Fans Who Are More Dedicated Than You

Are you more dedicated than the World Cup eagle? The McCovey Cove diver? To what lengths would you go to support your team? How much time and effort would you spend, or how drastic would your actions be?  

Maybe the following 12 fans aren't actually more dedicated than you, but they are certainly more dedicated than many. And if you are willing to forgo haircuts for 13 months because your favorite pitcher is having Tommy John surgery, then kudos, my friend. You are a bona fide superfan.

Welcome to San Antonio, LaMarcus Aldridge

NBA power forward LaMarcus Aldridge made a lot of fans in San Antonio very happy when he signed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Spurs. One fan was so happy that he had Aldridge's image shaved into his head, along with a Spurs logo. 

The fan is dedicated, yes, but let's be honest—the real hero here is the barber/artist who crafted the uncanny likeness.

Kaman Sweatshirt

In March, one woman attended a Portland Trail Blazers game wearing what appeared to be a custom-made sweatshirt. The clothing article in question featured a massive, blown-up rendering of center Chris Kaman's face.

So not only did she (again, presumably) have this specially made, but she also had the guts to actually wear it.

WWE Fans in Japan

Over the July Fourth holiday weekend, the WWE took its talents to Japan, where several big names—including Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Nikki Bella—took center stage for the Beast in the East event.

As it turns out, Japanese fans really dig the WWE. A group of them dressed up as WWE stars, and they really went all-out. They had it all covered—Cena, The Rock and even the famous WWE "Sign Guy."

Umpire Fans

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that's the case, then two fans at a recent San Francisco Giants game really flattered home plate umpire Andy Fletcher.

The fans dressed up like umps, sat directly behind home plate and proceeded to mimic Fletcher for a long enough period of time that it was impressive. 

Also impressive were their uniforms—very authentic looking. A lot of effort clearly went into this elaborate—and very hilarious—stunt.

Tennis Ball Haircut

"

Rab? I've never even heard you say you like tennis. @robertflorence pic.twitter.com/TsorCOjZ6S

— Killie Me Softly (@mickmcavoy) July 7, 2015"

Wimbledon doesn't generally seem to have a lot of rabid fans, but don't tell that to this guy. Through an elaborate combination of artificial coloring and creative shaving, this fan managed to make his head look exactly like a tennis ball.  

It certainly doesn't seem like many people would do this, but then again, haircuts aren't permanent.

Haircut Strike for Jose Fernandez

This fan didn't get Jose Fernandez's likeness etched into his hair—no, what he did took a much bigger time commitment.

When the Miami Marlins pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2014, Andres Salgado executed his own odd version of the playoff beard. Salgado vowed not to cut his hair until Fernandez was back on the mound.

He kept his word, and his story gained so much notoriety that Fernandez himself did the cutting when he regained his pitching health.

Barry Sanders Urinal 

This one took dedication, yes, but it was also just weird. Detroit Lions fan Mike Kozan bought a urinal from the home locker room of the Pontiac Silverdome at auction for $23. He then took it to a Barry Sanders signing event, convinced the Hall of Fame running back to autograph it and sold it on eBay for $3,000.

Kozan is dedicated, but the fan who paid $3,000 for a urinal—well, that's both dedicated and absurd. 

Bottle Cap Stanley Cup

This one is sort of a throwback, as Chicago Blackhawks fan Michael Rigitano first created the ultimate Stanley Cup craft project in 2010. He won a $10 bet by making a full-size Stanley Cup replica out of bottle caps.

Rigitano brought his Cup back when the Blackhawks won their third Stanley Cup in six years this June. He told Sal Barry of Puck Junk that the project required 7,000 caps and nearly three months of his spare time to complete.
 

Eagle Fan

It's pretty clear who the star of the Women's World Cup Final was. You guessed it—the eagle fan. 

Kelly Farrell is a U.S. soccer fan who traveled from Los Angles to Vancouver for the final. Before it was all over, she managed to become a beloved Internet sensation.

Farrell went above and beyond what most fans would do. She traveled a great distance to see the U.S., secured front-row tickets and wore an eagle mask that, as she told Sara Morrison of Boston.com, made game-viewing rather difficult. 

Arsenal Tattoo

Head shaving shows dedication, and bottle-cap replicas take forever to make. But tattoos? Those are permanent. This recent example is not the first time a fan has advertised his or her sports allegiance with bodily ink, but it is bizarre.  

One Arsenal fan had the image of his team's manager, Arsene Wenger, permanently etched onto his body, and that's not even the weirdest part. The tattoo isn't just of Wenger—it's of Wenger riding a dog. 

Dodger Fan Cam

As a season ticket holder, Los Angeles Dodgers fan Bobby Crosby is already more dedicated than a lot of people. However, he takes it a (huge) step further by filming his attempts to catch home run balls and posting them on his own YouTube channel. 

Crosby has already caught two home run balls this season and captured each instance on film. Not only does that take dedication, but it also takes coordination—and, obviously, a lot of luck.

Diving into McCovey Cove

Back in Barry Bonds' day, San Francisco Giants fans used to hang out in kayaks in McCovey Cove trying to catch his home run balls.

This is not that. This is far more reckless than that.

During a recent game against the Philadelphia Phillies, a home run ball off the bat of Giants second baseman Joe Panik bounced into McCovey Cove. Naturally (but not naturally at all), one fan impulsively hurled himself into the water after it. Stadium officials had to help him out, but hey, he got the ball so…worth it?