What makes a fan?

Recently, my fanhood has come into question. People, I’ll be honest with you. Questioning my fanhood can only lead to arguments and yelling. While I was thinking about how great a fan I am, I started thinking about what it is about me that makes me such a great fan. One thing that sticks out is my love for my favorite teams. I dont care how bad they are… I can’t hate them. Then I wouldn’t be a fan would I?

For example, the Knicks are horrendous. Absolutely horrible. At this point, things couldn’t get worse. If they did, I think the entire city block that MSG is on would implode. I grew up watching a good Knicks team. I grew up watching Ewing, Starks, Harper, and Oakley. A perennial playoff team. Now I have to watch Eddy Curry, Renaldo Balkman, and Marbury. And as I’m typing this, the Knicks have hired Mike D’Antoni. WHY!!! He’s an innovative coach, an offensive guru and thats good, but he’s got no one that runs on the team outside of the younger players. Coaches dont win games, players do. The coach has to fit the situation. By the way, Tom Thibodeau and Mark Jackson would be perfect for the Knicks.

But why should anyone still support the Knicks or any other bad team? One simple reason. Because being a fan means supporting your team through the ups and downs. Now, I’m not saying that I’m going to become a season ticket holder to Knicks games. I can’t afford it and I’m not about to sit through 41 home losses. But at the same time I can’t ignore them.  Essentially, wouldn’t I be lying to myself if I just all of a sudden started rooting for some other team?

Now,  you don’t have to be hardcore to be a fan. You don’t have to know everything about your team’s players. But is it wrong to be? Is it wrong if I know that Julio Lugo’s brother is a pitcher in the Mets minor league system? Is it wrong to know that Nate Robinson was an exceptional cornerback at the University of Washington? Is it wrong to know that Chris Snee is Tom Coughlin’s son in law. I say no. Its all part of the mystique of the sports world. Its what makes sports so great.  Being a fan isn’t just about supporting a team, because all it is, is laundry. Being a fan means being part of a collective, a brotherhood. Being a part of something thats way bigger than one individual. What good is home field advantage without the fans? Can Texas A&M or the Seattle Seahawks have the 12th Man without people in the stands? Of course not.

So the next time you notice that your team is teetering around .500 a month or two into the season, reconsider. Defend your fanhood.