The Path to becoming a Richeous Fan

I had this sitting in MyDocuments from not too long ago.  I think only my room-ate has read it.  Enjoi!

Fan, derived from the English term Fancy, was used by the British to express ones proffered boxer, according to William Henry Nugent.  The Latin word fanaticus meaning ‘insanely but divinely inspired’ developed into fanatic describing ‘excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion’.  In England, fans of beloved soccer clubs are known as supporters.  Showing loyalty towards a team in America is being a fan. The camaraderie and unity formed by a group of individuals regardless of the term is almost unmatched.  Whether parents brought together funding their children’s Little League Baseball squad, a town cheering on their students in the High School State Championship or selling out a stadium beyond capacity to gain an edge in Game Seven of the World Series, fans are brought together to help aid achieving the goal of winning. Fans are what make the sporting world clock turn, how does a person transform into a loyal supporter of a specific franchise or club?

There are multiple influences that determine the destination of a fans support.  The birthplace and location of upbringing is the biggest factor in deciding whom a fan will designate their allegiance toward.  If a fan is born and raised in Minnesota, the Minnesota Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, and Wild are the most probable to influence the fan.  Local media, stretching from the News Papers, Magazines, Radio Broadcasting Stations and Television Networks are obligated to cover and report the happenings of local sports teams to the highest degree of detail and accuracy.  Family and instrumental figures including teachers and friends may also affect direction of a fans support.  A young couple moves to Phoenix from Detroit and has a child.  There is pressure to support the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings and Pistons living in the household.  Despite influence at home, the public and the local media all focus on the D-Backs (Diamondbacks), Cardinals, Coyotes and Suns.  A fan is born to a couple that did not plan on having the child.  Mom lives in Chicago and Dad lives in New York.  The fan gains his education while living with Mom in Chicago while spending holidays and summer vacations visiting Dad.  The amount of teams and media coverage the fan has exposure too is remarkable. The Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, Whitesox, and Bears are Chicago’s darlings.  While in New York, the Knicks, Mets, Yankees, Islanders, Rangers, Giants, Jets, and Bills are the primary focus of American sports media.  There is no pure formula to determine how someone becomes a fan of whom.  For every fan, there are variables and factors determining the outcome of a supporter’s arrival in the rigorous world of sports.

The long unpredictable route to fanmanship eventually will settle.  Every fan knows that the fate of either winning or losing cannot be controlled.  Being a fan is riding a roller-coaster that goes up, down, loops around, twists, turns, takes a personal possesion, and occasionally removes dignity.  Not all fans chose to endure the stress and emotional toll that comes with the territory.  Minnesota has not hoisted a championship banner since the Twins defeated the Atlanta Braves in the 1991 World Series (disregarding the Lynx, 2011 WNBA Champions).  Suffering defeats in three NFC Championship games, one NBA Western Conference Finals, six ALDS (American League Divisional Series) early exits and one ALCS (American League Championship Series) defeat.  Minnesota teams have only letdown supporters not old enough to remember 1991.  The heartbreak of defeat and consecutive undesirable results drain fans emotionally.  Heartbroken supporters who have lost faith in clubs ability to achieve the ultimate goal are likely to show less support.  Teams betray fans.  The Seattle Super Sonics picked up and left Seattle for Oklahoma City.  The Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee and became the Titans.  The Cleveland Browns became the Baltimore Ravens.  The Browns were eventually born again, retaining the name and all previous records and statistics.  Consecutive streaks of failure along with a team betraying supporters will decrease loyalty and pride among fans.  A Righteous Fan will never stop supporting.  It is most important for a Club or Franchise to give back those who exhaust effort, time, conversation, pride, and money to a roller-coaster that is ridden through all the up’s, down’s, twist’s, turn’s and dark tunnels never anticipated. 

There will never be a true equation, formula or method to show how support for specific; Clubs, Franchises, Squads, Lineups, Offenses, Defences, Special Teams, Players, Coaches, and Traditions is acquired.  

I LOVE SPORTS!