Gotnext Women's Basketball Boards

BackInTheDayPlay · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 33

:?: As a new season approachs one wonders...

How exactly did the Bridgade come to pass?

SportsFan48 · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1138

Good question, backintheday.

The Brigade started just over a year ago and came about from a series of posts on the ESPN board. Anyone who lurks or posts there regularly knows who VeProfesser is and that there is no love lost when it comes to his feelings for cam.

Vegoof has extended his dislike for cam to anything Mercury. A big part of that comes from the fact that Mercury fans stick together and support each other on the boards and I think that irritated goofy a little.

Anyway, in a feeble attempt to put the Mercury posters down, vegoof called us the Mercury Brigade. At the time the primary Mercury posters were cam, mb, caune, and myself. Instead of being insulted by being called "the Brigade", in true Mercury FAN fashion we turned the situation into an opportunity to have a party.

We met at A League of Our Own on a Friday night and with a toast to goofy, the Brigade was started. The original four were there as were 1carol, heythere, and a few others. Others have become members of the Brigade by default (no fault of their own). Most Brigade members are regular message board posters but not all are. We all have friends who join in our festivities from time to time but wouldn't really consider themselves part of the Mercury Brigade.

Our Aussie friends, Keegan, Dunkin Dan or luuuc and Hellcat are members for several reasons: they have our back on the boards; they are really cool and funny people; they send us Tim Tams and other Aussie treats; and as everyone knows, nothing is truely "Mercury" without some Aussies in the mix.

What has really resulted is a group of people (a very diverse group BTW) who not only love Mercury basketball, but have a great deal of respect and friendship for each other. Without the common bond of love for the Mercury this group would have never gotten together, however, now if the Mercury were to go away, this group would still be friends.

The Brigade "hosted" fans from all over the country last season. Some of the hosting was at Majerles, but some was in our own homes. We will do much of the same this season.

It is funny you would ask this question tonight, considering the Brigade (original four plus a few) had a preseason get together this very night.

Hope that gives you some insight.

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1050 Location: Phoenix AZ

Once upon a time.......
there was (and still is) a homophobic person who goes by the board name of VeProfessor (sometimes known as TGDMFOTB, VeGoof, VePoof & even VePoop) on the ESPN board that likes to state speculation and rumor as fact. When a person (cam) knowledgeable in the game of women's basketball corrected him, he insisted his faulty facts are right. When cam's friends (mb, caune and jcwaz aka sportsfan) came to cam's defense VeProf became even more hostile and persistent. Thus, the debate would continue on into perpetuity. Or would have if people hadn't gotten bored with it. VeProf decided he didn't & never will like any person even vaguely connected to the Phoenix Mercury. Especially their acceptance of alternative lifestyles :shock: This he wrote about with much zeal & determination. In his attempt to insult the Mercury fans mentioned above, he called them a brigade. I'm sure he meant gang or who knows what! :? But they preferred other synonyms like contingent, task force, troupe or even team. So the above mentioned Mercury fans laughed (a lot) :wink: and accepted the name. They made it their own and officially became *THE BRIGADE*
As time passed some others have been fortunate enough to be accepted into this terrific circle of loyal friends. But only after going through an intense initiation process of course :twisted:

**I was busy editing this & got sidetracked cuz I was trying to recover from more of that initiation tonight. Meanwhile sportsfan wrote her Brigade story. I was going to delete this, but decided to leave it for another slant on THE BRIGADE story

emibaby · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 231 Location: Thomasville, AL

I personally don't care *HOW* it came about..the Brigade...I'm just thankful that it did!

I HEART THE BRIGADE!!!!

Shush mb.

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1050 Location: Phoenix AZ

we heart you too emi - when are you coming back??

emibaby · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 231 Location: Thomasville, AL

The inSANE crew (Shanda, Alyse, Nikki, and I) are thinking about getting together for the Aug 27th game in Seattle.

Do you think the Brigade will be going to that last game of the season??

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1050 Location: Phoenix AZ

Most definitely -- we're already making plans :wink:

CamrnCrz1974 · Joined: 16 Jun 2003 Posts: 1689 Location: Central Phoenix

Actually, the Brigade started back in 2003, when I moved back to Phoenix. I had chatted with Gia, MB, and Caune on the ESPN boards. I met them for a Mercury game in May 2003. After moving back to Phoenix permanently in June 2003, we started hanging out after games.

We were the "group" of ESPN board posters, before Sportsfan started posting. But the term "Brigade" came from VeProfessor in 2004. And the Aussie members (Keegan, Hellcat, and Luuuc) were there from the beginning. In fact, Luuuc posted so much about the Mercury, I had assumed he lived in Phoenix (when I first met Caune, she told me otherwise).

You can always tell an OBM (Original Brigade Member). An OBM knows the identity of "Ms. X."

BackInTheDayPlay · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 33

Huh. Okay. Thank you for the info.

Goooooooooo Merc!

1carol · Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 1050 Location: Phoenix AZ

Quote: As a new season approachs one wonders...

How exactly did the Bridgade come to pass?
You asked :twisted: :D
No one can accuse the Brigade of being secretive & holding back info :lol: :lol: :lol:

BackInTheDayPlay · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 33

"Ms. X"...hmm. Cam's drag name?

CamrnCrz1974 · Joined: 16 Jun 2003 Posts: 1689 Location: Central Phoenix

Quote: "Ms. X"...hmm. Cam's drag name?

Too generic for a drag name.

Again, the true OBMs know the answer.

Keegan · Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

Ms X is Alana Beard's #1 fan ;)

mb · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:39 pm Post subject:

ROFLMAO!

More to follow...

Hoopslady · Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 127 Location: Illinois

The SONM is my guess :shock:

kingbt · Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 70

"Once upon a time.......
there was (and still is) a homophobic person who goes by the board name of VeProfessor"

I regularly read the ESPN board and I don't remember ever seeing VeProfessor say anything against gays or lesbians (or even about gays and lesbians) so I don't think the adjective homophobic applies to him.

Keegan · Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

kingbt wrote: I regularly read the ESPN board and I don't remember ever seeing VeProfessor say anything against gays or lesbians (or even about gays and lesbians) so I don't think the adjective homophobic applies to him.

He did once, a while back. Implied that gay men weren't "real men" (whatever that means)

kingbt · Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 70

"He did once, a while back. Implied that gay men weren't "real men" (whatever that means)"

I assume you are talking about VeProfessor and not IronSheik. Although some people seem sure of it, I do not think they are the same person.

Keegan · Joined: 13 Jun 2002 Posts: 977

kingbt wrote: I assume you are talking about VeProfessor and not IronSheik. Although some people seem sure of it, I do not think they are the same person.

Yup.

Yes, I know VeProf and IronSheik are different people. They have two entirely different posting styles and they have also posted at exactly the same time.

SportsFan48 · Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 1138

king, you would have to go back to early February/March of last year to find those posts by Vegoof. He did have a few comments about alternative lifestyles. And he might have commented with determination and zeal, but he didn't make many comments. You will find them along with the posts that he was cam's bitch. Generally, I think goofy stays away from those issues.

The vegoof and ironshiek identities have been discussed by most of the Brigade in email discussions and the general conclusion is they are two people.....however, most likely from the same "fan base".

kingbt · Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 70

"They have two entirely different posting styles and they have also posted at exactly the same time."

Posting at exactly the same time would just require two different browsers being open. But I agree that they have different styles.