Some thoughts on Fandom

I’ve been in a relationship for just over two years with a lovely young woman named Dakotah. While I cherish everything about her, what has annoyed me as of late is her Golden State Warriors fandom. She’s not what I would call a “fair-weather fan,” considering she didn’t even watch basketball until she met me, it just struck me as tacky that she would choose the best team at the time to root for when she decided to start watching.

I’ve since changed my mind about her choice to root for the Warriors. I used to get so mad at people for cheering for teams just because they were winning, but then I realized that it’s a really useless exercise to get that worked up over something so trivial. I honestly couldn’t care less anymore if someone has “been there since day one” or just jumped on the bandwagon, because it DOESN’T MATTER.

Look, we have enough stressful things going on our lives, and watching sports shouldn’t be one of them. No one wants to cheer for a losing team, and if you tell me different then you’re a liar. It’s okay to concede a little fandom when you’re team is losing or having a bad year, whatever Deity you believe in will not judge you for it. It’s just not that important to dedicate your entire life to supporting a team when you really don’t get any benefit from it. I was stoked that the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl this year, but it doesn’t make me a more valuable person because they won it all.

Also, if you get mad at someone (like I used to) for cheering for a team just because they’re winning, you need more to do with your life. Go read a book, learn a skill or kick rocks for all I care, just don’t get all worked up. You’re just jealous of their happiness and you need to chill. I was jealous of Dakotah because her team was winning, and after a while she got sick of watching games with me because I would just whine about Golden State’s success. Sports are supposed to bring us together, not tear us apart because we root for other teams.

So, cheer for whatever team you like, and be proud of that fact. If you decide you want to root for another team, do that too. Wear that tee shirt with pride and enjoy the game. Just be loyal to those who matter most, your friends and family, and significant others.