Boats ‘N Shows demonstrate how to have a good time cheering on Memphis Showboats

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - After a rocky start to the season, Memphis Showboats are seeking its third straight win on Saturday at home in front of the best fans in the USFL.

For one fan group, they said they are riding with the boats, win or lose!

“We want to support the people in our section, make sure they have a good time,” Shannon Merritt, Boats ‘N Shows Captain said. “And we just want to have a great time with it, so the motivation is pretty easy.”

You hear and see them every Showboats home game.

The Boats ‘N Shows are a fan group composed of 23 members that get together for every home game. Some, are not even natives of Memphis.

“Arlington Massachusetts, ya’ll,” Michele Johnson said. “I’m still working on that after 30 years. I didn’t even know where Memphis was, they had to show it to me on a map. I am in a whole fan group and I’m never leaving.”

Both younger and older fans,  bonded together through their love for the showboats.

“I just like to go toot toot,” Cooper Johnson said.

“Growing up my dad took me and my brothers to the Showboats games so when they came back I thought it would be a great experience for my son to experience that,” Cooper’s mom, Angela Johnson said.

Together they cheer, chant, and create signs.

Although they are not considered the biggest fan group, they know how to get the crowd going with their signature chant.

“We just wanted to come up with a cheer that not only were we excited about but knew that the whole section could get behind and get going, " Cameron McNeil said.

Win or lose, the Boats N Show says they just want to keep the momentum alive.

“We don’t care, win or lose, draw whatever we are just going to go and have a good time. We are trying not to get too emotionally invested in it, we just want to support the players,” Merritt said.

“It’s fun to cheer for ourselves but when we get the whole section cheering with us it’s probably the most fun, I’ve had at a sporting event,” co-captain Ryan Ladner said.

The showboats will face the Pittsburgh Maulers. Kickoff is at 11:30 am at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

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