17 Fans Who Are Having a Better Day Than You

Being a sports fan is a state of existence that inherently leads the average person to experience highs and lows caused by events totally beyond their control—yet, feel so connected.

And though there is a price to pay—and a risk always peeking over the reward's shoulder—in the end it somehow it always feels worth it.

Wins may be the most valuable individual elements in sports, but any sports fan is unnecessarily submitting themselves to a life of agony interrupted by anxiety, if they fail to open their eyes and see the awesome sum-total of being a fan.

Tailgating, sharing a few words with an athlete, ballpark snacks, tossing a football around with friends, freshly-printed tickets...and yes...big wins—these are just a few of the many great things that can make any fan have a great day.

Of course, some fans have had better days than others, but that's no crime; chances are each of us has had a YouTube-worthy moment as a fan.

These are 17 fans who are having a better day than you.

This Guy

Typically, an undulating belly accentuated by a "Flava Flav" clock-necklace and novelty sunglasses is nothing to feel good about.

However, this Sixers fan—aka Big Daddy—not only owns his inertia-propagating gut, but turns it into a rallying cry for fellow fans in the arena.

And it's all on camera. 

This Lady

AP

Seeing a famous celebrity in public is almost always a spectacle on some level; and approaching that particular celebrity provides no guarantee that he or she will be willing to oblige your excitement.

But when you happen to be at sporting event like the German Cup Final and bonafide movie superstar Tom Hanks—who also happens to be the consummate "nice guy"—makes an appearance, how can you resist?

Of course he didn't shun attention of these fans and as a result, they get to show off their selfies featuring Tom Hanks.   

He Gets Lebron's Cash and His Love

Half-court shot contests don't exists because NBA franchises love to hand over healthy sums of money to shot-burying fans—they exist because most contestants miss the mark, but the excitement of the possibility of nailing the shot is a great way to drum up enthusiasm.

In this case, a very lucky Heat fan not only hit the half-court shot in a 2013 contest, he won $75,000 from former Heat-star Lebron James' foundation.

A prize much more difficult to quantify, but certainly not low in value, is an enthusiastic, floor-kissing bear hug from Lebron himself.

Cheap Seats Are Better Than No Seats

YouTube

I know what it's like to really, really want to watch a game, only to discover that time, space, distance, market restrictions, or some other unjustified problem come between me and the action I've been dying to see.

As a sports fan, you've undoubtedly experienced this same phenomenon.

And this fellow found his son in the same predicament and the young man a solid—giving him a view game via Skype, while sitting in the stands of a Rays game.

Sure, it wasn't the best seat in the house, but the effort shows that the Skype-enabled Raysfan has a family that will go the extra, pixelated mile to ensure he catches the action.

Perception Is Reality

If you've got game, there is no good reason why being at one should knock you off of it—and if you can show off those skills, without giving up a thing...you're a fan that's winning (regardless of what the scoreboard says.)

Enter future heart-breaker Austin Chaney, who managed to not only snag a foul ball during a Rangers-Blue Jays game, but lead the hottest girl in the camera's viewfinder to believe that he just gave the ball..to her.

Except the ten-year-old didn't give her the ball, he gave her another one tossed up by the 3rd base coach the night before. But, she thought he did.

Perception is reality. And the perception is...Austin is already exhibiting advanced game-skills.

If It Doesn't End in Tasers, Call It Victory

YouTube

99 percent of the time, when a fan (or two) decides to go from spectator to unwanted participant by walking, running or otherwise trespassing onto the field of play, the decision results in a swift take-down, or taser to the (fill the blank)—or both—followed by a trip to the local jail.

So, if your a fan who manages to either avoid this fate, or at a minimum gain something from it, then truly have it better than the rest of us.

In the case of these obvious admirers of LMFAO, they earned themselves a selfie with one of the best footballers in the world, Mario Balotelli during a friendly held at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

That Kid's Gonna Be Alright

Here's a valuable lesson boys: doing something unexpected and sweet for a cute girl is never cliche or uninspired.

Watch what happens when this chivalrous little Red Sox fan decides, without prompting or cajoling, to give a foul ball to the adorable little girl behind him.

Not only is he the champion of the moment, the recipient of his kind gift is sold—she's disarmed and...by the looks of it...smitten by an instant crush. 

And what did he get for his actions? 15 minutes of fame and a chance to join the play-by-play announcers in the booth.

Grandmothers > Dudes

When a rambunctious 30-something fan plows their way through a crowd to get a few moments of face-time with an NFL star like Drew Brees, the optics alone are bad, but the transaction-like awkwardness is worse.

That's why there are few things more adorable than a grandmother, who's also a passionate football fan, gets the opportunity to meet their favorite player.

Edna Trahan, originally from Gretna, Lousiana, got just such an opportunity this summer at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, when she posed with Saints quarterback Drew Brees for a selfie after the team's final practice at training camp.  

