What makes a real sports fan?
Football season is coming up, and I'm excited!
But, I don't have any idea what's going on. countertorque posted recently about how he was voraciously reading everything there is to know about everything, even shoelaces, and it got me to wondering: Am I a real sports fan? Or am I some kind of strange, shallow sports fan wannabe that is inherently irritating to the real fans because I am essentially a perpetual n00b - in the bad sense of word - who doesn't feel the need to become more educated. I'm not sure why this is, and I definitey feel like it's somehow odd.
I root for the Patriots because I was living in Boston when I started watching professional football. But I don't know what's going on with their training, or who's left, or who's joined - and I don't really feel compelled to find out. I know Tom Brady is the quarterback, and I know I'd hear if that changed, but the rest of the team is just The Team. (Well, once the season starts, I'll get to know this year's players. But they move from team to team so much, it seems hard to get attached to anyone in particular.) I don't have any idea what's happening with the other teams, except the week before they play the Pats, when sports guys start talking about how they'll fare against the Pats. Though I do pay a little more attention to teams my friends support, like the Steelers. I don't think I even know the nuances of all the rules. I'm picking up more stuff about rules every year, but I don't feel bad when I don't understand why that penalty was called. That guy over there is usually happy to tell me exactly what went wrong. I can never anticipate a play, and feel brilliant, which I think is a great joy for some fans. On the other hand, I can never get mad because the coach called stupid play, because how would I know? I don't always understand why calling that last play was so brilliant, but even I can tell when someone makes a great catch, or the guy running with the ball evades that incredible jam with unbelievable grace to make a touchdown. I just love the excitement of football season - getting together to watch the game with friends, the wild cheering of victory, the crushing disappointment of defeat. It's starting soon!
But, I don't have any idea what's going on. countertorque posted recently about how he was voraciously reading everything there is to know about everything, even shoelaces, and it got me to wondering: Am I a real sports fan? Or am I some kind of strange, shallow sports fan wannabe that is inherently irritating to the real fans because I am essentially a perpetual n00b - in the bad sense of word - who doesn't feel the need to become more educated. I'm not sure why this is, and I definitey feel like it's somehow odd.
I root for the Patriots because I was living in Boston when I started watching professional football. But I don't know what's going on with their training, or who's left, or who's joined - and I don't really feel compelled to find out. I know Tom Brady is the quarterback, and I know I'd hear if that changed, but the rest of the team is just The Team. (Well, once the season starts, I'll get to know this year's players. But they move from team to team so much, it seems hard to get attached to anyone in particular.) I don't have any idea what's happening with the other teams, except the week before they play the Pats, when sports guys start talking about how they'll fare against the Pats. Though I do pay a little more attention to teams my friends support, like the Steelers. I don't think I even know the nuances of all the rules. I'm picking up more stuff about rules every year, but I don't feel bad when I don't understand why that penalty was called. That guy over there is usually happy to tell me exactly what went wrong. I can never anticipate a play, and feel brilliant, which I think is a great joy for some fans. On the other hand, I can never get mad because the coach called stupid play, because how would I know? I don't always understand why calling that last play was so brilliant, but even I can tell when someone makes a great catch, or the guy running with the ball evades that incredible jam with unbelievable grace to make a touchdown. I just love the excitement of football season - getting together to watch the game with friends, the wild cheering of victory, the crushing disappointment of defeat. It's starting soon!