Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us.

But we’re not just about poking fun at others.  So for our final three posts, we the writers at On The Go Tennis, will open up about our own fandom.

For my last fan post, I interviewed OTGT editor, Rachel.  However, one particular story was just so crazy I decided to dedicate the whole piece to it.  This is Rachel’s fairy tale with Rafael Nadal, and it could be the craziest of them all.

The Short

Name:  Rachel Vinson 
Age:  35
Country:  USA
Occupation:  Pediatrician
Twitter handle:  @onthegotennis
Blog: THIS ONE! :)
Other blogs/tennis-related achievements:  Just this one, baby.
Her Prince Charming:  Rafael Nadal

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Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us.

But we’re not just about poking fun at others.  So for our final three posts, we the writers at On The Go Tennis, will open up about our own fandom.

Today, I’m telling my own story. 

I don't do beer at the tennis. I do ice cream!

The Short

Name:  Kait O'Callahan
Age:  24
Country:  Australia
Occupation:  Radiographer and freelance writer
Twitter handle:  @kait_oc
Contributions to OTGT:  Fan Club posts (and much more to come!)
Other blogs/tennis-related achievements:  Any Given Surface

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Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us.

But we’re not just about poking fun at others.  So for our final three posts, we the writers at On The Go Tennis, will open up about our own fandom.

Today we present OTGT contributor, Lindsay Gibbs.

Lindsay (in the middle) at the USA vs Spain Davis Cup Tie

The Short 

Name:  Lindsay Gibbs
Age:  25
Country:  USA
Occupation:  Writer
Twitter handle:  @linzsports
Contributions to OTGT:  Coverage of Legg Mason Tennis Classic in 2011 and weekly player profiles. 
Other blogs/tennis-related achievements:  Writer for TennisGrandstand.com, 10sWorld.com.  Author of the novel “Titanic: The Tennis Story” 

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Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us. Every week we take a look at one high-profile fan and analyze just how crazy they are...

Today we bring you one of tennis’s most famous fans... Courtney

The Short

Name:  Courtney Nguyen
Age:  34
Country:  United States
Occupation:  Writer
Twitter handle:  @fortydeucetwits, @SI_BTBaseline
Blog:  http://tennis.si.com
Insane in the membrane for:  Sam Stosur

Click to read more ...

Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us. Every week we take a look at one high-profile fan and analyze just how crazy they are...

Today we bring you Caroline, a lady who doth protest too much.

The Short

Name:  Caroline Paquin
Age:  32
Country:  Canada
Occupation:  Teacher, blogger
Twitter handle:  @caropaquin80
Blog:  http://www.runningforehand.com
Lost in the eyes of:  Juan Martin del Potro

Click to read more ...

Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us. Every week we take a look at one high-profile fan and analyze just how crazy they are...

Today we bring you Liz, a woman who bravely rides the Murraycoaster.

The Short

Name:  Liz 
Age:  40-something!
Country:  UK (England)
Occupation:  Accountant
Twitter handle:  @lizcurran
Has been spotted drooling over:  Andy Murray

Click to read more ...

Fan Club: The good, the bad, and the crazy

Sometimes, being a manic fan can the most rewarding affliction in the world.  Waving the Swiss flag in 2006, cheering on Novak Djokovic in 2011 in mispronounced Serbian, raising a knee and fist in time with Nadal in 2010; all good.  At some point, though, things take a turn for the worse.  Supporting Federer now without losing your dignity?  It’d be easier to show more grace running naked up the street.  Vamosing on Nadal can’t be easy either, and yelling for Murray?  Well, who said that’s ever been anything but bad news?  But heartbreak won’t stop a true fan.  These are the people that admit they’re a little obsessive, that take the good times with the bad, and don’t stop being crazy for their player just because times are tough.  Chances are, we all have a little mad fan in us. Every week we take a look at one high-profile fan and analyze just how crazy they are...

Today you bring you a man who has sacrificed almost everything for Serena Williams, Diano.

The Short

Name:  Diano Eko 
Age:  31
Country:  Indonesia
Occupation:  Event Organizer
Twitter handle:  @tennis_updates / @diano_eko
Blog:  www.dianotennis.blogspot.com
Would take a bullet for:  Serena Williams

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