I often see that term "homer" tossed around as a way to dismiss or denigrate a team's fans. This seems to have increased with the proliferation of "Sports Talk" radio and "Sports Opinion" columnists, where it serves as a cheap emotional alternative to insightful content for generating response. It also serves as a way to massage the egos of media personalities, who might like to believe that you read or listen to them more for their "brilliant" output, than their topic being your favorite team.
To all the folks around here who think they might be encountering a blizzard of Gopher "homers," I can tell you this. You have no idea what you're talking about. I moved to Omaha in the summer of 1980, and encountered "Big Red," coached by Frank Solich, in the process of notching back-to-back 10-2 seasons. The enthusiasm and intensity of their fans, compared to what I had experienced as a Gopher season ticket holder, was the difference between a Howitzer and a BB gun. And after I recovered from the shock, I realized that it was glorious, and wished our Gophers could taste that same level of support.
Since then, I have been a proud "homer" for the Gophers. That doesn't mean I'm unaware of the shortcomings of coaches and players alike. After all, it takes little skill or effort to find fault. But I can see no benefit to the team or myself from such fault finding, so I embrace being a "homer" instead.
So please, call me a "homer." I consider it a compliment, not an insult.
To all the folks around here who think they might be encountering a blizzard of Gopher "homers," I can tell you this. You have no idea what you're talking about. I moved to Omaha in the summer of 1980, and encountered "Big Red," coached by Frank Solich, in the process of notching back-to-back 10-2 seasons. The enthusiasm and intensity of their fans, compared to what I had experienced as a Gopher season ticket holder, was the difference between a Howitzer and a BB gun. And after I recovered from the shock, I realized that it was glorious, and wished our Gophers could taste that same level of support.
Since then, I have been a proud "homer" for the Gophers. That doesn't mean I'm unaware of the shortcomings of coaches and players alike. After all, it takes little skill or effort to find fault. But I can see no benefit to the team or myself from such fault finding, so I embrace being a "homer" instead.
So please, call me a "homer." I consider it a compliment, not an insult.
