Fan or Foe
It’s easy to say, “I’m a Golden State Fan,” when your roster has Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and newly acquired Kevin Durant. It’s even easy to say, “I’m a Cavs Fan,” now that they are the reigning NBA champs lead by LeBron James. When picking a team, many are drawn to the talent and the wins, but what if your team is the lowest ranked in the NBA?
Let’s face it, with a 2013-2014 season of 19-63 and the 2015-2016 season weeper of 10-72, the road for the Sixers could only be described as bumpier if they lived on the moon. Social media comments are unkind and when asked my favorite basketball team, the usual response is, “I’m sorry.” Still, I wear my t-shirt with pride and I rejoice in my yearly trip to Philadelphia or Boston to see the Sixers play. Why? Because that’s what it means to be a true fan.
Fans are important to any sport. Some fans will sit in a blizzard just to see their favorite football team live, or in the pouring rain to watch how many runs their favorite baseball team can get for the win. Whichever the sport, the object is to win, and many fans can get pretty nasty if it’s their team on the losing side of the 50/50 odds.
I’m not saying that I haven’t uttered an insult or two at times. It’s hard to see defense fall asleep, giving the opposing team a free pass to the bucket. I may be guilty of saying, “Why don’t you just roll out the red carpet with a big welcome mat under the hoop.”
Guilty or not, fandom can be a very serious commitment for some. If the season makes you want to put a blanket over your head and never look at the score again, or pray to the sports gods asking, “Why me?” , a true fan sticks by their team no matter what. Like any relationship, a true fan embraces their team for better or worse.
By Judy Foreman
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