People have many obsessions.
Some people know every word to every Drake song, some have eaten over three dozen burgers at various restaurants and some have memorized the scripts of all six Star Wars movies.
But then there are those loud, obnoxious sports fans.
At least, that is how many of those outside the realm of sports fandom view us, because they do not understand why we spend our days religiously following our favorite teams and players, why we check our ESPN apps to find out the latest NFL Draft news or why we give a hoot about LeBron James’ latest publicity stunt.
All in all, sports fans are part of a culture that is often misunderstood, but deserves to be viewed in a more positive light.
A sports fan wearing a T-shirt of his or her favorite teams five to seven days a week is no different than someone listening to “Hold On, We’re Going Home” on Monday and “Take Care” on Thursday. I could name five other Drake songs, but that would simply take up too much space.
A fan ranting about how the Pittsburgh Penguins are winning their series against the Blue Jackets despite the fact Sidney Crosby has not scored a goal has equal merit to someone raving about the best “Bleu Ribbon” burger someone scarfed down last weekend.
Yes, sometimes hearing about the Reds’ losing record can get annoying, but so can hearing about the latest Kardashian breakup.
My point is: No one should demean someone else’s interests in favor of his or her own. That goes for everyone, not just sports haters. One should be able to recognize the fact that someone else’s fandom means just as much to that person as yours does to you.
I will say being a sports fan is not particularly easy, however. Because many non-sports fans view our competitive nature as arrogant, they tend to take exception to rivalries and trash-talking among each other.
An outsider would see this behavior as dismissive and sometimes even rude. Sure, there is that handful of fans who make it a personal ordeal rather than a “my-team-is-better-than-your-team” playful competitiveness. Sometimes a Steelers fan can go over the top and personally insult a Browns fan because of the team, but don’t let those people define our population as an entirety.
For example, being from Pittsburgh, I know what it means to be a diehard sports fan. Many people make fun of Pittsburghers because they seem to love their hometown teams just a little too much. However, many people do not realize that arrogance is usually not meant to put down any single person, but rather to convey passion and dedication to our teams.
Others who do not associate with sports do not have to know what sports fandom “feels” like, but they should attempt to relate through whatever it is they are passionate about.
Next time you see a Penguins fan and a Jackets fan give each other a nasty eye, don’t be so quick to judge, because once the jerseys come off, they are friendly and approachable people.
ks363012@ohiou.edu
@kelsey_surmacz4
