We all have allegiances to our favorite teams. Whether it is where we were born, what our parents dressed us in as a kid or whatever team captured our interest at a young age, these allegiances run deep. How else could some cheesy college fight song written in the 1920s make a grown man cry? Unfortunately, other people out there love to cheer against our beloved teams. It's those darn other teams that keep our team from hoisting the trophy year after year, much to the delight of our adversaries. Hence comes the phenomenon known as trash talk.
I am always amazed how people think they can go up to somebody they barely know and diss their team. I can't think of another way to get somebody to dislike you! I also find it odd that people will trash talk somebody who has never dissed their team before. And I am not talking just a "Go team!" but downright mean, go for the jugular type of trashtalk. I think there should be some guidelines to trash talk so here it is, Culture Girl's guide to Trash Talk Etiquette.
1-Only trash talk with people you have trash talked with before and you know have the personality to take it. As much as I hate to admit it, I take trash talk personally and that is why I keep my mouth shut 90% of the time my team is playing. Heck, most people don't even know who my favorite teams are. So please, unless I just totallly dissed your team please leave me alone.
2-Phone calls to the other fan when it is certain their team is going to lose is cold. This is why 90% of the time the phone will go unanswered and messages will be deleted immediately. Losing hurts and that should be respected. There was a guy who had a crush on me back in the day. One of his ways he would flirt with me was to call me and laugh at me when my team was about to lose. Seriously. Needless to say, nothing materialized between me and that guy.
3-If it is somebody you care about, butter them up. I love this technique. This is how my sister in law trash talks. She will say something, and then end it with a "Love you!" Of course, she has to do this because I think every team we cheer for has a rivalry and we would constantly be at each other's throats if she didn't. This is what happens when a midwesterner like me marries into a family from the south. Which brings me to my next point.
4-Remember that different regions cheer differently. Southerners are the most rabid fans you will ever meet and they will fight you to the death if you try to trash talk with them. West coast people are rather laid back and probably don't even care if they win or lose. Even when they have the best team in the country! The rest of us fall somewhere in between. So pick your battles wisely.
5-Completely ignore drunk people. They probably won't even remember what they said the next day so don't even bother with them.
6-Keep in mind that in the heat of the game, people do say things that they would not normally say in the real world. In real life, I am a very laid back person. But in a serious game, I have said things that have made my husband look at me and say, "Who are you?" So be forgiving in these instances. Also, playoffs bring the intensity to a whole new level. Suddenly, you hate a team you never hated before simply because they are in the way of you and the title. Of course, those of us who cheer for college football have no idea what that is like because we have never had a playoff before.
So there you have. Now go out and have fun the next time you watch a game and don't let those other people bother you. And last but not least, GO THUNDER!
Live life to the fullest,
Culture Girl
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