Fandom

Fandom is a weird and uniquely human feeling. Fandoms materialize with sports, universities, countries, companies, types of food, TV shows, and more. Fandoms are everywhere. Humans grow up and gravitate towards larger groups of people who like the same ___ they do. These commonalities go on to represent feelings of fandom they may feel for the rest of their lives.

With the NFL playoffs currently ongoing I will speak specifically about sports fandom today. There are many reasons people choose to associate themselves with specific teams. Location of where you live, being born into a family who roots for a specific team, a favorite player, or countless other reasons. The fact is, once you have a reason, you are more likely to stick with that team through the good and the bad. Sports are an escape and having a fandom makes the escape that much sweeter. Fandom gives lots of people an escape from their everyday lives and serves as an outlet for enjoyment. Sports on the weekend or after a long day of work have become a staple of the human experience. There is a reason the NFL seems to own a day of the week in the United States. People love sports and they love rooting for their teams.

Fandom also provides the opportunity to have enhanced relationships with those around you. It is much more fun to be rooting for a team when you have those around you doing the same. My father and I both support the same NFL team and this past season has been the most rewarding season of my life in that aspect. We have this shared interest and have had the opportunity to experience the 2022 season together, through win and loss. We spoke about the game or team on a nearly weekly basis and watched 2 in-person games. With baseball, I support the same team as my Grandpa and always have that as a talking point whenever I speak to him. Sports bring people together and fandom makes that connection even better.

At the same time, having those around you root for different teams is also fun. My high school group chat has fans for at least 9 NFL teams. I say “at least” because there is someone who reps multiple teams, can’t fault a fair-weather fan. It is always fun when two teams play each other because the winner has bragging rights. My team lost in the playoffs yesterday, and I unfortunately had the chance to lose to a team supported by one of my friends. He has bragging rights and let me hear it. Sports bring people together and fandom makes that connection even better.

In my opinion, fandom with sports teams is an overall healthy relationship. Win or lose my life goes on. The losses sting but I get over it. Yesterday, my father and brothers were one of the last people to leave our section. We sat in silence trying to process the fact our team lost and the season was over. At the same time, I was consciously taking in each second because of who I shared the experience of the game with. I had intense moments of joy and a crushing feeling of defeat over the span of a couple of hours but shared those moments with my Father. Even after a loss, I am able to recognize the reasons for my fandom and be thankful for the benefits it has brought to me. I have memories I will never forget from yesterday, I am closer to my father, and grandpa, and have talking points and shared interests with my friends and those around me seemingly year-round.

Sports are meant to be a shared experience and fandom helps exemplify this experience. Next time you are watching your team play I encourage you to reflect on your reasoning for your fandom. If it is because of a specific memory, cherish those thoughts. If it is because of a specific person, call them and talk to them about it. Cherish that relationship and be thankful for the power of fandom.