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East Gorteau22261 Posts
Being a fan, for me, is an experience unique to electronic sports. I don't know exactly why that is, but until I started watching Brood War (pretty casually at the time) and especially SC2, I never really found myself admiring an athlete or a player of any sport or game for anything beyond the merit of their skill. Even today, Chad Le Clos is the only person outside an eSport setting that I really admire for more than just his accomplishments in swimming.
Others, obviously, take to becoming fans of players in almost every sport they learn to understand and enjoy. Be it football, baseball, swimming or rugby, there are always people (usually a lot of them) that find much greater enjoyment in watching their player perform than in watching the sport itself or even any one team. I've often wondered about this, and why fandom can manifest in such violent ways (see football hooliganism). What is it about being a fan of someone or something that makes us so willing to discard common sense, values and more or less everything just for our fandom?
Fandom, for me, really took off in 2012. I had been interested in various other players before that, notably MKP (yes, Lorning), Genius and especially Naniwa, but it wasn't until some time around TSL4 that I grew from just a guy who liked watching Life play to a real fan. In the months that followed Life's unfortunate second place behind Creator, my love for Life (purely platonic, I assure you) and the things that defined him - the accidentally cocky attitude, the amazing and unique play, his deviation from the boring Zerg norm - grew rapidly. His GSL championship was a highlight in an otherwise challenging time in my life when my swimming results were plummeting and it was kind of hard to feel motivated about anything. I had never been a hardcore fan of anyone, but Life and his successes gave me a venue to express that fandom in a way I hadn't before.
Of course, no player can win everything forever, so IPL5 and GSL Season 5 were uncomfortable experiences. I had made those tournaments about Life specifically, more so than the events themselves, and consequently I was pissed off and lost most of my interest when Life was eliminated from both. If I remember correctly, I even requested a temp ban after Life's 1-2 loss to Snute because I knew I'd snap at one of the idiots in the LR threads acting as though Life wasn't still by far the best player in the world.
Looking back at the way I approached watching Starcraft then (and even six months ago), I question my maturity. Does being a sore loser for your player really need to be a part of fandom? I walked out of the arena after Life lost the Dreamhack Winter finals to Taeja, skipping both the award ceremony and the Twitch afterparty. Why? I was pissed when no sane person should have been. Life had made it to the finals of a very stacked tournament and finished second behind a player notorious for being almost unbeatable overseas in what was arguably said player's best match-up.
I recently had a revelation that I'd like to share: being a fan of anything or anyone doesn't have to involve hard feelings. Hype your player or your team, trashtalk his opponents, be sad when s/he loses, but don't be angry. Be proud of what your player has accomplished, be disappointed when he fails, but don't be angry. There's no use being angry about something you can't control, even less use blaming external factors that are impossible to quantify. Make being a fan about watching your player play the game you love, enjoying the play and watching the player improve.
I won't deny that this way of thinking stems from Life drawing Zest as his first-round opponent at Blizzcon, which really made me think about how realistic my hopes for Life at Blizzcon were. With the exception of his nemesis San, there is no worse opponent for Life in this tournament. It's possible, maybe even likely, that he'll be eliminated just as he was when he faced Zest in Toronto (great tournament, by the way) or when he played herO at Dreamhack (that loss is what got Life in this mess to begin with), but the thought doesn't bother me very much at the moment. I'll still be sad and disappointed if Life loses out on becoming world champion, but I'm proud of the fact that he made it as far as Blizzcon after the rollercoaster ride that was 2013 and through the ups and downs of 2014. Right now, what I want most is for Life to play great games and face Zest at his best. I don't care much if he loses as long as he can show that he's one of the world's best players.
So, if you're a fan of anyone, be it a Bomber or Samsung Galaxy Blue or Roger Federer or Zlatan Ibrahimovic, approach their next match thinking of why you became a fan in the first place. If you only watch to see them win, are you really a fan of them and not their successes? If victory isn't all there is to it, then cheer your heart out for your player and celebrate each victory. I know it has made me feel better about watching Starcraft.
