Hello Again Casual Penn State Football Fan

Are these the same people that aks you to sit down during a crucial 3rd down defensive play when the players are raising their arms for the fans to rise to the occasion and make some noise?

Gee, I hate those fans!

Hey Mel Kiper.......it isn't strenth......its StrenGth.  :)  

that will talk through the game at the top of their lungs impressing their guests who have never been to a game before with all the misinformation they have about the roster, PSU History, and x's and o's.  :)

Those people who come to the game no matter what the weather or who we play. Celebrate semi responsibly pre and post game. Always displaying their Blue -n- White devotion. Will not leave the stadium until the last second of play has passed. Makes it a point to always walk to Porter Rd to witness the the TEAM buses. Screams as loud as we can for our team at their beckoning. Alway removes their hat during the National Anthem.......WAIT THAT'S ME.......SORRY. you may continue  with the casual fan bashing

I was raised a Penn State fan. I remember seeing them go 0-4 after their home loss to Michigan and I still faithfully drove the 2 1/2 hrs one way to State College knowing they were probably going to get drubbed at the next home game. Now EVERYBODY has their season tickets, and I'm scrounging up anything I can get.

I remember during the dark years I saw an old lady under the south end zone reading a book, yes a book; nothing like an autumn Saturday in Happy Valley with a nice novel...bitch.

In the golden olden days you needed points to get a season ticket (in the 1990s, as it was explained to me, a donation of $3,000 would get you four seats) - after the expansion/during the years that shall not be named, you could get seats with just a "minimum" donation (basically, you needed 5 points to get 4 seats).

Apparently we're back to needing points - There was a 99% renewal of season tickets, I'm guessing that only death caused folks to not invest in season tickets this year.  It's one of the best home schedules we've had in a long time - and with a team that has the potential to win.  I predict that sales will drop next year - that home schedule is ugly - but you never know - win a national championship and...

"down in front" people - there was one lady who actually pulled on my friend's shirt to get her to sit down (oh the anger).

The late great Mr. Hoover used to give the "fair weather fans" a really hard time as they would enter the stands late, and leave early.  

I know that I annoy the fans around me - they've told me so - but they've just as often joined in, so I don't let it bother me (too much).  

Since hosting my own tailgate - I've gotten kinda terrible about being on time - every game I say - we're going in early this week - but then someone shows up late, or whatever - but I get a little psychotic if I miss kickoff.  And, I'll admit that I've left games early (only did that twice during my student years - once because of a hurricane and once because of a boy - so not worth it) to "set up" when we're expecting a big crowd for post-game tailgating - feeble excuses, I know - and I apologize for my transgressions (I'm weak).

Mike, what up!  Love your work, dude. Very dedicated, thorough, and your voice rings true through your blogging.

I won't touch the sit/stand/downinfront issue today in this thread--it has its own issues.  But the term Casual Fan resonates with me big time.  It was created by sportswriters, in an attempt to help themselves feel separated in the kennoledge department from the very readers of their own work, like they needed to remind us that they had access that we don't.  Not all that dissimilar to the sentiments you posted about Charlie Weis. I live in DC, and the Post's Thomas Boswell is the king of this kind of arrogance. So the phrase Casual Fan always rubs me the wrong way.

Your use of it here is a little different (I get the satire part--it was nicely written), but not totally either.  It was nice you made a few concessions to your Casual Fan reader, but is there an assumption that they do read it, or is the intended audience only us in the know as to the starting left guard?

In any case, I get the tone of the post: mostly good-natured teasing, a little derisive, and clearly drawing a line in the sand as to certain levels of fan-ness.  That's the part I'm not down with, regardless of which side of the line I consider myself.  A hundred and ten thousand cats up there on gamedays, there's gonna be heaps of ppl doing it their own way. We don't need that line drawn; we're all looking for the same thing: total Lion domination on the field.  Anyway, sorry if this came off as melodramatic, I've just had a history with that phrase, and I just wanted to put out some more food for thought.  Like I said, I love your work; keep it up, and maybe we'll bump into each other on Porter road some Saturday.