A Different Kind of Golden Glove

Considering the mayhem it causes, the foul ball is unarguably suffering from a vastly over-inflated value.

The foul ball pulverizes noses, sends distracted fans cowering behind seat and human shield, it causes grown men to trample women in children..just for the chance to catch one...and it has even been known to kill.

However, if all baseball fans handled the foul ball with such leisure (pronounced here as lezh-er) and confidence, perhaps it's image could be reformed.

Keep eye on ball. Lift giant bucket of popcorn. Catch foul ball. Bow to crowd. Boom.

Better, Before Worse?

You can't argue with the results: much like the infamous "Beer Curve" in bowling, which reliably predicts a gradual improvement in score before a precipitous collapse, this fan is a great example of beer's fleeting superpowers.

This baseball fan does his best impression of the 18th Hole, when he catches a foul from the Mariners' Justin Smoak in his cup of (hugely marked up) beer.

What takes this to the next level is the fact he chugs the beer afterwards—dirty leather and all. That right here is a sign of a man having a great day, question is...did he have a great night?

Way Better Than Lightning

The old cliché about the odds of a fortuitous event happening more than once goes: lightning never strikes twice.

A curious statement, because it almost certainly has—and does. Just ask PGA Champions Tour player Lee Trevino.

In the early 2000's, I attended plenty of Pittsburgh Pirates games that would have been much more compelling if the home team had knocked at least one out of the park; two would have been amazing.

Back-to-back homers are certainly more common than people who have been struck by lightning twice and lived to tell about it—or Pirates playoff appearances over the past 20 years—but you can't help but be impressed that this dude not only snagged one homer, but was so luck as to catch two on consecutive at-bats.

The Least Confusing Thing About Cricket

As an American who has had little opportunity to watch a cricket match, much less with someone who knows how to explain it without inducing a headache, I'm pleased to say that what unfolded in this event was crystal clear.

At a New Zealand cricket match, this fan caught an "orange bulls-eye tee", which bagged him $100,000. And that, my friends, is a tough act to follow.  

Vicarious Living Is for Suckers

If you are a true sports fan, then there has been at least one moment in your life when your emotions lurched forward; transforming from vicarious...to way too real.

For me, it was when my Steelers lost to the Packers in Super Bowl XLV—I crossed a line that sent me downward into a dark, dark place where Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was somehow responsible. 

It wasn't pretty.

For Mets fan Rafael Diaz, his dark place was quite sunny—if not expensive—when he joined his teammates the team on the field to celebrate pitcher Johan Santana's no-hitter in 2012.

That Ball Is His Precious

Examine this video carefully. You'll notice the young, blonde-boy—a Giants fan—who is kindly given a foul ball by an adult.

The boy is beyond thrilled; to the extent it starts to freak me out. But, you know what? Kids sometimes get excited about about the sort of things we learn later...aren't quite deserving of such an emotional investment.

This kid—this Giants fan—has something we naturally lose, until that foul ball heads toward a couple of guys who forgot that this happened, sending people, nachos, beers and their dignity careening onto the ground.

That kid should be celebrated, and unless you're about to catch Derek Jeter's final home run, the "kid" always deserves the ball.

Just Messi'ng Around

Most fan interactions with the biggest stars in sports are the epitome of brevity and minimal communication...much less thoughtfulness. An illegible autograph here; a disgusting sweatband hurtled at you there.

Often, it's just the nature of the business, because they'd get nothing done professionally or personally if they tried to get to know each and every fan they encounter. 

However, when someone like soccer megastar Lionel Messi takes the time to prank some of his most devoted fans, you know the moment must be special for them—it would be like Steve Spurrier scheduling 10 minutes to do a Mad Lib with you (which...would...be...awesome, by the way. I imagine he'd say, "Why in the heck would someone 'fart' their lawn?")

This Could Have Ended Differently

Number one—any hockey fan with season tickets to a legit NHL franchise is having a better day. Seriously, hockey tickets that don't intimately acquaint you with the concept of distance are not cheap. 

Number two—I'm almost certain that there are a significant number of women in Pittsburgh between the ages of 19-50, myself included, who would have added a whole new element of poorly contained innuendo.

Season tickets to any major pro sport raise your threshold for what is considered 'better' in a typical day, but to have one of the sport's biggest stars, Penguins center Sidney Crosby, deliver the tickets like he did in 2013 would be stroke-inducing. 

A Fan Unfettered

YouTube

Most of American society operates under a self-imposed, but unofficial, framework of public conduct. I'm not talking about law-breaking or legal gray areas.

I'm talking about norms—the volume of your voice, the cut of your bathing suit at a community pool and similar, small things that aren't necessarily wrong...but feel wrong.

A good example is the extent that one disrobes at a very public event like a Dodgers ball game. This guy, through out the unofficial rule-book, thumbing his nose at section specifically addressing the direct relationship between girth and coverage.

And though this act of defiance unsettles the mind, you can't help but envy his freedom. He is a fan, unfettered.