Also check out Life's Blizzcon article if you haven't already. I think it's the best I've ever written.
  
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Good advice for everyone to take, regardless of sport. It's hard to not get mad sometimes when you are emotinally invested in seeing someone or a team you like do well, I know that all too well, but it's something to work on.
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bracing yourself for defeat already?
i dont think anyone has a problem with a person showing their inner fan boy, even when they're teasing you over it, but it's nothing but annoying to hear excuses or pissy bitterness when their player loses.
players get a pass because they're the ones who are personally involved invested and present in a defeat, but fanboys shouldnt act like they have any right to express their immaturity over another persons misfortunes
unless its actually in good fun
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Hell yea, Zealously.
Your TL-name is appropriate 
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I think being angry depends on how they lose. When herO loses generally I'm sad and disappointed but when he lost to Snute at IEM I was mad because he looked lost and helpless against what he was playing. It seemed like if he was playing against any other style he would of won but instead it just felt like Snute was abusing his swarmhost style. But I didn't mean to be angry at Snute even though I was, I guess sometimes it's difficult to not focus on the emotional side of things rather than the rational one.
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your Country52798 Posts
Well, Zealously, you were apparently engulfed in raw passion. Now you have learned to control that passion and use it for the forces of good, so now you will be able to be reasonably minded when things don't go your player's way.
Personally, I try not to take any of my favorite players' losses too hard (it also helps I have very little actual emotion), by finding the positive points of the tournament and the enjoyability of the game, and I've not had too much difficulty with any tournament results besides the infamous IdrA vs Polt game (back when I was a huge IdrA fan)
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I thought the excessive mindless fanboyism was just part of a character...
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East Gorteau22261 Posts
On October 20 2014 09:34 The_Templar wrote:
Well, Zealously, you were apparently engulfed in raw passion. Now you have learned to control that passion and use it for the forces of good, so now you will be able to be reasonably minded when things don't go your player's way.
Personally, I try not to take any of my favorite players' losses too hard (it also helps I have very little actual emotion), by finding the positive points of the tournament and the enjoyability of the game, and I've not had too much difficulty with any tournament results besides the infamous IdrA vs Polt game (back when I was a huge IdrA fan)
I'll still crack down on people being idiots, though, so don't expect much to change in LR threads ^_^
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1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
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East Gorteau22261 Posts
On October 20 2014 10:21 lichter wrote:
featured blog? lol
So touchy, did the Life picture hurt you?
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1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
saddest day in all of esports
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28100 Posts
I'm the same way Zealously. Never really was a fan of anyone except maybe a few Guitar players in my early teen years.
I'm a fan of you though, but not Lichter, he sucks.
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1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
i do indeed suck nutrients using my face hole
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Thank you, man. I'm not the same, in the fan regard, but I usually just enjoy players for aspects of their play or how they are irl.
There's something about Bomber, Life and a few more that just pull you in because of everything.
Dunno. I'll still lash out at idiots, but I will be content if he shows great games at Blizzcon, and not only victories.
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Lorning
Belgica34432 Posts
I had been interested in various other players before that, notably MKP
Nobody can deny MKP~~
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On October 20 2014 23:40 Lorning wrote:Nobody can deny MKP~~
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Dduj63N.png)
Life-Zest 3-2 gg
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I'm a fan of Donquixote Doflamingo, I will be mad when he loses, and no, there's nothing that can stop me.
Other than that, great read!
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I don't think I want to be a deep fan of anyone, because when they start losing it hurts bad. First it was the toronto maple leafs, then it was roger federer, and then it was the characters on "Game of Thrones". I think its generally more trouble than its worth, but maybe I just pick bad heroes
I also wish I had a chance to hug MKP at some event because he's like a baby
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ALLEYCAT BLUES51060 Posts
On October 20 2014 23:40 Lorning wrote:Nobody can deny MKP~~
lol
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/zA8fa.jpg)
