Freddy Sez and the Most Dedicated Sports Fans Ever
Freddy Sez, the famous Yankee fan, died today.
Before he died at the age of 85, Freddy Sez (real name Freddy Schuman), toted home-made signs around Yankee stadium and banged a frying pan to rile up fans for more than 20 years.
No word on whether or not the team will sew a "Freddy Sez" patch on their jerseys just below the "GMS" patch honoring their late owner, George Steinbrenner.
Since 1988, Sez was one of the most famous sports fans around. But was he the most dedicated?
Check out this top 10 to find out.
No. 10: John Adams, Cleveland Indians
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Adams has been a staple at Cleveland Indians games ever since 1973, when he began banging a large drum in the empty bleachers at Old Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
Since then, he has missed just 34 games.
Although the 1990s gave Adams a chance to see the Indians finally play in the postseason, he's seen far more bad baseball than good during his five decades of rooting on the Indians. It takes a lot of dedication to have to stomach the play of Ernie Camacho and Brook Jacoby.
But maybe the more dedicated fan is the person who sits next to him while he bangs at that large, audible-throughout-the-entire-stadium drum.
No. 9: Fireman Ed, New York Jets
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Ed Anzalone is his real name, but throughout New York City he is known as "Fireman Ed."
According to legend it was Fireman Ed who originated the famous "J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!" that is so popular today among fans of Gang Green.
It doesn't take that much effort to wear part of your work outfit (he is an actual fireman) as some of the others on this list.
But having to quarrel with Giants fans—who also call East Rutherford home-—every few years takes some level of dedication.
No. 8: The Hogettes, Washington Redskins
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Dressing like pigs is one thing, but dressing like pigs in women's clothing? That takes dedication.
Furthermore, walking through Washington D.C. on your way to RFK Stadium or FedEx Field is dangerous enough without the get-ups.
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No. 7: Spike Lee, New York Knicks
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Spike makes this list for sticking with the Knicks through their current streak of horrible play.
It was easy for him to show his face court side during the 1990s when the Knicks were contending for the Eastern Conference title.
The fact that he stood by the team—in person—during the Larry Brown and Isaiah Thomas eras is a testament to his dedication. Maybe he's been rewarded with the arrival of Amare Stoudemire.
No. 6: Morganna the Kissing Bandit
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Morganna Roberts, aka Morganna the Kissing Bandit, became famous in the 1970s and 1980s for running onto the field of play to kiss players.
And her exploits were not confined just to one sport. She's kissed major-leaguers, hockey players, basketball players, the San Diego Chargers Chicken, etc. etc. etc.
Apparently the kissing streak began in 1971 when, at age 17, she ran onto the field at Riverfront Stadium to kiss Cincinnati Red Pete Rose. Roberts eventually parlayed her fame into all sorts of public appearances, several Playboy spreads and a spot in the movie Kingpin.
Maybe she's just supremely dedicated to the attention, but Morganna the Kissing Bandit deserves to be mentioned on a list that chronicles borderline obsessive dedication to the world of sport.
No. 5: Darth Raider, Oakland Raiders
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Like Spike Lee, Darth Raider deserves some praise for sticking by the Raiders during their current woeful stretch.
Wearing all that black leather and plastic in the stands in September? That's more brutal than the Raiders drafting JaMarcus Russell first overall. Well, maybe not.
No. 4: Barrel Man, Denver Broncos
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Wearing nothing but a barrel outside in cold, snowy Denver takes some serious love of your team.
Since 1977 Tim McKernan, aka Barrel Man, has been attending Broncos games with his barrel and not much else. Before passing away in 2009, he missed only a couple Broncos home games.
At any given Broncos game, Barrel Man probably wasn't quite as beloved as John Elway, but for three-plus decades he was just as recognizable.
No. 3: Dewey Corn, NC State Wolfpack
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Few people know about him since he doesn't attend Yankee or Jets games but Corn's dedication is unmatched.
The class of 1949 alum has attended 389 consecutive NC State football games. Not just home games—all games, including the Wolfpack's 18 bowl games.
No. 2: Big Dawg, Cleveland Browns
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John "Big Dawg" Thompson was a famous supporter of the Browns during the 1980s and 1990s.
The Browns left Cleveland for Baltimore in 1995, but when the team returned in 1999, so did Big Dawg.
Surviving "Red Right 88," "The Drive," "The Fumble," the release of Bernie Kosar, the franchise's move, three seasons without football, the drafting of Tim Couch and Courtney Brown No. 1 overall and perpetual losing seasons, earns Big Dawg the top spot for an individual person.
And how many fans have their dedication noted in the official congressional record? Big Dawg has.
In October 1990, Congressman Dennis Kucinich publicly acknowledged and praised his loyalty on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.
No. 1: The Colts Marching Band, Baltimore Colts/Ravens
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The Baltimore Colts were so beloved by their fans that when the team moved to Indianapolis in the middle of the night in 1984, the team's fan-operated band continued to practice and perform during the 12 years that the city was without a team.
No doubt those fans were forlorn by the loss of their team; for decades the Colts were intimately woven into the fabric of Baltimore. And though it may have seemed like denial, the Colts fans who carried out the tradition showed an incredible level of dedication.
In 1996 those patient and passionate fans were rewarded when the Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens. That same organization of once-Colts fans now performs on Sundays at M & T Stadium in Baltimore as "The Marching Ravens."
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