The idea that one team's fans are bigger douchebags than another team's fans is laughable. We're all douchebags in the eyes of our respective opponents. Put another way, we're all the same. Sports fans are fucking insane. Every single one of us.
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This.
Edmonton is Canada's favourite team by virtue of being unknown and not being hated by all three. And actually every Edmonton supporter I personally know is a TFC supporter. It's very difficult to have a hate on for FCE (especially since I'm a Prairie boy). I have a 2nd team in North America, we compete against them, but TFC comes first. But I always have time for FCE guys, unless they're douchebags like Vancouver guys were when I head up (Sorry VanCityRed, you were good shit, but fuck the Caps). I like to think of FCE as being the underdog we're all hoping for - nobody wants Edmonton to fail because it'd be a disaster for the game in Canada, but it's the place most likely to fail.
Yeah...but Shitecaps and Limpact fans are bigger douchebags than us. Less insane too, because we're bigger supporters.
Through all of your highs and lows...where did all these newfound Whitecaps fans come from? How many Montrealers showed up to support the Impact against Real Esteli in 2008?
We will have to agree to disagree on this one I think. From a United perspective, the rivalries with Arsenal and Chelsea are relatively new ones, and don't really burn as deep as the ones with City, Liverpool or Leeds. A lot of the younger fans are more wrapped up in these because they are more familiar with them, but a lot of the older supporters aren't. I have family in England that are United through and through that cheered for Arsenal against Barca in the final. This was pretty common btw.
Anyway, enough on that. My view on all of this (and not directed at you werewolf - just my general view) -
Who cares about what happens in other countries. This is not England or Spain or Italy or Brazil. How they support there teams and treat there rivals has no bearing here. This is Canada, and how people view sports is different. I'm not a fan of trying to do what other countries do for the sake of being authentic.
Personally, I'm neutral on Vancouver. I really only care about how their results benefit TFC. I do think that a strong Vancouver is good for the future of the CMNT though, so that does make a part of me want them to do well.
Whitecaps gave Liverpool Grobelaar.
Cant hate em.
Ha. And they would say the exact same thing about us. Where did all these TFC fans come from? With all due respect to the few hundred (if that?) that supported the Blizzard and the Lynx, where was everyone else? That question applies to me too - I gave sweet fuck all about soccer (besides a casual interest in the World Cup) before I went to my first TFC game in 2008. I guess that makes me a "plastic"? So what? I care now and to me, that's what matters. So I'm pretty dismissive of the "ya, where were ya X years ago?" arguement.
^Yes, the Whitecaps were always there, but the point he's trying to make is that if you are critical about the fact that fans didn't come out en masse until Vancouver had a "big league" team, you can easily say the same about Toronto. Same applies to me - I didn't care about the Lynx/Blizzard at all, but once Toronto was awarded a MLS franchise, I got interested very quickly.
Sorry but that's rubbish, everyone isn't the same. It's a fact that the Rest of Canada dislikes Toronto, therefore a Whitecaps fan is much more likely to hate TFC and act like a douchebag towards us than the reverse. The rivalry with Montreal is more mutual but I'd still suggest even there that they hate us more than we hate them.
I'm making a blanket assessment of douchebaggery - no group of fans has a monopoly on it. I agree with the point you make if we're referring to specifics. Vancouver fans are douchebags to TFC fans, so what? Does that mean that TFC fans have some kind of moral highground to speak from? No, because TFC fans are douchebags in the eyes of a bunch of other supporters and rightly so. Melting chairs in Columbus, anyone? It's a function of passion. The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. Any time you have a group of fans that are passionate about something, douchebaggery is guaranteed. Fact.
I wore my TFC jersey and RPB scarf at Empire Field "that day" and deserved everything I got. Anyone who would expect any different must live in another world. I had ponchos thrown at me. I picked them up, smiled at whoever threw it and said thanks. Big fucking deal. If you want to go and get all offended by stuff like that, fine. But I don't see the point.