Biggest Fictional Sports Fans
Movie and television characters rarely make a sport, especially a specific team or athlete, a major part of their story.
The reality is that movies and television shows typically revolve around relationships, politics or other countless plot elements, rather than sports. This isn't always the case, of course; there are beloved sports flicks like Field of Dreams and Slap Shot and television shows such as Sports Night and The League that are very much about sports.
But when those films and programs clearly about something other than sports far outnumber those that are, you can't expect a dearth of characters identified by their connection to a sport.
So, when you consider characters that are defined by their status as a huge fan of a team, some clearly rise above the rest when it comes to being funny, interesting or otherwise entertaining. These are characters who don't merely show up in a scene wearing a team's jersey, but live it like real people do.
These are the biggest fictional sports fans.
Marshall Eriksen, How I Met Your Mother
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Endlessly lovable and forever innocent, Marshall Eriksen is probably the reason How I Met Your Mother could get away with having a character like Barney Stinson for so long. Born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Marshall is a diehard Vikings fan who hates everything Wisconsin.
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
2 of 22The Larry David character in Curb Your Enthusiasm was basically just real-life Larry David, but lacking any sense of social decency and self-control even the least functional humans gain over the years.
Both versions of Larry are well-known sports fans, who can often be seen sitting courtside at NBA games on both coasts.
Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's Day off
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Honestly, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off best friend Cameron Frye doesn’t seem like much of a sports guy in the movie. His many neuroses probably keep him pretty busy.
That being said, we only get a one-day look into his life. The fact that the gang take in a Cubs game on their ditch day and Cameron’s awesome Red Wings jersey suggest he’s more than a hypochondriac pushover.
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Peter Griffin, Family Guy
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Family Guy’s Peter Griffin is presumably a Patriots fan. If he wasn’t before he got a chance to play for the team after catching the eye of Tom Brady in the classic Season 4 episode “Patriot Games,” he certainly had to have been after. Actually, Brady is mentioned in a number of episodes, suggesting a whole family of Pats fans.
Elaine Benes, Seinfeld
5 of 22Sports fandom isn’t nearly as prominent a part of the Elaine Benes character in Seinfeld as it is for Jerry and George, but the Baltimore native proved her Orioles were pretty important to her in one episode when she got the boot from Yankee Stadium for refusing to remove her ball cap while sitting in the owner’s box.
Kevin Arnold, the Wonder Years
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Although The Wonder Years’ Kevin Arnold doesn’t prove to be much of an athlete throughout the series, the Jets jacket he wore early in the series run is iconic and universally identified with the character.
Seriously, that thing is on display at the Smithsonian! Kevin’s Jets fandom isn’t necessarily spoken, but it is certainly implied with that jacket.
Will Smith, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
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In the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith is sent to live with relatives in Bel-Air after falling in with a bad crowd in West Philadelphia. Will is always cognizant of his East Coast roots, which include a deep-seated love of the 76ers.
Indians Fans, Major League
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In the first Major League, the ownership’s attempt to keep attendance low works exactly as planned. The lowly Indians aren’t much of a draw, leaving the stands in Cleveland sparsely populated. There is, however, one group of dedicated fans who always show up, even if it’s only to comment on how bad the team is.
Andy Dwyer, Parks & Recreation
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Perhaps one of the most lovable dolts in TV history, Parks and Recreation’s Andy Dwyer was the only serious sports fan on a show that was usually at its best when embracing nerd culture. (Hello, Cones of Dunshire!) Andy was definitely a Pacers fan, but the Colts will always be No. 1 in his heart.
Sully and Denise, Saturday Night Live
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“The Boston Teens” was a recurring sketch during the Jimmy Fallon era, featuring the impressively sexually active couple, Sully and Denise.
The biggest baseball fan in Beantown, Sully had a Red Sox shirt for every occasion—even formal affairs like weddings and prom. He might let you get away with talking trash about Denise, but besmirch the name “Nomar” at your own peril.
Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza, Seinfeld
11 of 22Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza share a mutual love of the Mets, which comes up at various times throughout Seinfeld’s nine-year run. Jerry’s brief bromance with Keith Hernandez played out over a two-episode arc in Season 3. And George famously tried everything he could think of to get fired from his job with the Yankees in order to accept a job with the Mets.
