Fans are amazing as they can keep an artist’s career going even when the suits have moved on to the next flash in the pan. And very few fandoms can compete with sports and music fans. One of the reasons is music, and sports provide a sense of community and belonging for fans. Supporting an artist and or a team can create a shared identity and a sense of camaraderie among fans who share a common interest.
Fans often develop a strong emotional attachment to their favorite artist and teams. The highs and lows of victories and defeats can evoke powerful emotions, creating a deep connection. And also, music and sports both offer entertainment and serve as a way to escape for a couple of hours.
Specifically, in the case of music, a song can encapsulate just what you are feeling and going through. It’s almost like someone was reading your emails or overheard a call with your mom. It can mean everything to the person that is looking for something to hold on to in the midst of the chaos.
But there are moments when Stans go too far. The phrase Stan coined by Eminem is often associated with the superfan that has a fanatical and almost cult-like fascination with their chosen artist as shown in the video below.
Check out Eminem's smokin' hot new single Houdini here
Unfortunately, there have been several instances of Stans going too far as you shall see. Everything from theft and break-ins to just plain weird bizarre behavior that makes you pause and ponder. Consider Taylor Swift who had several break ins due to stalker fans. One Stan was spotted no less than 30x outside her New York townhome. David Crowe was told to leave on a multitude of ocassions until finally a restraining order was filed. He recently violated the protective order, and was held without bail.
Sports fans can also journey on the extreme fandom route as I'm reminded of an unbelievable situation by way of a New England Patriot Fan. In 2008, the favored New England Patriots faced off against the New York Giants. Unbelievably, and much to everyone's shock, The New England Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII, led by quarterback Eli Manning. Manning mounted a strong defensive effort and executed a late-game drive that resulted in a touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with only 35 seconds left in the game, giving the Giants a 17-14 lead.
It was considered an upset because the New England Patriots were heavily favored to win and had a record-breaking offense that season, led by quarterback Tom Brady. The New York Giants, who were the underdogs, managed to pull off a stunning victory, creating a memorable upset in Super Bowl history.
However, New England Patriot Stan Sean Murphy was not taking the victory lightly. Feeling that his team was robbed, he sought to even the score. Sean Murphy knew where the Super Bowl rings were, and stole all 27 of them.. It is reported that he committed this crime as a result of being upset that the New England Patriots lost to the New York Giants. His exact words were “They don’t deserve it..”
He stole the rings by cutting a hole in the roof of the jewelry store and decimating the alarm. Law enforcement had no clues or even an inkling of who had pulled off such a caper. Do you want to know how he was found out? He was discovered by good old fashioned jealousy. He had given one of the super bowl rings to a girlfriend. When his other girl found out, she was incensed and ran to the police with the story.
Sean’s trial was delayed for several years until finally in 2019, he was sentenced to two years. He’s recently been arrested again for posing as a disabled veteran in hopes to trick people into giving him donations. That is a crime in Massachusetts under the Stolen Valor law.
We love 90's country, and Alan Jackson was one of the top country stars. His enduring legacy and dedication to Traditional country is a tip of the hat to the greats like George Jones, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams.
AJ recently announced the continuation of his Last Call Tour, which is believed to be his last concert run.. We can't wait to see him!
AJ, unsurprisingly, has amassed quite a following in his 38+ years career. His self penned songs often center around love, living a good life, and family. One superfan Mary Gallant from Maine went as far as tattooing Alan Jackson’s face on her back.
He noticed it during one of his shows and had her come on stage and dance with him. It was the highlight of her life. When Mary passed in 2021, her last wish was a bit bizarre. Mary wanted to have her ashes spread at Mr. Jackson’s home. Her daughter made the trek to Nashville to honor her mother’s last request.
However, what happened instead was that she got a lifetime of free food and beverages at AJ’s Alan Jackson’s Nashville bar. The story went viral and Castle honored her mother’s memory by detailing her story to the press as her last salute to her mom.
