Superfans are defined by their devotion and displays of team pride.
So when we ran an article Oct. 6 on a handful of Hawaii fans and their extreme dedication to their favorite college or pro teams, we heard from other superfans who wouldn’t be denied.
Among the most devoted are University of Oregon alumnae and sisters Kasey Muraoka (class of ’92) and Christy Calabrese (’96), who cheer for the Ducks.
"Love doesn’t describe our feelings," said Muraoka, who sent a photo of her toenails painted green with tiny gold crystals in anticipation of last week’s showdown with Pac 12 rival Stanford. (Sorry, Duck fans, the Cardinal came out on top, 26-20.)
Their families have no choice but to join the fan club. The clan poses for "Duck Christmas cards" and "Rose Bowl New Year cards" in Oregon colors.
Muraoka, a recruiter for the Waikiki Beach Marriott who lives in Kahala, insisted her husband, Reed, switch allegiance from his alma maters (University of Hawaii and University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.) to don Oregon fan gear "as a condition of getting married, of course. It’s really not an option! He calls it psycho; we call it love," she said in an email.
Muraoka and Calabrese, a loan officer who lives in Waikele, paid $900 each for tickets to the 2011 BCS championship game between Oregon and Auburn in Glendale, Ariz. — a win for the Tigers. "Worth every penny!" Muraoka said.
Also enjoying a long-distance gridiron love affair are Andrew and Sharon Feetham, who aren’t about to let a little thing like 2,300 miles of ocean keep them from their beloved San Francisco 49ers.
The Kunia couple became season ticket holders in 1975 while living in San Francisco and kept their season passes even after moving back to Hawaii in 1980. For the next 25-plus years, they shuttled between Honolulu and San Francisco for home games, and were in the Pontiac Superdome when the Niners beat Cincinnati, 26-21, to win the 1982 Super Bowl. Their devotion so impressed Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana that he gave them an autographed photo.
The Feethams finally gave up their season tickets after Sharon, 66, retired from Delta Airlines in 2007, but she and her 69-year-old husband still fly over for some contests and will attend San Francisco’s Dec. 1 game versus the St. Louis Rams at Candlestick Park.
In between games the Feethams live with an impressive collection of 49er souvenirs and memorabilia that includes clocks, footballs, dolls, rugs, blankets, pillows, Disney characters in team uniforms, Christmas ornaments and a license plate that reads "SF9r." (Sharon Feetham recalls with regret that she forgot to remove her old "SF49fan" license plate when she sold a previous car in 1980.)
"This is a 49er home, trust me," she said.
