Ask any athlete who their favorite sports team is and they will have an answer ready for you. They will also be prepared to defend their team as soon as they tell you. The same even goes for people who are not athletes and just love sports and live in an area that is dominated by a professional team.
I am the ultimate contradiction in a sports fans. My two favorite professional teams happen to be from two rival cities. The New York Yankees have been a part of my world since the day I was born as they have always been my dad's favorite baseball team. I fell in love with the Boston Bruins when I was in the 7th grade after they won in a shootout against the Islanders, and I never looked back.
The Yankees have always been an easy team to love because for most of the time I've been alive, they've had many star players and have also played a decent season for their fans. Being a Yankee fan means having to deal with the rivalry with the Red Sox and that rivalry forces you to be defensive over your team. Being a fan of the team like the Yankees gives me confidence and teaches you to trust in something bigger than yourself.
The Bruins play with my emotions a lot, but I've lived to see them win a Stanley Cup and that's something a lot of people can't say about their teams. As a Bruins fan I deal with many rivalries, but to me the strongest rivalry and the team I cannot stand a lose to is Montreal. Being a part of the Original Six in hockey also is a pride thing as Bruins fan because I feel that my team is that more important in the NHL.
Honestly I have never been much of a fan of professional football, but if you go to a school like I do where everyone is either a Patriots fan or a Buffalo Bills fan, you start to pay attention and you see how being a fan of each of those teams brings out certain qualities in people. The majority of the student body at my school is from New England, so a love for all the New England sports teams (Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics) is very prominent. These New Englanders swear by their teams and I've learned that Tom Brady is basically a God to most of them. These fans proclaim their love loud and proud and also seem willing to argue with someone over Tom Brady's suspension. But then I see the other majority of football fans on my campus are fans of the Buffalo Bills. Now I really don't know much about being a Bills fan, but from what I can see it is a lot like being a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. These fans are dedicated and I mean very dedicated. They will stand in the freezing temperature just to watch the Bills lose, but they do not regret it at all.
Fans of professional teams who aren't exactly known for winning a lot, I actually think those fans deserve the most credit. They are loyal and I think it shows a lot of determination to watch every season and support your team even if the odds really aren't in their favor.
Being a fan can define who you are and help make you who you are. Whether it's cocky, or loyal, or obnoxious or proud, being a fan of a team whether it's a winning or a losing team is reflective in who you are as a person.
