Winning or Fun???? Which do you value most?

[elonforrealz]

I see all these threads about who will win what game, etc etc.... But are we forgetting that these are kids??? Sure, we want to win, but that's not the number one thing on our minds.... MOST IMPORTANTLY..


WE WANT TO HAVE FUN!!!!

How come nobody comments on that???

[elonforrealz]

and yes, I know it's fun when you win, but I'm not talking about that.

[darell1976]

Remember the saying Winning isn't everything...its the only thing. In high school its not about winning its about fun, but from college to the pros its all about winning. Your school spends millions of $$$ on a football program for kids to have fun? That doesn't fly. I spend 5 bucks to park my car, 10 bucks for a ticket, about another 10-20 bucks for food to sit at a game for 3 hours only to think we don't need to win because fun is more important....WRONG!!!! I pay that money I expect my team to play their best and win. Just being honest. In pee wee league or in Jr. high or high school it is about fun but when its about $$$$ then fun takes a backseat to winning.

[Rob Iola]

To me it's not about fun or winning - it's about playing the game properly, no matter what sport or level. Do that and you win the games you should win and maybe a few that no-one thinks you can. As a Henz fan that's what makes me tip my hat to EWU...

[Blazerbird]

I'll take winning any day. The fun comes with it. I can remember sitting in a near empty parking lot drinking beer and eating dogs off a tiny grill with half a dozen friends before every Eagle game back in the 90's. Now, well, things are different.

[dudeitsaid]

I think the perspective can be slightly different depending on whether you're a fan or a player. I think for many players, it is about fun. And I think for many players, it's about winning. Back in high school (I never played in college), when we would lose, especially in the playoffs, very few people were proclaiming, "Well, at least we had fun." Instead, there was disappointment, heartbreak, and tears shed from some of the toughest people I knew. I would say losing is rarely fun for the players or the fans in my experience

However, as a fan, for me, the number one thing is competition. Though few things beat winning, there have been some close, competitive games where we've lost where I would say the game was fun, especially in cases where our team wasn't supposed to be in the game. But nothing is funner than winning those close, competitive games. Especially the ones we weren't supposed to win. That's what made this season so outstanding for EWU. Almost every game was highly competitive and intense.

Finally, winning is fun for the fans in general, and losing is not. If you want validation of that fact, look at attendance records for losing teams versus winning teams. Or even better, attendance fluctations from winning streaks compared to losing streaks. Except for some anomalies, attendance generally is better when a team is winning versus when they are losing.

But for teams that are consistently in the cellar, I have to imagine that those who play for the team, unless they have scholarships, and playing is a means to an end, are doing it for the fun of it.

[Silenoz]

I doubt anyone winning wasn't having fun

[JohnStOnge]

and yes, I know it's fun when you win, but I'm not talking about that.

Sorry, but to me it's not fun when the football team I am pulling for loses. Winning and fun are synonymous. Losing sucks.

[eaglewraith]

2006 - 2009 proved to me that not winning is really not fun.

I'm glad we're back to having fun again.

[Big Al]

I pay that money I expect my team to play their best and win.

As a fan, I think that's an unrealistic expectation. Really, the only thing we fans can expect is 60 minutes of football every week.

Having said that, I do think it's fair to expect the team you support to put forth their best effort. Unfortunately, that doesn't always mean they will win -- sometimes the other team is just better.

Losing isn't fun but I don't get upset about a loss if I think my team put it all on the line. Also, I try to keep everything in perspective: it's just a game and as a fan I really don't have much to do with the outcome.

[NoCoDanny]

Remind me again what this thing is you call winning?

[Brad82]

Interesting question,until last year Rhody games were mainly a social event.
Answer-winning.
The losing just compunds itself.

[Squealofthepig]

Remind me again what this thing is you call winning?

Aren't you currently undefeated, somehow, in Big Sky conference play in basketball? ;)

Winning is fun, so it's hard to disentangle than. It breeds success - go to any FCS program with a winning tradition - be it Delaware, Georgia Southern, Nova, Montana, App, McNeese, UNI or whomever - and try not to have fun tailgating prior to a home game.

A better question might be - what programs have the best, fun atmosphere despite a losing program over the last decade?

[CopperCat]

It's good to have fun, but it's way more fun to be good.

If the team wins, the gameday atmosphere is fun by default. There's your answer.

[Wildcat80]

Remember the saying Winning isn't everything...its the only thing. In high school its not about winning its about fun, but from college to the pros its all about winning. Your school spends millions of $$$ on a football program for kids to have fun? That doesn't fly. I spend 5 bucks to park my car, 10 bucks for a ticket, about another 10-20 bucks for food to sit at a game for 3 hours only to think we don't need to win because fun is more important....WRONG!!!! I pay that money I expect my team to play their best and win. Just being honest. In pee wee league or in Jr. high or high school it is about fun but when its about $$$$ then fun takes a backseat to winning.

IMO and based on alot of other exCollege players the MOST memorable football years of their lives were in.....HIGH SCHOOL. There just exists alot more loyalty & pride & first memories at that level that seem to remain longer. And yes winning in high school makes it more fun too. Since players are then recruited to different colleges it usually takes awhile to develop the same feelings especially the fan rivalries that are then new to you. Its still that way today. I understand my old college rivalries...BUT I feel the strong emotions at my high school rivalries!

[Brad82]

I have had good times @ Rhody games=nice fall weather,food,beer and seeing ex-players despite losing.
However,I do not go to many games. I think it would be real challenging to go consistently. I feel bad for the people who do.

[cmaxwellgsu]

Winning is always going to be fun. The most fun I had were my student days, which covered 98-02. Two NC's in Chattanooga (those were hellacious amounts of fun), and never seeing us lose at home until 01 just made for an awesome atmosphere. The winning kind of made it for more of a social gathering, since people hopped on the bandwagon. In our leaner years, games have consisted of the more die hard fans who are usually arm chair coaches and quarterbacks. So winning is a lot more fun to me. A good friend of mine was a player during those years. Winning made the hard work worth it, and they really enjoyed playing. So I really believe that winning cures all.