The very nature of the sports fan is a human being who is entertained by watching other human beings perform at very high levels on a heightened stage.  Many times, this very nature of seeking dominance over the competition is transferred into our own lives.

We're delicate minds - but we strive for competition.  We can't help ourselves.  It's what we love. So much, in fact, we strive for attention ourselves.

Fist pumps after sinking a wadded up piece of paper in the trash can at work...chugging a beer after a softball home run...and grinning like an idiot after successfully flipping up a loose pair of underwear on the floor to your hand.

The fight for attention can be seen at stadiums across the nation.  This struggle is no more evident than when a fan proudly displays their crappy homemade creation for all to see.  Since we published a delightful Michael Vick fan sign a few weeks ago, I've received numerous submissions of hilarious fan signs found throughout cyberville.

Terrible Television Acronym Signs
Nothing says "attention whore" more than a sign that includes a television call symbol like "ESPN" or "WGN" - especially when those letters exist in the middle of words - so that fan increases their chances of getting on TV.

This is like adding nacho cheese to any and every cooking recipe.  You recognize that you're not a 5 star chef, or creative enough to think of anything clever...but by golly, nacho cheese gets the freakin' job done, so use it.  On hotdogs...on Ramen noodles...on ice cream.  Whatever.  It just works.

The Good 'Ole Reliable "Priceless" Sign
By wikipedia's accounts, the first MasterCard "priceless" advertisement was run during the 1997 World Series.  Since then, millions of mockups have been seen across athletic venues - including the one below.

Our sign observers love the fact that the word "OUTSIDE" was written on a different shade of poster board and glued to the original - seemingly to overwrite a misspelling.

 

Creepy, Personal Fan Signs
Sometimes we - as fans - just don't understand the disconnect between us and the athletes we admire.  Then, you see a sign like the one below...and you understand why.  We're pretty sure even Manny would think this sign is a little odd.  That's like a guy from the mailroom coming up to your desk at work and commenting how he's been driving by your house alot lately and noticed that your wife cut her hair short...and he likes short hair.  Alot.

Note: Yes, we realize this kid is holding his precious sign backwards...but that's the least thing wrong with this picture.

The Terribly Unoriginal Fan Sign
Over past few months weeks, we've wondered about the professional emergence of the sports headline writers.  Where do they come from?  Debunked journalists?  Pop culture trivia champions?  We may have an answer after filtering through some of these signs.  Any player name, team name, or mascot that has another meaning in the real world....all fair game in the land of crappy sign manufacturing.

If I played for the Houston Rockets, or Astros, or any university based out of Houston, TX...I would make it a game to count the number of road games per year featuring the sign "Houston, You Have a Problem".