Who's Louder

Wife

I'm very quiet and analytical. I don't yell encouraging stuff. I don't get excited. I tend to cheer louder for another player's play than my own kid's play. About the only thing that gets me visually excited in baseball is a great defensive play. Mothers tend to be more encouraging and complimentary. They also tend to add in their kid's name so everyone knows who it is.

I never heard my father's voice. I had to tune out my mother's. I could hear it over thousands (basketball/football) of other people.

OMG...ME...by a mile and a half. Ask the umpires...they will tell you.

I won't claim to be quiet and mild-mannered but think about a packed basketball arena.

How come the one time I decide to yell something, the entire place silences???

me but not as loud as i use to be.


drill

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
I'm very quiet and analytical. I don't yell encouraging stuff. I don't get excited. I tend to cheer louder for another player's play than my own kid's play. About the only thing that gets me visually excited in baseball is a great defensive play. Mothers tend to be more encouraging and complimentary. They also tend to add in their kid's name so everyone knows who it is.

I never heard my father's voice. I had to tune out my mother's. I could hear it over thousands (basketball/football) of other people.

Couldn't have said it better, so I won't try. This description fits my wife and me perfectly.

Me, no doubt about it. 2Bdad just yells at umpires. I do my hollering after good defensive plays or good hits for all players, but I'll admit to a little more volume if it's 2B. I keep telling him I'm going to tone it down, and he keeps doing this:

I always know we had a good game if I have a sore throat on the way home. I yelled last night (the 6-4-3 DP was awesome ); looking forward to yelling some more tomorrow night!

Go Blue Wave!

BTW, Lefty, I yell at the TV, too.

By far, my wife would be the most vocal. Though everything she says is always positive and nice. She does have a habit (you might know the type) of thinking she knows much more than what she really knows… explaining things exactly wrong to innocent women bystanders. It’s really not very funny if you have to listen to it.

Here’s a couple stories about LOUD FANS

An old friend of mine (former coach and AD at a college) had a son the same age as mine in high school. Being a good friend we would sit next to him at the basketball games. He was as loud as anyone could ever imagine and didn’t really care what he said, even about the coaching. Whenever he yelled it was like 2,000 people would turn their heads to look straight at us. Most didn’t have any idea who was doing all the obnoxious yelling… It was embarrassing seeing all those people looking our way with various faces that ranged from bewilderment to anger. He would always shut up when people turned to look leaving them all to wonder who the loud mouth was. Talk about an uncomfortable situation.

Once we decided to show up for the games real late to avoid setting next to him. Try to imagine walking into a full gym with the only seats available… you guessed it… right next to my good old buddy. I tried to diplomatically tell him he was a bit overboard, but to no avail. Then one time there were several of us that got together and sat next to him. Whenever he would yell and people would turn around to look… We would all stand up and point down with both hands at him . It still didn’t stop him, but it was kind of fun.

Also in baseball, my wife always complained because I didn’t want to sit with her in the bleachers behind home plate. I did once… The umpire was a friend who actually coached me many years ago. There was one dad who was always extra irritating and loud. He plopped down right next to me. Guess I’m a magnet for that type. Anyway, we are setting there and he’s yelling stupid stuff, but it’s manageable… until after calling our pitcher for a balk (not stopping in his delivery), the next inning their pitcher who for some reason always threw out of the stretch didn’t stop during the delivery. At this time, the obnoxious guy screams out at the top of his lungs… BAAALLLKKK! CALL EM BOTH WAYS BLUE, THAT’S TERRIBLE! I whispered to him, “there’s nobody on base”, but it didn’t register and he just kept screaming. Once again we have everyone on the field and off the field staring daggers at US. Even players and coaches leaning out of the dugout to check US out. Makes you feel like the village idiot.

That might have been the last time I ever sat behind the plate at one of my kids high school games.

I’m sure many have had experiences like those above. Find it hard to believe that I’m the only “lucky” one.

quote:

explaining things exactly wrong to innocent women bystanders.

Yeah, 2Bdad likes to do that, too.

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Find it hard to believe that I’m the only “lucky” one.

From coaching travel softball, baseball and basketball I get the parents who want to question school coaches with my endorsement. My stock answer is, "There's more than one way to approach the situation."

Even with the coach in the situation I posted, except for a couple of close friends, I only respond, "He certainly has a different way of handling things."

I used to be very vocal but not now. The worst type of vocal fans are dads yelling out instructions to their kids (yup, I did that until about five years ago when I realized it was extrememly dumb.) A strategic "C'mon, Blue!" every once-in-awhile when the strike zone starts getting constricted, perhaps.

My favorite coaching quote: "Catch the ball!"

Uh, yeah, no duh coach.

My favorite parent quote, after junior closes his eyes and sticks his glove out, only to have the ball actually go right into the mitt: "Great play!"

No it wasn't.