Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Dodger Fans Are People, Too

Either a series of backhanded compliments, or an honest attempt to bridge the schism--or both--a blogpost by Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Comical pointed out some of the positives of the Dodgers and our fan base. At core, I think what the author is admitting is, Giants fans envy our knowledge of the game, laidback attitude, announcing team, food fare, and sartorial superiority. Among other things that he conceded.

But Hartlaub also noted Dodgers fans' perspective on the rivalry itself:

5. Dodgers fans very rarely throw beer on Giants fans. I was pretty scrawny when I was in my 20s, and in more than a dozen games wearing Giants colors at Dodgers Stadium, I don't remember anyone seriously messing with me. In my experience, the Giants are much more fixated on hating the Dodgers, and most Dodgers fans like to act as if they don't notice. It's like an elementary school romance that way. No doubt there are exceptions, and the stadium clearly has security problems it needs to work out. But it's way off to brand all Dodger fans as thugs.

I lived in the Bay Area, and San Francisco proper, for almost a decade, and I have always thought that Bay Area fans tend to be much more anxious about the Dodgers-Giants rivalry than Southern Californians. It's reflective of the whole NoCal-SoCal rivalry: NoCal tends to be really uptight, and SoCal understands the differences but can move on as well. So it's telling for me to see a SF columnist characterize the difference similarly.

Any of you share this perspective as well?

28 comments:

MR.F said...

YES. Will type more later, but yes.

spank said...

I'm the exception. I really HATE the fucking Gnats.

Peace Out

Paul said...

I live on the border of No Cal/So Cal and thus like Gahjar in Israel things tend to be a bit more tense here on both sides.

One the only places you will see chain stores have racks of giants garb next to Dodgers garb.

When I was young and attended both Teams' stadiums I really believe the Giants fans were more intense but with the move from the dungeon known as Candlestick to the more corporate Phone Park and the Dodgers drought of winning anything of significance the last decade it seems to have evened out a bit.

NicJ said...

I think it's more of a little brother mentality with the GINTS fanbase. Even with the dodgers struggling as a franchise for the last twenty years or so LA has always been the big dog in the division. I mean the phrase is "beat LA" for a reason right? I've never heard a "beat sf" chant anywhere.

I was hoping that the Gints actually winning a World Series would snap the fanbase out of the losers mentality. As we have seen already with the blowing of $8000 on a banner that nobody saw and the stupid chants being louder than even when you string two hits together despite being down 5 runs in the 8th that doesn't look like it will happen.

MR.F said...

It's not about that Spank. I FUCKING HATE (sorry karina for the foul language) the Giants. Yesterday while watching the game on tv, I felt like a vein in my head was going to burst. I don't know how I can possibly attend a Giants-Dodgers game in SF this year. I hate orange and black. I hate being surrounded by those people. But I at least treat people with respect.

As a Dodger fan who goes to games in SF every year, I hate the shit I get. I don't even know if I get shit anymore or if it's all in my head. All I know is I sat in the bleachers one year with some Dodger Thoughts people and the heckling was so much that one guy left as soon as the game ended without really saying goodbye to us because he couldn't take it anymore (and I don't blame him).

Anyway... yes, the Giants have an inferiority complex. Why do you think they're named the Giants (that joke may or may not have some truth to it)? It's that whole Norcal-Socal thing. Norcalers will not hesitate to say "LA sucks" for no reason. Socalers don't really give a fuck about Norcal. They're happy to live in Socal and don't worry about comparing themselves.

It's the same thing with the Giants and Dodgers. Giants fans chant "Beat LA" like it's the cleverest thing in the world because they hate the Dodgers as much as they like the Giants, if not moreso. Dodgers fans chant things like "Go Dodgers" because they're not insecure about such shit.

Yeah. I FUCKING HATE (sorry karina) the Giants, but I'll still attend a game in SF this year, wearing my Dodgers gear and not talking shit to Giants fans. Because I love the Dodgers more that I'll sit through all that SF shit, even if they suck.

Steve Sax said...

well put, Paul and NicJ and Mr F

Paul said...

"Giants suck" has been more popular around the ravine as of late.

"Beat LA" is everywhere these days. San Diego, Boston, I even heard it a bit at Wrigley in-between them drinking that piss known as Old Style.

Paul said...

I thought the Beat the Bay cups were lame because that seemed like lowering ourselves to the Beat LA marketing that our California rivals partake in.

MR.F said...

Giants fans chant "Beat LA" like they discovered it the way Newton discovered gravity. I've seen their faces up close as they yelled it in my face.

Paul said...

Their face lit up because your hat helped them spell LA Mr. F.

MR.F said...

I also hate how generic "Beat LA" and "LA sucks" is. They could be talking about sports or they could be talking about the LA Philharmonic. It's more evidence that Norcalers just hate Socal and are insecure about it and are transplanting it into the Giants-Dodgers rivalry.

