Confirmation bias is our tendency to notice and accept that which fits within our pre-existing commitments and beliefs. If you doubt its existence, power and importance, you might look at the tweets on college football from this fall that follow (I wrote about it in the college basketball context here). Even if you don’t doubt confirmation bias, looking at these tweets is still a lot of fun. Everyone tends to think that everyone else is out to get them and their team. As Paul Simon put it in The Boxer, “…still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest….“ By inference, at least everybody seems to agree that they hate ESPN!
How to get a job at ESPN: - Hate Ohio State - Hate the Big Ten - Kiss Florida State's Ass - Worship the SEC - and don't forget hate OSU!!!!
— Ohio Sports (@goodquotes4u2c) November 23, 2014
@nmehta98 @UNCVolleyball even in volleyball @espn hates on us. It's funny at this point lo
— Caleb Vega (@Calebvega2) December 1, 2014
#UCLA Trojans? RT @Btang29: @insidetroy check out this espn fail pic.twitter.com/AnnqOCqlUL" ESPN hates USC so much they cant spell it right wow
— USC Trojans Football (@TRoJaN805_) November 14, 2014
ESPN hates the Big 12. They always have and always will. No matter what team, they hate us. And so does everyone else. Gah I'm pissed
— #logan (@Tacker_11) December 7, 2014
@LightUpTheU espn hates Mormons
— #14 MightyAlaskanUte (@MightyAlaskaUte) December 10, 2014
Why does ESPN hate the #Irish?? Every week, except for @ESPNDrLou all others are against the Irish!! @ESPNCFB
— Jim Bean (@Beaner5953) November 8, 2014
ESPN HATE SEC. All of us.
— A$AP Reezy (@reedIRL) November 9, 2014
ESPN will rip ASU for the rest of forever. Because no matter what team it is, ESPN hates Arizona
— Kilea (@kileathomas) November 16, 2014
I'm glad ESPN hates us so we don't get much Dan Jockitch.
— Nate Gelber (@NateGelber) November 27, 2014
WHY DOES ESPN HATE UCONN MUCH!
— Max Turgeon (@Max_Turgeon) November 18, 2014
i'm sure if UAB was in a different conference, @ESPN would've been all over it..but we know how much ESPN hates CUSA teams. some bullshit..
— rachel m (@_raybabyyy) December 2, 2014
Every conference oyher than SEC “@tooSilly_Lilly “@thaboyd400m I just want to know why espn hates the Big12 so much””
— Super Saiyan Smalls (@Be_The_WHYL) November 22, 2014
I love how ESPN hates the ACC it makes me laugh
— audrey (@AudreySchermer) September 29, 2014
#USC #UCLA game prediction coming up on ESPN. You know they'll hate on the Bruins because ESPN hates UCLA. But I'm sleep.
— Bruin Country™ (@UCLA_Nation) November 20, 2014
I like that everyone at ESPN hates Alabama. Yeah we have a really soft schedule with the top team in the country coming to play this week.
— LundenRTR (@LundenRTR) November 10, 2014
Why does ESPN hate us so much (Louisville)…every aspect of their branch doesn't want to give us credit at all. These dudes are pathetic
— ♠️✊♦️ (@RodWhitneyJr) December 3, 2014
@thabchi27 @JayBilas everyone at espn hates the new big east
— Josh Macera (@jmacera7) November 30, 2014
@TAYLORTOCCI because espn hates and has always hated Arkansas so everyone that isn't a arkansas fan does to
— Brady West (@Slim_Brady17) November 22, 2014
I mean, I know ESPN hates us, but at least get our schedule right. Dumbasses.
— Rebel Nation. (@WeAreUNLV) November 23, 2014
ESPN hates Florida state. It's so clear.
— Dollar (@dubdollar20) October 20, 2014
ESPN hates Auburn. No matter how well we do, they still doubt how legitimate we are as a football team.
