Are You A Normal Sports Fan Or A Confirmed Fanatic
Posted on October 29, 2008
Filed Under Sports |
There are two main types of sports supporters in this world - the enlightened fan with a jersey or two from his favorite team and the ultra fan who thinks NHL hockey jerseys should be given the same status as the tux.
Most fans would be categorized the first category. Quite a few among us would own a Boston Red Sox jersey or a Portland Trailblazers apparel, maybe attend a New England Patriots game or two, and we would keep up to date with the latest news and rumors of happenings in the leagues. Some of us might even be part of a fantasy mock draft group.
But this is enough for some followers of the game. There are quite a few fans who are so consumed by their passion that they have to have every single logo memorabilia item from their favorite team.
There is nothing wrong with expressing support for a team. But there are those who take it further than most. Donning MLB uniforms is standard get-ups for these fans.
A number of you who have attended games might have noticed the presence of at least one ultra fan at the game who would don a team jersey which would be covered with team logo pins, badges and other logo memorabilia which could be stuck or attached to a team uniform. In relative terms, this fan would be the sports fan version of a King Scout displaying his badges. Admirable one might think.
There was one incident where a Packers fan bought an item which fans do not usually buy - a Green Bay Packers NFL #First-Up#10′x 10′ adjustable canopy. It was uncommon but useful for barbecues in the yard. Unfortunately this dedicated fan lived by himself in an apartment and had no intention of actually using the merchandise. He merely wanted to add to his Green Bay Packers logo collectables collection.
Fanatic team fans have lived with the daily mocking and stares for a long time. But passion can make people do unexplainable things. Sports is a sort of escapism to most of us. It allows us to leave behind the insanity of the hustle and bustle of the world for a mere few hours every week, and live vicariously through the star players we cherish and sometimes idolize. When we don that NFL jersey or put on those MLB fitted caps, while watching the game at the stadium or live on the idiot box, it is just as if we are part of the team.
Passion cannot be measured. Passion manifests itself in different ways in different people. As stated in the examples above, some people are passionate about collecting NBA merchandise. It is merely their way of displaying their support for their favourite team. But there are others who display their passion in a less visually obvious way, by being very knowledgeable about the sport of their interest or the team they support. Needless to say, the second group of fans are mocked less although they are no less passionate.
Comments
Leave a Reply