One thing I love is trying to break down the world into two types of people. It's always fun and meaningless, and I end up scrapping my theory about 30 seconds after it popped in my head. One area this separation of 2 types of people has bothered me, though, is sports fandom.
On one hand, your typical East Coast fan. Be they from New York/New Jersey, Boston, or Philly, they are never happy with what their teams do until they've won a championship. A week after they're done drinking themselves into stupors celebrating what "we" accomplished, they are back to bashing their favorite franchises and best players.
On the other hand, you have your typical Midwestern fan who is blindly loyal to the franchise or college program. No matter how bad things look at the beginning of a season, they expect the best. No matter how badly the season turns out, they expect that it will be turned around during the offseason and the fans just need to be patient.
Of course, these are gross oversimplifications that ignore the blase fans in Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles who just don't care at all. Oops, more stereotypes there. In the real world, though, there are many people who can be pigeon holed as one of these types of fans. Your typical East Coast fan already gets way too much press. I'm sick of hearing about their "passion." I want to break down the blindly loyal fan.
Probably the most well known blindly loyal fan base is that of the Chicago Cubs. While they may not have created the phrase, "Wait till next year," they sure have perfected it. Having attended several games at Wrigley Field, I can tell you this is no longer an accurate assessment. As we approach the 100th anniversary of the last Cubs World Series victory, many Cubs fans want wins or blood.
Sammy Sosa went from challenging for the title of Mr. Cub to being run out of town seemingly overnight. Corey Patterson and Kyle Farnsworth were booed mercilessly for failing to live up to expectations. Dusty Baker, despite managing the team to within 1 win of a pennant, best be careful when he returns to the North Side with the Cincinatti Reds. I digress.
There still remain, though, many fans who feel they are obligated to continue to root for their favorite team for better or worse. This isn't an equitable marriage. This is ignoring the abusive behavior of a spouse. There is nothing wrong with questioning the decisions of the front office. It is perfectly alright to wonder why a player repeatedly makes the same boneheaded play.
Sports, for those who follow teams closely, can be very frustrating. You have no control over something you invest a great deal in emotionally. Many deride sports' significance with the phrase, "It's only a game."
To many, though, it is an artform. They look in sports for what others look for in paintings, sculpture, or music. It is something to immerse oneself in and enjoy the performance. As with all artforms, criticism is not only expected, but needed. I am not just referring to sportswriters, columnists, ESPN, or bloggers. The individual observing the art must be willing to analyze the work for themselves. Doing so, makes the work a means to grow. If an individual cannot question a work, it solely becomes another means to briefly escape reality.
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