Possibly one of Alan Jackson's greatest influences and friends was George Jones. The Possum was the greatest country singer of all time. No one even comes close due to his soulfully stirring honest vocals drenched in authenticity and at times utter despair.
I'll never forget the time Alan sang Choices on the CMA awards in support of George Jones who was not given a performnce slot on the show. George Jones had a tough life from the very beginning. Early on his life was marked with the unfortunate situations an abusive alcoholic father can bring, and later his own growing dependence on alcohol and drugs.
On April 6, 1982, George had put the finishing touches on a show and was signing autographs for fans. Exhausted, he called it a night. The fans that hadn’t gotten an autograph became irate and proceeded to attack George’s motorcycle. When his friend Pee Wee intervened, a fan punched him and broke his jaw.. I guess he really wanted an autograph..
A similar scenario happened with Tanya Tucker. On Aug 26th, 1995, at Cassie’s in Cody, Wyoming. A fan requested an autograph from the country superstar, but Tanya said no. The woman poured her drink on Tanya in response, and Tanya in turn hit the woman, and pulled her hair.
And then you have the celebrity Stans, yes.. During Bruce Springsteen's keynote speech at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in 2012, Springsteen shared a humorous anecdote about his failed attempt to meet Elvis Presley at Graceland.
He explained that he and his fellow band members were in Memphis for a show and, after a night out, they decided to visit Graceland in the early morning hours. Springsteen, fueled by youthful enthusiasm and maybe a touch of liquid courage, attempted to scale the wall surrounding Graceland to get a closer look at Elvis's home. However, security quickly apprehended him, and Springsteen was escorted off the premises without meeting The King of Rock & Roll.
Then there was the Billy Joe Shaver, Waylon Jennings incident.
Billy was a huge fan of Waylon’s and in the early 1970’s, Billy Joe was still a struggling songwriter trying to get by on $50.00 a week, and had pretty much given up on Nashville. Being a fan, he knew Waylon would like his songs, if he would just give them a spn. Waylon said he would, but as the weeks rolled past there was no word from Jennings.
Billy was pretty steamed up about it and found out that Waylon was recording at RCA. He was able to get in and waited to confront Waylon. When Hoss found out Billy was there, he sent someone out with a $100 Bill to bribe Billy to go.
Billy told Midnight, the messenger what Waylon could do with that $100 bill. When it got back to Waylon, within minutes he was in front of Billy’s face. Billy told Waylon that if he didn’t listen to his songs right then and there that he would have to kick his a** in front of God and everyone there..lol.. Billy was right, Waylon ended up loving the songs and even recorded an album’s worth of Billy’s music.
And apparently death isn’t strong enough to hold back an obsessive fan. Hank Williams is arguably the most iconic figure in country music history. His passing on New Years in 1953 left a gaping hole in the heart of twang forever.
His gravesite in Montgomery, Alabama is a trek hundreds of fans take every year. The theft of two 150-pound marble flower vases and a marble replica of Hank Williams' hat from his grave held sentimental value to fans and family members of the Hillbilly Poet.
It is widely believed that a devoted fan was responsible, perhaps as an extreme way of expressing admiration for Hank Williams or seeking a unique memento of the late singer. How incredibly disrespectful..
The stolen items were never recovered, leaving the mystery of their whereabouts unresolved. The incident remains a somber footnote, a cautionary reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to in their celebrity obsession.
Music and sports bring us together sometimes to smile, laugh, enjoy and create enduring moments that we'll go back to on overcast days. For me, music and sports, are like universal languages that transcend barriers of culture, language, and geography, and hold a unique power to unify us as humans.
Through the shared experience of music and sports, we find a common ground that allows us to connect with others on a deeply emotional level. Whether we are cheering on our favorite sports team or dancing to our favorite song, these moments create lasting memories that shape our identity and bind us together as a community. Artists and teams give us so much already. As fans, let's give a little back by honoring their privacy, and non public lives. It's the least we can do..
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