sit back and have a laugh at the crazy bitch. She enjoys football, obviously a lot more than the people around her. Fans are supposed to be loud. It sounded like she was just cheering (albeit pretty stupid cheers) for her favorite team. If you want quiet, stay home and watch the game on mute. Otherwise have the balls to ask the lady to shut up or just deal with it. Everyone has choices. Also, she seemed like the type of person who would have responded quite well to a nice " Could you please keep it down a little, you're interupting my enjoyment of the game." She sounded remorseful for bothering the people at the game. It also sounded as if she had no control over how she cheered because she would rather avoid the games then try to attend and watch it quietly. She could come sit in the "Black Hole". The Raiders could use all the support they can get.

posted by LA-4-Life at 05:36 PM on October 12, 2006

SportsFilter: Yerfatma is fucking ridiculous!

posted by jerseygirl at 05:48 PM on October 12, 2006

Finally something we can all agree on. Seriously though, I watched the mobile phone video of the woman and would happily slap her silly. If she wasn't so silly already.

posted by squealy at 06:36 PM on October 12, 2006

She enjoys football, obviously a lot more than the people around her. You're missing the point. She doesn't enjoy football, she enjoys screaming. It takes a hell of a lot of concentration to scream the same thing for three hours: how can you watch a game while doing so? goddam, thanks for the Heckler link. That was great reading.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 06:40 PM on October 12, 2006

As long as there is no profanity . . . everyone else should sit back and have a laugh at the crazy bitch. Yeah.

posted by yerfatma at 06:48 PM on October 12, 2006

Okay, she wasn't drinking or using profanity? How can she be a fan of a team in the SEC then? Anyway, I think it is awsome what she is doing. She is going to a football game to cheer on her team the way she wants to. If she wants to act like an idiot then let her. The only problem I have is with the Pay them back chant. Not at all called for. The way I see it as long as she isn't knocking somebodys drink over or knocking other things over I think it is fine. The Gators cheer pretty well too, so I don't think they would mind having her in the Swamp. Better than going to Death Valley and cheering for the Tigers I think.

posted by kidrayter2005 at 07:06 PM on October 12, 2006

She would be a great Conan O'Brian audience bit.

posted by Joey Michaels at 07:12 PM on October 12, 2006

I was at a game this past weekend, and the woman sitting behind me had a cow bell. She started clanging the goddam thing before the game even started. By the end of the first quarter I was thinking about beating her to death with the fucking thing. About mid-way through the third quarter as I stood up and started to turn around I think her husband knew he was going to have to raise their kids by himself. He took the bell away from her and saved her life. I'm vary sure this this head case would grind on me the same way. By all means stand up and cheer when the rest of the crowd does. But take a hint, when everyone else sits down, it's time for you to sit down and shut the fuck up.

posted by CB900 at 09:46 PM on October 12, 2006

Good point about the fans around her. I've witnessed much worse at Eagle games, that said, usually when appropriate (TD/Take away/big hit/Cowboy injury (calm down it's a joke) you'll see a lot of people acting like that. So why is she doing this alone? It's obviously halftime judging by the behavior of the fans around her. Could you imagine if there was a touchdown, she probably argues with herself over whether she should do the macarena or the cabbage patch. This woman is the equivalent of the recent rise in NFL celebrations that come with a first down, a routine tackle, a successful hand off, a routine block, or any other regular play in which the person completing the play thinks they just single-handedly defeated the bird flu or madcow disease. There's no need to watch the game, glance over at her every once in a while, if she indicates grand mal seizure activity, you know they scored a touchdown.