At least "Giants suck" is specific. If I heard "Dodgers suck" at PhoneCo, I'd have more respect for Giants fans.

Fred's Brim said...

Who invented Beat LA? I remember hearing Celtics fans chanting that during one of the NBA finals back in the early 80s.

Pistol Pete Reiser said...

Giants fans are far more prone to thuggish behavior. I see more fights and more beer thrown in SF than I ever see in LA.

Exhibit A: I’ve been shoved (not bumped, not pushed, shoved) twice, from behind, the past two nights while walking to my seat before the game, amidst the throngs and packed walkways – once almost bowling over a very nice lady wearing a Giants jersey I felt so sorry for. She knew I wasn’t responsible, despite my 30 or 40 apologies. Both times, I’ve turned around and the person doing the shoving has slimed his way back into the protection of his posse of 5-6 Giants thugs, rendering any determination as to exactly who did the shoving impossible, while facing a chorus of beer-fueled “Beat LA” chanting and expletive-laden tirades, while kids are within ear-shot. Cowards, I say. Why resort to physical violence, when they don’t even have the balls to follow through on it? Because I’m wearing a Dodgers hat? No, it’s because they’re lame and jealous and used to being beat down and put in their place – on the field, where these things begin and end.

Exhibit B: Waiting for a dog (not a “Giant Dog”, either, I’d rather eat my boots), someone last night is walking down the stadium screaming into the faces of anyone wearing blue, “You should be shot!!!!” Pathetic.

Without a doubt, the overwhelming majority of casual and “serious”* Giants fans are consumed with envy over the Dodgers. Rightly so. It took 50+ years for their blind squirrel to find its nut, so of course they're envious. Even with new bling, a trophy, and all their accolades of late, they're still consumed with the Dodgers.

I think our laid-back attitude absolutely goads them on. Which is really kinda sad. They need to let go, but can't. They're kinda cute that way.

Oh. One other way we dominant them... our park. It’s sooooo much better than Pay Phone/whatever-they’re-calling-it-this-year. Granted, Dodger Stadium’s parking situation totally blows, but, that’s the only way they’ve got us beat, and that’s only because of their proximity to downtown and ferry services. They can never match our house for beauty, weather, awe, or HISTORY. Seriously, in five years, how many average baseball fans across the country are gonna remember the Giants even played in the WS last year??? Those same people are sure as hell gonna remember Gibby’s Shot forever.

* [possible definitions of a “serious” Giants fan: (A) once or twice a week, they can actually see that a curveball looks different from a fastball – but they can’t explain how or why it happens, or which of their pitchers can throw one. (B) They can actually name 4 of their starting 5 pitchers. (C) They once remember hearing the words William Van Launching Pad, but can’t recall who or what that was… (D) They truly, in their hearts, believe that a human head to inflate to the size of a moon of Saturn naturally between the ages of 35-40.]

MR.F said...

You're such a 10, PPR.

Paul said...

@FB

I am pretty sure Boston created the chant.

I saw plenty of Giants fans get hassled on opening day.

Nothing like I have seen in Frisco but it still was annoying that some felt the need to scream at other people at a sporting event.

spank said...

No reply.

Paul said...

Where is my mustache?

Pistol Pete Reiser said...

@ Mr. F

10 year old, maybe.

Heckling's going to happen everywhere. Point is to stay away from dropping f-bombs, threatening behavior, etc - which I've perhaps been fortunate enough to not see go down in LA against Giants fans.

By the way, I HATE when we chant "Giants Suck", or used to chant "Barry Sucks". It's so low-brow, it's beneath us.

spank said...

You heard the man.Where is that woolly thang?

NicJ said...

Boston created te "beat la" chant actually when the 76er's were about to oust Boston from the 1982 eastern conference finals. Celtics fans chanted it to the 76er's players as the game was winding down to urge them to beat the western conference champion Lakers.

Steve Sax said...

NicJ created the "Scooby Doo threads" term all the way back in May 2010.

Orel said...

FUCK (sorry Karina)

Fred's Brim said...

The only credit I will give to Yankee fans is how they regularly outsmart Red Sox fans in Yankee Stadium. I have been to a several Yanks/Sawx games over the years there and I have seen this move a few times. Yankee fans will taunt a Sox fan in the crowd and if they are cool, they are left alone. If they are drunk and try to respond like a drunken asshole (and they usually do, they are Sox fans afterall (sorry Erin)), the Sox fan will be taunted and baited into taking a swing at somebody. At that point, they call security and have the guy booted out.

Fred's Brim said...

^ the final "they" being Yankee fans

Steve Sax said...

@Orel 1:18, why the cursing?

Josh S. said...

So, the origin of "Beat LA" is rather clever, but its current usage is moronic.

Paul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cliff Beefpile said...

I would write something, but Mr. F said it all for me.