3 truths about Arizona sports (from a native)

[TigToad]

I love Arizona. I was born here and am a big fan of the Dbacks & Suns. I am ridiculously passionate about the Cardinals. However, I've come to three conclusions about Arizonans that don't thrill me.

1. We can't drive in the rain.

2. Even the people who have lived here most of their life don't consider themselves Arizonans.

3. We don't know how to appreciate our sports teams - win or lose

The dbacks get us a world series and cannot sell out... even our precious Suns (truly the sports golden child in Phoenix) make it to a NBA final and have countless very good teams in a row, get criticized constantly. Man, those Suns made the NBA final game and won 50+ for several years... yeah, but they can't sell out when Kevin Johnson and Barkley left, until we started winning 50 again.

Do not be surprised if the Cardinals fans, true fans or our newest band wagon members...(welcome aboard by the way - I don't mind if you're new - but I'll talk behind your back when you turn away when things aren't as cheery)... anyway, don't be surprised when the 'fans' belittle the accomplishments of this team. Its an Arizonan trait.

The dbacks won the world series... yes, but Kim almost blew it with those blown saves.

The Cardinals 'almost' blew those last two games. We may have a 4 game lead (really 5 with tie breakers now in our pocket), but, but, but...

My call to all of you native Arizonans. Watch a Cubs fan or a Mets fan (or think back to Red Sox fans a few years ago)... they are passionate about their team. Its called being a fan. (Please ignore the Yankees fan, they are spoiled and should be treated as such)

My call to all of our transplants who are here for the long haul and are checking out the Cardinals. Welcome to Arizona, I hope you make the home town team yours. Bring that old school passion with you and transfer it to some of the natives.

Whatever else, cheer loud at home guys.

 

[Skkorpion]

1. You are being too harsh but it is true we can't drive in the rain.

2. Everybody who moves here permanently moves here twice. The first move here lasts only a few years before missing the seasons, hating the hot summers, and family pressures sends the mover back home. Then after two winters of freezing, scraping ice of windshields, they realize they miss Az and move back here permanently.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Cubs and Mets fans have also been living in that city and cheering on that team for generations. Only the Suns have a fan base that has a team that has been here longer than a generation.

The teams haven't been here long enough (other than the Suns) and they haven't won enough to entice the fans to cheer on the shorter franchises.

Throw in the fact that most of the people from AZ aren't originally from AZ and therein lies the dilemma. Lets say that a job relocation forced me to move to Chicago. I wouldn't become a Cubs/Bears fan right away. My Suns/Cards allegiences would probably stay forever. I'd say most feel the same way about their teams as I do.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I have lived half of my life in So Cal (12 years) and half my life in Az (12 years) and consider myself a Arizonan. I have since moved to South Florida 3 years ago and am more a die hard of my Phoenix based teams then I ever have been.

The internet and Direct TV are a wonderful thing

But to say we are to harsh on our teams is kind of crazy. Most other cities (fan base and media) are waaay more harsh on their teams.

 

[Duckjake]

anyway, don't be surprised when the 'fans' belittle the accomplishments of this team. Its an Arizonan trait.

The dbacks won the world series... yes, but Kim almost blew it with those blown saves.

The Cardinals 'almost' blew those last two games. We may have a 4 game lead (really 5 with tie breakers now in our pocket), but, but, but...

Well its hard to blame Cardinal fans. To paraphrase Jackson Browne; Its just that we've been losing so long.

On the other hand I don't see why people, especially newer fans, are worried about the Cards blowing this season based on history. They haven't done that since 1988.

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

2. Even the people who have lived here most of their life don't consider themselves Arizonans.

lol, I was born in Phoenix, lived in AZ till I was 11
Lived the latter part of my childhood, and most of my adult life in Reno, NV and when people ask me where I'm from I always answer AZ !!

I would be back in a second if my Wife wasn't so close to her folks.

 

[TigToad]

Alright, I should clarify by what i mean as 'harsh'.

I was sitting in a restaraunt right after the Rams win. The family in the next booth kept talking about the Cardinals game. One of the people was recapping the game for the others and the other 3 people kept interjecting comments like "Does anyone root for the Cardinals?" or "Don't we have some good wide receivers now?"

The generic Arizona sports fan, barely cares enough to raise their head when the Cardinals are mentioned. The Diamondbacks get a bit more support, but the team is usually addressed in negative connotations. Maybe its that way in other sports cities, too... I guess I don't know. I have a lot of friends who are fans of out-of-state teams because that is where they are from. The attitude of other fan bases is always in terms of what their team can do from here on out, not idling on the failings or expected failings of their teams.

It just never seems that way in Phoenix. I wrote this after reading several threads where the posters were making commentary about how we were lucky to get these wins and the parts of our game we don't have... as proof of the incoming collapse.

I just wish, A: there were more true fans (and I know I'm preaching to the choir on this board.. thats why I read here every day) and B: there was more optimism about this team (but we can't even be upbeat about the Cardinals without chorus calls of kool-aid being drunk).

Ah well, go Cardinals. I know that my students have to put up with my having no voice 10 days a year (the Monday after Cardinals home games) and I know the stadium is finally loud and proud (even if we're still being told to sit down by the stadium monitors while "RED SEA RISE" is flashing on the scoreboards.

 

[Duckjake]

The attitude of other fan bases is always in terms of what their team can do from here on out, not idling on the failings or expected failings of their teams.

Read some other teams message boards and you'll find that isn't true. There are fans of the baseball Cardinals who complained about the team and LaRussa vehemently during the 2006 Championship season and the Cards are one of the most successful sports franchises in history.

Fans of other teams are just like us, with one glaring exception. Their team probably hasn't had only one winning season since 1987. I don't care how much you wish people would forget the past it isn't going to happen.

