So today is not Friday but I simply forgot to finish up this post in time. But I still wanted to post it and what better day than the best football day of all? Superbowl Sunday! Instead of the typical Football Friday format where I talk about a particular player, I’m going to be doing more of a discussion — what does it mean to be a fan? I was recently thinking about this topic during the playoff weekends and thought it’d be fun and perhaps cathartic for me to air out my thoughts. Feel free to chime in what YOU think!
I guess what got me thinking about it is when the Seahawks lost in the playoffs. I feel like the defining moment of being a fan is what you do when your team loses. There is the fair weather fan who stops watching football because God forbid you watch a losing team. There is the band wagoner who jumps ship (jumps wagon?) because they’re not the best anymore. Both of those types of fans drive me nuts. Why?
Because to me, being a fan means you are THERE for the ups and the downs. The heart breaking painful losses make the wins THAT much more sweet and exciting and AMAZING. You don’t just turn around and say “oh well, I only care if they’re winning” or “well they suck now”. Number one pet peeve!! It just rankles me. I also just feel like it gives the rest of us who give undying unconditional support a bad name.
If I’m out of town and am sporting a Seahawks apparel item, I’ve totally had people call me a bandwagoner and I’m just like dude, back off, you don’t even understand how obsessed I am with football. (I may also start turning red and steaming from the ears.) I do think there are two types of bandwagoners though. Because I do think it’s awesome that because of the Seahawks recent success, non-football watchers become wrapped up in it and become interested in football and start watching it. If that’s the factor that made them into a football fan, hey, that’s awesome! I am all for spreading the football love! But if they start losing and you just throw them under the bus and give up on them, then no. It just DOESN’T sit well with me.
A fan loves their team. It’s that inexplicable feeling of excitement, the heart pounding stress of a game, the emotional distress you can undergo and that explosive happiness that this game can bring. Yes, there are lows. Yes, there is heartbreak. But I just couldn’t even imagine turning my back on my team. If you’re just there for the wins, you’re only getting half the experience.
Besides being a fan of my team though, I obviously just love watching good football. I’ve had a lot of people tell me “now that the Seahawks are out, I don’t really care.” Well.. that’s cool, but I love ALL aspects of football and am also a fan of the game. The end of football season marks a season of darkness. (Basically Superbowl Sunday is both exciting and depressing if you think about it.) There’s no way I’m missing a second of it!
I love this! I completely agree. My team is the same way this year – people hop on the bandwagon and/or assume that I’m a bandwagon fan because plenty are. I can just show them a picture of me in Panthers clothing from age 5 😉 But seriously, the ups and downs make football so interesting! Winning feels so much sweeter when it doesn’t happen as often. I’ve seen the Panthers go 1-15 and I’ve seen them go 15-1. That’s what makes being a football fan so great.
Aww I love this post Wendy! And I totally agree! Sometimes it’s hard to be a true fan because you get so frustrated! But, I stick it out with Tennessee, even when I’ll say otherwise (I joke that I’m going to switch to Alabama, but I never mean it.) The losses are heartbreaking, but the wins make it so much sweeter like you said!