Snappy puns, surname innuendo and over-the-top adoration are the calling cards of a fan鈥檚 hand-drawn sports sign.
At a televised contest, you鈥檒l see acronyms for national broadcasters that spell out such profundities as Talent Surpasses Nerves! At a hockey game, you might see a Sharpied message about NHL commissioner and perennial goat, Gary Bettman. Signs insult refs, propose marriage, and invite bites from Alex Burrows or compare Toronto BJs to New York Yanks. Sometimes there is glitter. Othertimes a grammatical error.
In Vancouver, teenage fans have their own subculture of signs. You鈥檒l see a dozen such posters at a volleyball game despite fewer than 100 people in attendance.听
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Some great signs at the volleyball championship tonight. These girls manage to only slightly distract the teenage boys on the court.
鈥� Megan Stewart (@MHStewart)
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The messages are personalized, creative and as loud as the cheers from the teenage girls who lift them high overhead.听
鈥淭hey play better. I feel like they give it their all,鈥� said Tiffany Trieu, a Grade 10 student at Eric Hamber secondary and a Griffins junior girls volleyball player. 鈥淲e鈥檙e good friends and it鈥檚 important to cheer them on.鈥�
During the senior boys city championship earlier this month, Trieu sat with a few teammates in the bleachers to watch over the volleyball courts at Van Tech secondary. She had double-sided posters with different messages for specific players.
One sign teased Griffins outside hitter Daniel Luu for his resemblance to popular YouTuber, RiceGum. Another simply said 鈥淕o Hamber,鈥� and a third featured a striking image of a Griffin, Hamber鈥檚 mascot, and the promise: 鈥淚 hope you like animals cuz griffins r beasts.鈥� Points for efficiency.
Trieu sat alongside her Griffins junior girls volleyball coach, Alex Agustin, whose cousin is an alumni of the school. 鈥淲e like to support the boys because a couple come help with our practices,鈥� she said.
Although the senior girls and senior boys tournaments were running simultaneously at Van Tech secondary, there were only signs on display for male athletes. Every one had been done by female schoolmates, many who are also players.
David Thompson Trojan Patrick Chiu laughed at a sign that said, in essence, he was loved by no one.
鈥淗e does have a girlfriend, but we鈥檙e teasing him,鈥� said Cathy Do, a Grade 12 student at the same school.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our last year,鈥� added Do. 鈥淲e were louder than everyone else. We spent time together making these and it was fun.鈥�
Trojans outside hitter Vincent Barretto was gifted with a sign with a burrito and a generous backside. Van Tech Talisman Coltyn Liu was praised and his teammate, libero Eric Truong, was singled out, too.
The AAA senior boys and AAAA senior girls Lower Mainland volleyball tournaments continue this week.
The Van Tech Talisman and Burnaby鈥檚 Moscrop Panthers play in the final game at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Nov. 18) at David Thompson secondary.
The senior girls AAAA quarter-finals play out at 11 a.m. Saturday at Lord Byng secondary.听 North 麻豆传媒映画rivals, Handsworth and Carson Graham, meet on one side of the bracket while 麻豆传媒映画teams Lord Byng and Killarney play on the other. The tournament final is the same day, 1 p.m. at Lord Byng secondary.
