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Raising a young Giant fan

Jolly Blue Giant : 5/22/2019 11:02 am
Inspired by Eric’s thread about the O line, anyone else have a tough time keeping the younger kids as Giant fans? My 10 year old LOVES football, but would rather watch red zone than the Giant game. Between the awful football and all of the night games (he can only watch the 1st half before bed) it’s hard. Thank God for Beckham/Barkley because I think that’s what keeps him a fan. The Beckham trade sucked for me only because I know my son was a huge fan. He is still a Giant fan first, but I’m just hoping we start winning soon!
I notice that a lot of young people-kids in their early 20s-  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 5/22/2019 11:08 am : link
nowadays root for players, not teams. We had some interns this past spring who liked specific guys like Gurley or Odell, but didn't categorize themselves as fans of that team. Same with the NBA. They like LBJ, KD, whoever, but will follow them wherever they go. Just might be a small sample size.
Right  
Jolly Blue Giant : 5/22/2019 11:10 am : link
I think that’s a result of the video games. My son loves certain nba players not teams. He’s a Giant fan, but it’s also about the players. Fortunately we have had 2 in Beckham and Barkley that fit that iconic role.
Good luck when he gets into  
CT Charlie : 5/22/2019 11:12 am : link
fantasy-league football. Boy, do I hate that mentality.
From a young person's perspective  
Hammer : 5/22/2019 11:30 am : link
identifying with individual players, rather than teams, makes a lot of sense.

With the advent of free agency and high turnover in player personnel, rooting for a team is a lot like rooting for laundry.

It's sad, really. Players do not stick around long enough for fans to really identify with them on a personal level.

To that point, I have a closet full of recently purchased jerseys with names of players that play for other teams.
my biggest problem  
Dnew15 : 5/22/2019 11:31 am : link
is I live the metro Philly area. He is surrounded by obnoxious Eagles fans at school, on his sports teams, in the neighborhood...

It makes it extra hard when the Giants have sucked since he's been old enough to understand how football is really played (he's 12 now) and the Eagles have been really good and beat the Giants, like literally, every time he's watched them play each other.

Just tell him that he  
DonQuixote : 5/22/2019 12:01 pm : link
needs to be a young man to be a Giant fan...

that should help ;)
RE: I notice that a lot of young people-kids in their early 20s-  
Greg from LI : 5/22/2019 12:03 pm : link
In comment 14451994 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:
Quote:
nowadays root for players, not teams. We had some interns this past spring who liked specific guys like Gurley or Odell, but didn't categorize themselves as fans of that team. Same with the NBA. They like LBJ, KD, whoever, but will follow them wherever they go. Just might be a small sample size.


Another reason why all of the bad things ever said about millennials are true
Millenials are very flakey  
Chris684 : 5/22/2019 12:05 pm : link
So only being able to commit to a player rather than a team is right up their alley.

As is ditching one team for another when the going gets tough.

Rooting for a bad team would make them a victim and we can't have that.
Always taught my kids that in our house  
Jimmy Googs : 5/22/2019 12:06 pm : link
we root for Giants; root against Dallas, Philly and Redskins. And everybody else we don’t care.
My kid loves Brady and the Patriots  
Knineteen : 5/22/2019 12:08 pm : link
and I honestly don't care.

He'll be suffering for the rest of his life with the Mets and Rangers, so I'm cool with him straying from the family lineage.
He roots for the Giants  
Jolly Blue Giant : 5/22/2019 12:13 pm : link
All the time. That’s not the problem. My biggest problem are night games. Two years ago I think 5 of the first 7 games were prime time. Awful.
Gotta start them young and not give them the choice :)  
Britt in VA : 5/22/2019 12:16 pm : link
My kids were born into Eli jersies and just got Saquon jerseys from Santa.

It's all they know.
RE: Millenials are very flakey  
KentGraham : 5/22/2019 12:17 pm : link
In comment 14452077 Chris684 said:
Quote:
So only being able to commit to a player rather than a team is right up their alley.

As is ditching one team for another when the going gets tough.

Rooting for a bad team would make them a victim and we can't have that.


Just imagine if the inverse were true...
You can bring them to the well but you can't make them drink  
JohnB : 5/22/2019 12:31 pm : link
So show him but then let him find his own way.
My 10 year old also loves the Giants.  
Andy in Halifax : 5/22/2019 12:34 pm : link
Not winning hasn't rattled him at all, I'd say he's a fan for life. He's also following me in my fandom of the Senators and WhiteSox. Poor bugger.
My son is a fan  
Jolly Blue Giant : 5/22/2019 12:38 pm : link
For life as well. I think the frustration comes more from my end. Hate making him sit through these crappy seasons and also hate that he can’t watch the large amount of prime time games. He watches old giant games on YouTube.
Raising 2 in Eagles territory,  
j_rud : 5/22/2019 12:42 pm : link
a 6 yr old daughter and a little guy, 3 months. I think my daughter likes being different from her friends and classmates so she's taken well to it. She's learned to hate the Eagles chant which is great. Although the Eagles recent success and Giants struggles have made it difficult at times.

She was heartbroken when they traded Beckham. Then again she took it better than most here did.
Raised 2 in Redskins territory  
Frank in Silver Spring : 5/22/2019 1:17 pm : link
Dad "You like sleeping indoors with heat and AC?

Daughters: ????

Dad: "If you're wearing anything burgundy and gold, you're at risk."
Watching Red Zone sure fits  
12aob : 5/22/2019 1:23 pm : link
with the current generation. My sons routinely have their phone or laptop out doing or watching other things while watching a game, a movie or even Game of Thrones. These younger ones seem incapable of being unentertained for even a minute.
RE: Watching Red Zone sure fits  
Jolly Blue Giant : 5/22/2019 1:51 pm : link
In comment 14452221 12aob said:
Quote:
with the current generation. My sons routinely have their phone or laptop out doing or watching other things while watching a game, a movie or even Game of Thrones. These younger ones seem incapable of being unentertained for even a minute.


Completely agree with this.
I made sure  
Boatie Warrant : 5/22/2019 2:31 pm : link
to give my kids all giants stuff as a kid. they all found a favorite blanket, pillow, picture etc. Keeps the colors in their Subconscious
I think it’s hard to to develop a passion  
exiled : 5/22/2019 5:34 pm : link
When the team has been so bad. My two sons, recent college grads, are just not into football. Hell, at least they didn’t turn into Patriots fans. (We live in MA.) My daughter, though. 2007 got her hooked.
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