posted by Bishop at 05:15 AM on October 13, 2006

Bishop, as a fellow Philadelphian, this woman would be wearing soda if she acted like this at every Eagles game. Like you said, cheer when appropriate. Judging by those around her, she's just randomly screaming. Watching the video again, it looks to me like she doesn't enjoy cheering, she just needs to be the center of attention, positive or negative. Look how she stops for a sec, like, "is everyone looking at me? Okay, good." And then she continues. UT could have called in this guy from this classic internet clip. (Note: painful video, no blood or anything, but may not be for the squeamish)

posted by SummersEve at 05:31 AM on October 13, 2006

rcade: People like u need to get a life. If the only thing u have to worry about is whether someone spelled out the word YOU or not then I applaud u. I don't give a shit if u try an 'ridicule' me since 1. I get to give my opinion just like everybody else an 2. I could care less about what u have to say unless it has to do with a sport commentry. Like DeNiro in Analyze This: Uuuuuu!!!!

posted by BornIcon at 06:15 AM on October 13, 2006

From the guidelines, "• And (again) keep the spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes to a minimum. Over use of caps, exclamation points, italics, bold, and aol-speak are discouraged. Take pride in what you are writing.. Take pride in what you are writing. The world is paying attention."

posted by apoch at 06:28 AM on October 13, 2006

I don't give a shit if u try an 'ridicule' me since . . . ur a site mod. LOL!!

posted by yerfatma at 06:38 AM on October 13, 2006

rcade: People like u need to get a life. If the only thing u have to worry about is whether someone spelled out the word YOU or not then I applaud u. I don't give a shit if u try an 'ridicule' me since 1. I get to give my opinion just like everybody else an 2. I could care less about what u have to say unless it has to do with a sport commentry. Like DeNiro in Analyze This: Uuuuuu!!!! Comment icon posted by BornIcon at 6:15 AM CDT on October 13 Your belligerence is just going to get you banned faster.

posted by jerseygirl at 07:01 AM on October 13, 2006

jerseygirl: Belligerence? You have people on here that nit-pick over nothing but I'm the one being belligerent? Apparently, people can understand what I'm saying but because I so happen to shorten ONE word (YOU/U), they have a problem. You honestly think I'm worried about being banned? PLEASE!!! I am not disrespecting anyone or am having verbal wars with people. If someone decides to try and bash me over the littlest things, I find that rather disturbing. Don't you? This is NOT a newspaper where there's an editor dictating what's to be said and how to say it or even how to spell it. This is an online site where people from all over the world can come together and express their love or hate about certain subjects. If you don't like what I have to say, that's your right. Just like it's my right to continue to spell things out the way that I want to. If people are having a hard time with the way I write, that's a problem for you to deal with...not me!

posted by BornIcon at 07:31 AM on October 13, 2006

Bottom line: We have site guidelines and you're going against them. Purposely. In your belligerence, you went and rubbed your "Nah nah, I can write however I want!" in the face of rcade, the owner of SpoFi and a site mod. Smooth move.

posted by jerseygirl at 07:42 AM on October 13, 2006

if u try an 'ridicule' me since 1. I get to give my opinion just like everybody else an 2. I could care less Dude, you remind me of a young me. Save yourself now before it's to late. They will pimpslap you off the walls around here and delete your response for good measure. Run for the hills an don't take it personal. SE, that guy got disrespected. I translated what he said: 1st guy: "Cowboys are better than the Eagles". 2nd guy:>>>>foot to ass<<<< 1st guy: 1+1=3

posted by Bishop at 07:47 AM on October 13, 2006

I never saw theses 'site guidelines' and I in no way 'rubbed my "Nah nah, I can write however I want!" Am I suppose to know that rcade is the owner of SpoFi and a site mod? I am just here to write my opinions and instead of someone saying, 'Please be aware that we have to write out every word' I get bashed. And no jerseygirl, it wasn't purposely as you suggested. I have been on this site since June and not one person has brought this up to me until now. Now that I know, can we please just keep it moving? Thanks for the advice Bishop, much appreciated.

posted by BornIcon at 07:51 AM on October 13, 2006

As soon as I saw (71) comments I knew this thread was going somewhere fun. Nice work BI.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:04 AM on October 13, 2006

Thanks Mr Bismarck. I try.