As a counterpoint to what you have said about the fans: I have been flying out to the games since 1990. For most of that time I wouldn't see anyone anywhere sporting Cardinal gear except at the stadium on Sunday. The people at the Golf courses were shocked when they'd see my Cardinal Golf Bag and didn't even know the Cards had a game that Sunday. You couldn't even find Cardinal stuff for sale other than at the team store. Bickley once wrote an article on how you could outfit a family of four for $25 in Cardinal apparel. The department stores at the mall would have entire sections dedicated to the Dallas Cowboys. You couldn't give away tickets.

Now I see people everywhere with Cardinal t-shirts and caps. You can find Cardinal stuff at stores all over the Valley. The people at the golf courses see my bag and want to talk about the team. Young people by the thousands have started coming to the games. A fan base that by 2003 had almost disappeared. So what if their jerseys still have the tags on them they're at the game and making noise.

I'm really happy with the way Arizona has reacted to the new Cardinals.

 

[Skkorpion]

Read some other teams message boards and you'll find that isn't true. There are fans of the baseball Cardinals who complained about the team and LaRussa vehemently during the 2006 Championship season and the Cards are one of the most successful sports franchises in history.

Fans of other teams are just like us, with one glaring exception. Their team probably hasn't had only one winning season since 1987. I don't care how much you wish people would forget the past it isn't going to happen.

As a counterpoint to what you have said about the fans: I have been flying out to the games since 1990. For most of that time I wouldn't see anyone anywhere sporting Cardinal gear except at the stadium on Sunday. The people at the Golf courses were shocked when they'd see my Cardinal Golf Bag and didn't even know the Cards had a game that Sunday. You couldn't even find Cardinal stuff for sale other than at the team store. Bickley once wrote an article on how you could outfit a family of four for $25 in Cardinal apparel. The department stores at the mall would have entire sections dedicated to the Dallas Cowboys. You couldn't give away tickets.

Now I see people everywhere with Cardinal t-shirts and caps. You can find Cardinal stuff at stores all over the Valley. The people at the golf courses see my bag and want to talk about the team. Young people by the thousands have started coming to the games. A fan base that by 2003 had almost disappeared. So what if their jerseys still have the tags on them they're at the game and making noise.

I'm really happy with the way Arizona has reacted to the new Cardinals.

That is exactly what is happening. As a non-resident but frequent visitor, if duck sees it, you can just about bank on his report being accurate.

 

[CardLogic]

Just don't expect the noobs to know the Cardinals the way that most of this board does...

There are fans and there are fanatics! ASFN is comprised of the latter.

 

[chicards11]

I love Arizona. I was born here and am a big fan of the Dbacks & Suns. I am ridiculously passionate about the Cardinals. However, I've come to three conclusions about Arizonans that don't thrill me.

1. We can't drive in the rain.

2. Even the people who have lived here most of their life don't consider themselves Arizonans.

3. We don't know how to appreciate our sports teams - win or lose

The dbacks get us a world series and cannot sell out... even our precious Suns (truly the sports golden child in Phoenix) make it to a NBA final and have countless very good teams in a row, get criticized constantly. Man, those Suns made the NBA final game and won 50+ for several years... yeah, but they can't sell out when Kevin Johnson and Barkley left, until we started winning 50 again.

Do not be surprised if the Cardinals fans, true fans or our newest band wagon members...(welcome aboard by the way - I don't mind if you're new - but I'll talk behind your back when you turn away when things aren't as cheery)... anyway, don't be surprised when the 'fans' belittle the accomplishments of this team. Its an Arizonan trait.

The dbacks won the world series... yes, but Kim almost blew it with those blown saves.

The Cardinals 'almost' blew those last two games. We may have a 4 game lead (really 5 with tie breakers now in our pocket), but, but, but...

My call to all of you native Arizonans. Watch a Cubs fan or a Mets fan (or think back to Red Sox fans a few years ago)... they are passionate about their team. Its called being a fan. (Please ignore the Yankees fan, they are spoiled and should be treated as such)

My call to all of our transplants who are here for the long haul and are checking out the Cardinals. Welcome to Arizona, I hope you make the home town team yours. Bring that old school passion with you and transfer it to some of the natives.

Whatever else, cheer loud at home guys.

a big part of me always believed that Arizona shouldnt have any franchises because of the fickleness (due to lack of interest and lots of transplants)

 

[DemsMyBoys]

Screaming My Head Off

I have been here a little over two years. (A SoCal native.) I LOVE this team.

When I moved here and told people how thrilled I was to have a home-town team to root for everyone lost no time in telling me how awful the Cardinals were.

I paid them no heed.

I love this game and this is MY team. I have the shirts and the hats and a Cardinal flag in front of my house and a decal on my car. And I'm going to my first game on the 7th. (The day Georgia backed up the moving vans I said a sad good-bye to my once-beloved Rams. And I lived near the camp and had many players as neighbors.) I'm going to be screaming my head off for the Cardinals at the game!

And yes, we don't know how to drive in the rain but it's not like we get inundated with the stuff.

 

[Skkorpion]

Welcome to ASFN, Demsmyboys.

 

[Mulli]

I have been here a little over two years. (A SoCal native.) I LOVE this team.

When I moved here and told people how thrilled I was to have a home-town team to root for everyone lost no time in telling me how awful the Cardinals were.

I paid them no heed.

I love this game and this is MY team. I have the shirts and the hats and a Cardinal flag in front of my house and a decal on my car. And I'm going to my first game on the 7th. (The day Georgia backed up the moving vans I said a sad good-bye to my once-beloved Rams. And I lived near the camp and had many players as neighbors.) I'm going to be screaming my head off for the Cardinals at the game!

And yes, we don't know how to drive in the rain but it's not like we get inundated with the stuff.

you rule!