Mars Blackmon, She's Gotta Have It
12 of 22Released three years before Do the Right Thing in 1989, She’s Gotta Have It was the first full-length feature directed by Spike Lee. Among the film’s characters is Mars Blackmon, a Brooklyn-based big mouth with an absolute love of the Knicks—not much of a reach! Mars Blackmon later appeared in Nike commercials with Michael Jordan.
Pete, Ruxin, Andre and Kevin, The League
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The guys from FX’s The League (minus Taco) are completely obsessed with football and their ever-increasing high-stakes fantasy football league. Pete, Ruxin, Andre and Kevin were definitely at their fanatical best during the first two seasons, when the show was still predominantly about the league.
Robin Scherbatsky, How I Met Your Mother
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How I Met Your Mother’s Robin Scherbatsky always has one foot in New York and the other in her native Canada, but her allegiances are never divided when it comes to sports. While the rest of the gang is (occasionally) into NFL football, Robin is a diehard Canucks fan, whose extreme dedication to hockey means she’s always just one misunderstanding away from a bar brawl.
Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
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The Simpsons has been on the air since the beginning of time, so digging too deep into the Springfield sports fandom of one Homer Simpson would take forever. Homer’s antics have intercepted with the sports world on so many occasions over the years, but none with a more epic result than in the Season 3 episode “Homer at the Bat.”
Jenny MacArthur, The League
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Though it took The League’s Jenny MacArthur a while to become an official member the league, she was always a part of the gang, playing puppet master and pulling the strings for Kevin’s team. Once she schemed her way into the league, Jenny quickly proved herself to be as hardcore as any of the guys.
Joey Tribbiani, Friends
17 of 22Yeah the Knicks rule!
Over the 10 seasons Friends aired, Joey Tribbiani’s character slowly shifted from slick (yet out of work) actor to one of the dumbest human beings to ever live. The one thing that remained the same throughout was his sports fandom. Joey’s first love was always the Knicks, but he was also a pretty big Rangers fan.
David Puddy, Seinfeld
18 of 22On Seinfeld there was, quite simply, no bigger sports fan than Elaine’s on-again-off-again boyfriend David Puddy. He wasn’t just a Devils fan, he was the Devils fan. In the Season 6 episode “The Face Painter,” Puddy revealed himself to be just that, among the most dreaded of all superfan types.
Pat Solatano Jr., Silver Linings Playbook
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In Silver Linings Playbook, Pat Solantano is, like every other adult male in his life, a diehard Eagles fan—so much so that early in the film he is far too easily convinced that a brand-new DeSean Jackson home jersey is proper dinner-party attire.
The Eagles highs and lows throughout the season factor prominently into the characters' highs and lows, particularly Pat and his father.
Paul Aufiero, Big Fan
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In Big Fan, comedian Patton Oswalt’s depiction of Giants superfan Paul Aufiero is so ridiculously spot-on that the film, at times, is hard to watch. With absolutely nothing going on in his own life, parking garage attendant Aufiero, who has no girlfriend and lives with his mother, dedicates every waking moment to supporting the team. His dedication doesn’t even wane after being brutally assaulted by his favorite player.
Ben Wrightman, Fever Pitch
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Fever Pitch’s Ben Wrightman seems completely normal when he meets and starts dating Lindsey Meeks during the MLB offseason. Although, the fact that his apartment looks like a Fenway Park gift shop and his annual trip to Florida for spring training were both early warning signs.
Ben’s obsessive devotion to the Red Sox almost cost him Lindsey, but in the end they both yield just enough to make things work.
Bill Swerski's Superfans, Saturday Night Live
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Saturday Night Live’s recurring sketch “Bill Swerski’s Superfans” was one of the most popular and memorable of the '90s. It featured a number of different characters over the years, all of which were amply sized, mustachioed, bespectacled Chicagoan sports fans. The Superfans loved “da Bulls,” but “da Bears” were always first in their hearts, and Mike Ditka was their king.
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