posted by BornIcon at 08:10 AM on October 13, 2006

the recent rise in NFL celebrations that come with a first down I used to watch Patriots games at a "Boston bar" in Santa Monica. After a while I had to stop going there because EVERY time the Pats got a first down some regular would stand up, signal like the referee, and bellow "FIRST DOWN" usually accompanied by a host of fellow schmos. I mean, I'm glad they got a first down too, but Jesus Christ. instead of someone saying, 'Please be aware that we have to write out every word' I get bashed Actually I think people already tried to subtly suggest you work on your style but it flew over your head. Frankly I think when you bust onto the site with little regard for existing mores you deserve a few scathing comments. Now you know. And knowing is half the battle!

posted by Venicemenace at 08:20 AM on October 13, 2006

I try. Quit abbreviating "I" would you icon? Seriously, spell out "Eye" or hit the road. Sheesh, some people never learn.

posted by SummersEve at 08:23 AM on October 13, 2006

I get to give my opinion just like everybody else ... That's not how this works. We dump newbies if they don't make an effort to follow the rules, and one of the rules here is don't treat SportsFilter like an AOL chatroom. I'll cut you some slack since you didn't know I'm one of the moderators and you clearly like the place, but please stop with the U and UR stuff. It makes your comments harder to read and encourages other people to do it.

posted by rcade at 08:33 AM on October 13, 2006

Ironically enough, this is pretty much the same reason that Tennessee fan is being ostracized. Every community has norms. If you don't follow them, you're going to catch hell.

posted by rcade at 08:36 AM on October 13, 2006

Quit abbreviating "I" would you icon? Seriously, spell out "Eye" or hit the road. Sheesh, some people never learn That seems to be the next step. Actually I think people already tried to subtly suggest you work on your style but it flew over your head Actually, no Venicemenace. No one subtly suggested anything. On that link you put up, they were talking about how long that paragraph I wrote was. This seems to be a complete waste of my time to continue writing about this. Why is so hard for people to let things go? By the way, stop quoting G.I Joe. How old are you, 12?

posted by BornIcon at 08:40 AM on October 13, 2006

Age is no reason to stop quoting G.I Joe. "Dessssssstroooooo!!!" "Cobra Commander your bumbling has led the Joes right to us!!"

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:47 AM on October 13, 2006

What self-respecting 12 year old is peeping GI Joe nowadays? Have you seen the debacle that is GI Joe Sigma 6? Who thought kids would be interested in a show about quality methodology implementation? It's quite adult-oriented nowadays. I completely lost track of time watching the episode where Snake Eyes single-handedly frustrated Destro and Cobra Commander by leveraging small efficiencies throughout the organization to reap huge productivity gains and a positive ROI. Zartan turned six shades of green.

posted by yerfatma at 08:48 AM on October 13, 2006

Fun fact: Zartan belongs to the Wikipedia list of Fictional Australians, along with Dame Edna, Crocodile Dundee and Jocko.

posted by yerfatma at 08:50 AM on October 13, 2006

umm...how did you know that was G.EYE. Joe? just foolin......opps......fooling...sorry. BI, a few acceptions around here. 1.IMO-in my opinion 2.IMHO-in my humble opinion 3.OTOH-on the other hand 4.gal-girl/ im not sure about this one....judges? I found all of these made posts harder to read until I figured out what they meant. Ironicly, u/you was the easy one.

posted by Bishop at 08:50 AM on October 13, 2006

I don't accept any of those, but I'm willing to make an exception. </dickery>

posted by yerfatma at 09:06 AM on October 13, 2006

Thanks Bishop but I actually knew what those acronyms meant believe it or not. It just bothers me that people can actually make a big deal about me shortening the word You with U than they have about that 'Coach' that paid to have that autistic kid beaned. For the very last time, I apologize if I hurt anyone's feeling for not writing out the word YOU. For now on, before I go to sleep and the moment I wake up, I will whip myself with a bullrope for my disrespect. Please, I am just your humble servant and did not know any better. Please don't sweep away the crumbs from the floor, that was my dinner. By the way, when I was a younger, G.I. Joe, Transformers, He-Man and Voltron were my favorite. Oh yeah, and Thundercats.

