Saying obsessed or being crazy about something seems a little negative and derogatory. How am I supposed to say it in a positive way.
Learn English – non-derogatory way of saying “people here are obsessed with sports”
nonsubjectivesingle-word-requests
Best Answer
I would say,
There is some debate about whether "fan," which is what sports enthusiasts are normally called, is short for "fanatic," (See NB below); however, fanatic, in full form, in the context of sports, means something much stronger. For example, you would call someone who lacks passion for their team a "fair weather fan" but not a "fair weather fanatic." Fanatic has the added punch of zealotry.
Plus, you should not confuse a Phillies fan:
with the Phillies Phanatic:
NB: There is a passage in the Dickson Baseball Dictionary which claims that "fan" comes from "the fancy," an archaic expression that referred to dapper young men in the know who were prizefighting enthusiasts. Dickson writes,
Whether Dickson is right that Sullivan or anyone else for that matter did not derive "fan" from "fanatic," turning up a reference to baseball enthusiasts as members of "the fancy" on the internet is difficult.