— Brett Walters (@Bwaltersau) August 28, 2014
@UOgridirongirl @duckfan65 @goducksgirl @RSelko I noticed something fox likes Oregon and ESPN hates us
— Duck in Vegas (@DuckinVegas) November 4, 2014
Why does @espn hate michigan state so much? #alwayscriticizing
— Robert Beckman (@rbeckman8) October 18, 2014
Boy ESPN hates TCU don't they
— Tyler Walker (@thevagueone) December 7, 2014
I swear @espn hates WVU. They still hardly talk about us at all.
— Tucker Cole (@t_cole20) October 19, 2014
Why do people at ESPN hate the Sooners? I think it is funny. Blessed to be a Sooner fan!
— nigel johnson (@nigeljohnson19) October 17, 2014
Why is Beth Mowins the announcer for every freaking game I watch? Just shows that @ESPN hates the Big Ten #NebvsRut
— ZK (@Z_Kita) October 25, 2014
i guess ESPN hates the Beavs, all their articles call us a less-prestigious program than Wisconsin
— Steven (@stevenserver1) December 11, 2014
ESPN hates Michigan
— UofMDieHards (@UofMDieHards) September 23, 2014
@iSaltt @LoganBooker_BI ESPN hates UGA we will never make a playoff because of their SEC Bias
— Harrison J (@Jozefcz1) November 28, 2014
ESPN hates LSU: http://t.co/FJF9gAcAd4 @valleyshook @RandyRosetta @JimKleinpeter
— Ikeonic (@ikeonic) October 1, 2014
@dfbarron ESPN hates all thing Texas not Dallas. Always has.
— Chris Burns (@chilib74) December 8, 2014
ESPN hates mississippi state. That's the only explanation.
— William Drummond (@wdrummond17) September 15, 2014
@Michael_Crispin ARE YOU SERIOUS! Espn hates Texas as for Alabama or Florida State or Notre dame! Any team with history they bash.
— Trip (@tripvick) November 21, 2014
It never ceases to amaze me how much ESPN hates KSU.
— OptiMISS Smartass (@OptimusSmartass) October 19, 2014
Turn on the Maryland game and the first thing I hear is Beth Mowins. The Doris Burke of college football. Why does ESPN hate us
— Falan Garner (@falandownawell) November 1, 2014
Convinced that ESPN hates the state of South Carolina……..USC and Clemson both
— Justin Workman (@jworky_93) December 10, 2014
“@VdotL: @ErrbodyHatesCT ESPN hates Missouri as a whole ….not sure why” espn hates anything Missouri related I swear
— Bree (@DESPICABLE_BREE) September 15, 2014
@RealJYoung Why does @espn hate us?
— Brent Lee (@Gamecockguru22) November 23, 2014
@ESPNRittenberg @SportsCenter HIGHLY unlikely. ESPN hates Wisconsin sports.
— Kolt Rogers (@iamKoltBolt) December 10, 2014
ESPN hates Syracuse.
— Queen of Astoria (@radashlee) December 6, 2014
Good grief, could @espn hate on Baylor any more?
— Der BereitFürMSU Bär (@DerBaylorBaer) November 12, 2014
"@HawkeyeReport: Beth Mowins and Joey Galloway on the call this weekend for Iowa/Minnesota. ESPN2." ESPN hates Hawkeye fans…
— Damian Houk (@DamianHouk) November 3, 2014
espn hates Arizona so much
— jess (@aldaBACONanEGGS) November 1, 2014
ESPN hates Tennessee
— Michael Holbert (@Holbert_Says) October 18, 2014
@J_Trout63 @PennStateFball it wont johnnie espn hates penn state cmon man we all know this #WeAre #BowlBound
— justin hughes (@big14kato) November 16, 2014
ESPN HATES A&M idk why this is ok
— Carly Power (@_carlypower) November 28, 2014
It's really depressing how much espn hates Nebraska.
— Sean Callaghan (@HotelCALLYforni) September 17, 2014
@HouseOfSparky @leefitting why does espn hate the pac 12 so much?! Besides Oregon I guess.
— Trvor Stupy (@ASUfanPT42) November 2, 2014
H/T: ESPN and @DavidSeawright.
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