posted by BornIcon at 09:09 AM on October 13, 2006

Yeah... this isn't helping your case with rcade.

posted by jerseygirl at 09:13 AM on October 13, 2006

And your point being is what JG? That I need a lawyer? I had no malicious intent and it seems to me that your enjoying yourself way too much on this. You're just being an instigator. Let it go.

posted by BornIcon at 09:14 AM on October 13, 2006

It just bothers me that people can actually make a big deal about me shortening the word You with U than they have about that 'Coach' that paid to have that autistic kid beaned Logical fallacies are another no-no 'round these annoying parts.

posted by yerfatma at 09:17 AM on October 13, 2006

And it just keeps going....and going....and going.... This subject has run it course, like beating on a dead horse. I know you like that.

posted by BornIcon at 09:19 AM on October 13, 2006

I'm really not the right messenger for this message, but I'll give it a try. BornIcon, the guidelines were updated over the summer -- a discussion took place in the Locker Room, to which all spofi members have access. I don't know if it showed up as a sidebar on the front page -- I don't pay as much attention to the sidebar as I should, since it's used for announcements that are of general interest. So while you certainly should have read both the guidelines and the new user message before you joined the site, unless I'm way off my dates, this particular change took place after you joined. Now...about that guideline. You've used a lot of wildly exaggerated out-to-get-me phrasings in your responses about the "u/you" thing, which are really not called for. "U/ur", "lol" and other forms of AOL-speak don't get a good reception here for reasons that I'll try to explain if you're interested in listening to them, rather than raging about how ridiculous they are. Personally, I find that I'm in a better position to judge how ridiculous a reason is once I've heard what it is, but YMMV. But the point is this: when someone uses "u" and "ur" and "lol" and other AOLese here, the reaction is like what you'd get if you had spinach on your teeth. In some cultures, perhaps spinach on the teeth is a fashion plus, but here, people think it makes you look bad. So, rather than scream, "You've got spinach on your teeth! You look like a jerk! Hahahahaha!", they try to drop the hint so that you can do something about it on your own, without drawing more attention to the fact that you look bad. And people really have been trying to drop this hint, which you didn't pick up on -- so now they're saying, "Dude. You got spinach on your teeth." Now, if you were in a room full of people and someone told you you had spinach on your teeth, what would your reaction be? To quietly remove it, or scream about how uptight this person was for telling you you had spinach on your teeth? People have just been trying to hand you a clue. If they were really trying to mock you over the thing, trust me, you'd know the difference.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:19 AM on October 13, 2006

Dude, cut the shit. People called you out on a small guidelines thing. You didn't know about it, you didn't know rcade was a mod, now you know all of the above. rcade said he'd cut you some slack for this instance. Everything should be cool and copacetic. And yet, you're making it a big fucking deal by attempting to martyr yourself with your dramatic comments and illogical attempts to draw parallels between your minor guidelines faux pas and the Coach bean thread. You asked people to move on from this earlier after admitting you didn't know about rcade or the guidelines, and you can't even do that. Let it fucking die. Stop making snarky little shit comments after about breadcrumbs and being so mistreated.

posted by jerseygirl at 09:29 AM on October 13, 2006

Yeah... this isn't helping your case with rcade. Actually, the part about eating crumbs for dinner did help a little. I laughed out loud.

posted by rcade at 09:35 AM on October 13, 2006

Surely you meant LOL. Unless you fell out of your chair, and then it's ROFL. And of course, if your ass fell off in the process of chortling, it's ROFLMAO. (sarcasm. No lolling and rofling around here, please.)

