Last season, Benn & I went to the Big XII Championship between Oklahoma (who my husband is a fan of despite my degree from UT) and Missouri. As a group, we decided to be good sports and to be nice to the Missouri fans that had traveled all the way to San Antonio (plus we knew it was going to be a long, sad ride home for them… OU already beat them once this year). Before the game started, this big-hipped tart in front of us turned around with her cat ears on and started razzing us. Oh, it was on. Especially after we found out their cheerleaders were called the “Golden Girls” (so my sister in law and I yelled “Go Rue McLanahan” and “Betty White kicks @ss”). It was all in fun, until the first OU player was injured. For those of you not acquainted with football etiquette (or common sense in general), when a player is injured, the stadium silences (some people pray) and when the player gets up or is carted off, everyone cheers despite what team they’re on. They’re kids after all.
Not Missouri. During every OU injury (4 total), they began “OU Sucks” and “Go Tigers” in unison. It was the most disgustingly tacky thing I have ever witnessed at a sporting event, and that includes hockey. What does this have to do with real estate? There are several companies falling prey to the downturn. Although here locally, Austin is a vibrant real estate market, even we’ve felt the national drama (although I believe it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy…). Several offices have closed and the herd is thinning.
Should I cheer? Should I say [insert brokerage’s name here] sucks and we rock? Should I publish articles or press releases touting their failure? No. You don’t kick someone when they’re down. If another company fails, we take a moment to regather ourselves (say a prayer of thanks that WE still have a desk) and move on, *not* kick them while they’re down. It’s proper etiquette. In the blogiverse, I’ve recently seen a lot of horn tooting as agents fall off. That’s wrong, so stop it- don’t be like the Missouri football fan at the Big XII Championship.
Chris Lengquist
February 5, 2008 at 10:37 am
You knew I’d stop by for this. 😉 And of course all I’m gonna do is bash Missouri.
TShirts seen at the Kansas v Missouri basketball game last night:
M is for Morons
How Can 6 Million People Be So Stupid?
Kansas: Protecting America from Missouri Since 1864
Columbia, Missouri: Keeping Ugly Women Out Of Lawrence
They are our chief rival (us being Kansas) and they are an unusual fan base. They have fans called the antlers. They wear dresses to the games. Ah, these are the guys.
They steal Kansas player’s social security numbers and put the on billboards across Missouri. They (the players) refused to shake hands before the game last night.
Lani Anglin
February 5, 2008 at 10:39 am
So, when your competitor goes out of business, we shouldn’t blog their SS and broker license numbers in an article and we also shouldn’t cross dress in celebration?
Jonathan Dalton
February 5, 2008 at 11:24 am
I’m good with silence. But can someone tell me why everyone now drops to one knee? Not all are praying. Happens every week in my kid’s soccer game and it drives me up a wall. A leg cramp is not exactly a life-and-death situation.
Vicki Moore
February 5, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Funny you mention this. We just had this very conversation in the office yesterday. We all agreed that it’s a terrible situation, no matter who you are. Watching your peers fall is uncomfortable. It makes a serious visual that any one of us could be next.
Ryan Hukill
February 10, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I always enjoy a good post about bad fans and anything related to CFB. We haven’t seen many go down around here yet, but you make a great point, and one that we should all live by. It’s called being a good sport, being gracious, or whatever. It’s sickening to watch people who don’t understand this most basic premise.