# Surrounded by rival fans: How do you cheer? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 2, 2018, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439 "2018-12-02T08:39:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/1 "2018-12-02T08:39:35Z")
Let’s say that you are in the stadium, or a bar, or some large viewing party, and are an island for your favorite team in the middle of a sea of rival/opposing fans. Do you poke the bear by cheering loudly, or do you tend to go undercover/incognito? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/2 "2018-12-02T08:57:48Z")
If it’s a Euro soccer game, keep your damn mouth shut. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/3 "2018-12-02T13:29:46Z")
Honestly. If I’m a fan of one team, I’m going to cheer when they do something good, even if those around me disagree. That said, there are a lot of teams that I don’t care very much about one way or the other. If I’m watching a game involving those teams, I’ll cheer for whomever the people around me are cheering for. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/4 "2018-12-02T16:23:03Z")
Indeed. In UK football, the answer is “silently”, unless you enjoy getting your face smashed in. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/5 "2018-12-02T16:46:50Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Indeed. In UK football, the answer is “silently”, unless you enjoy getting your face smashed in. What generally happens is that the people around you shout abuse until the stewards drag you out. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/6 "2018-12-02T19:04:43Z")
[Like this?](https://youtu.be/_e24kdjdbtw?t=118) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/7 "2018-12-02T19:14:48Z")
I’m not a fan of any West Coast baseball teams, but if I was a Giants rooter attending a game at Dodger Stadium, I’d probably go with [“incognito”](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-men-plead-guilty-to-2011-beating-at-dodger-stadium/). ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/8 "2018-12-02T20:09:23Z")
I happen to be a fan of some successful teams and I live in the area of their rivals. I try to cheer for my teams with good humor and some respect for the locals. Even though the Bills really are kind of terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/9 "2018-12-02T20:35:26Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I’m not a fan of any West Coast baseball teams, but if I was a Giants rooter attending a game at Dodger Stadium, I’d probably go with [“incognito”](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-men-plead-guilty-to-2011-beating-at-dodger-stadium/). I swear on all that’s holy the first time I read this I thought you said “if I was a giant rooster”. I thought for a moment you were talking about being a mascot or something. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/10 "2018-12-02T20:36:40Z")
Baseball/Yankee Fan: It depends by the city. Boston Low profile, very respectful. But can wear gear. Philly, just don’t root in any way against Philly. Don’t wear gear. Baltimore, might as well be at home, so many Yankee fans at these Games Tampa, actually more Yankee fans than Tampa fans at these games. Elsewhere: Feel safe wearing gear. Cheer respectfully. Nothing dumb. Been to about half the baseball cities for games and both Shea & Citifield. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/11 "2018-12-02T20:43:10Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Baseball/Yankee Fan: It depends by the city. > > Boston Low profile, very respectful. But can wear gear. > Philly, just don’t root in any way against Philly. Don’t wear gear. > Baltimore, might as well be at home, so many Yankee fans at these Games > Tampa, actually more Yankee fans than Tampa fans at these games. > > Elsewhere: Feel safe wearing gear. Cheer respectfully. Nothing dumb. Been to about half the baseball cities for games and both Shea & Citifield. My son was with a high school group in Philadelphia some years back, and (being from the Midwest) they decided to go to the Cardinals-Phillies game the night before their event started. They were _sternly_ warned against wearing Cardinals gear, especially on the train to the stadium. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/12 "2018-12-02T20:43:43Z")
I cheer for my team. I also acknowledge to the locals when their team put one over on my team. It’s a game and I’m there to see athletes perform, first and foremost. That one will win is just kinda incidental to the activity, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/13 "2018-12-03T03:08:54Z")
In Detroit last year, the Lions fans were apologizing for the poor performance of their team, which made them seem… Canadian somehow. Made it harder to get loud for the Steelers plays. Not so hard I didn’t, but hard. In Cincy, it seems we Steeler fans are in the majority anyway ( and in fact are for sure in the last few minutes of each game). No problem cheering there. In Baltimore, I wear some gear, but not full work-up. Only yell for td’s, and somewhat carefully so. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrounded-by-rival-fans-how-do-you-cheer/825439/14 "2018-12-28T14:11:00Z")
Back at the old Comiskey Park in Chicago I attended a game and rooted for the KC Royals, my team. I was fairly safe because I was with a small group of friends who had no loyalties to either team. But the Sox fans were shouting all kinds of abuse at the Royals, particularly Willie Wilson, who’d just come back from rehab. When the Royals won 7-6 and we were leaving, I took off my Royals hat and rolled up my pennant to be less conspicuous.