posted by jerseygirl at 09:38 AM on October 13, 2006

Let it fucking die. Stop making snarky little shit comments What do you think I have been trying to do? If you don't like my "snarky little shit comments", why is everyone on here for anyways? To make "snarky little shit comments" just like you. I appreciate the useful information LBB, I really do. Honestly, I am all for people being on the same page and did not mean to come across as some know-it-all jerkoff, because I sure as hell don't know it all (the jerkoff part maybe). Sincerely, thank you to all that has helped me understand the verbage used here, LBB and Bishop in particular. Thank you. Everyone else, thank you as well for showing your face. By the way, I love Jersey!! Thanks rcade, I knew there were people on here with a sense of humor and I apologize to you too. But didn't you mean LOL?

posted by BornIcon at 09:51 AM on October 13, 2006

...some regular would stand up, signal like the referee, and bellow "FIRST DOWN" usually accompanied by a host of fellow schmos. Venice, I think they are just emulating the behavior at Foxboro. What usually happens is that the PA announcer gives the synopsis of the play (ball carrier, tackler, etc.), then says something to the effect of, "The play results in a Patriot's..." At this point, the crowd responds with FIRST DOWN. I agree that this would be a bit overbearing in a bar, but I can understand where it comes from.

posted by Howard_T at 11:03 AM on October 13, 2006

Thanks for the enlightenment Howard - the guy usually blurts some unintelligible string of words before yelling "First Down" and I could never figure out what it was. Unfortunately, the Pats offense has generally looked like crap this year against any D worth its salt, so it's a rather rare phenomenon in 2006, I expect.

posted by Venicemenace at 11:16 AM on October 13, 2006

You want to know how you handle crazy-cheer girl? Every time she stands up or tries to yell something when there is no reason to do so, take out one of those airhorns and blast it right beside her head. If she stops, you stop. She starts up again (unecessarily), you start again. If she complains, just tell her you are providing "musical accompaniment" to her cheering.

posted by grum@work at 12:16 PM on October 13, 2006

And make sure to film it, because that would be awesome.

posted by tron7 at 12:58 PM on October 13, 2006

If she complains, just tell her you are providing "musical accompaniment" to her cheering. Seems like it would give more weight to that claim if you used several horns, of different tones.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:22 PM on October 13, 2006

I don't know about that. How many notes do you need before it can be called music? Five? Two? One? None? John Cage would have a field day with this idea.

posted by chicobangs at 01:26 PM on October 13, 2006

...take out one of those airhorns and blast it right beside her head. The problem with this approach, as attractive as it might be, is that having an air horn will likely get you removed from the stadium. You also might get sued for causing her to go deaf.

posted by Howard_T at 03:07 PM on October 13, 2006

A stun gun comes to mind.

posted by CB900 at 03:44 PM on October 13, 2006

But the point is this: when someone uses "u" and "ur" and "lol" and other AOLese here, the reaction is like what you'd get if you had spinach on your teeth. In some cultures, perhaps spinach on the teeth is a fashion plus, but here, people think it makes you look bad. So, -- so now they're saying, "Dude. You got spinach on your teeth." You should also ask the person if the spinach is from California, if it has been washed and sanitized, and if they would like an unrefrigerated carrot juice shooter to accompany their spinach.

posted by tommybiden at 04:01 PM on October 13, 2006

I don't know about that. How many notes do you need before it can be called music? Five? Two? One? None? Many death-metal bands only play one note, which, surprisingly, sounds like an air horn. However, I agree. I'd bring one of those trumpet-mufflers and get creative with it.

posted by grum@work at 05:03 PM on October 13, 2006

the woman sitting behind me had a cow bell Must have been a stupid Sacramento Kings fan.

posted by LA-4-Life at 06:01 PM on October 13, 2006

Must have been a stupid Sacramento Kings fan. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! </sarcasm>

posted by avogadro at 11:14 AM on October 14, 2006

Must have been a stupid Sacramento Kings fan. Yeah, 'cause Laker fans would never do anything stupid.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 03:00 PM on October 14, 2006

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