There are three kinds of people in this world: those who like sports, those who dislikes sports, and those who scream at televisions and bash their heads into walls because that's how much they care about sports. I am among the first kind: A moderate viewer of various major league teams, who will watch games only when her schedule allows, yet knows enough about what she watches to follow along play-by-play. Specifically for baseball, which I watch more than any other sport, I've seen enough games in the past to have been able to predict this season that the Yankees (my team) were not going to make it too far in the playoffs. So what did I do when the Yanks went down quietly in the wild card game against the Astros? Stop watching baseball for the season and strictly read news articles on Girardi's thoughts for next year?
No. I began rooting for the Mets because (1) I might as well root for the other New York team, (2) the Mets are ON FIRE, not having made it to the World Series since 2000, and (3) to put it simply, it's fun. I believe the first kind of people have the most fun watching sports, because we don't invest our lives into the teams we like. We hold close the phrase "Hey, it's only a game." Sure, we become impassioned when plays get exciting or the favored team takes the lead; of course we get frustrated when something goes sour (a loss, an injury, a 20-minute review that feels like an hour on what you thought to be an obvious play, etc.). But there is a line between caring and caring to the point of heart palpitations.
Readers, friends, ask yourselves: Is being a die-hard fan worth the health risks? Is your extreme sense of loyalty worth shoving down peoples' throats in a my-team-is-better-than-yours argument? Must we verbally abuse our televisions in order to get the point across that we are "SPORTS FANS!!!"?
I bet many among the third kind will read this article and think, "Psh, what a fake fan. She doesn't know what she's talking about." Well, yeah. You're kind of right. I'll be the first to admit that while I got the basics down, I have tons of questions about many of the most popularly-watched sports. Why is there an excessive number of ridiculous baseball stats? How is it possible that people can name the entire roster of not only their favorite team, but ALL of the teams, spanning over MULTIPLE seasons? Why must half of a football game be dedicated to reviewing plays? And though I've had it explained dozens of times, I still don't get it: What in the hell does off-sides mean?
Yes, there are a whole plethora of things I don't understand that sports fans of the third kind can (and will) (and have previously) make fun of me for. But a "fake fan" wouldn't own up to not knowing everything.
All I know is that I enjoy rooting for somebody when watching one of my favorite sports, whether it be my team or my friend's team or the team wearing my favorite colors (That's right, I said it. Come at me, third kind. I have no shame.) So if that makes me a member of the bandwagon-clan sometimes, I proudly accept the title.
In conclusion, GO METS.
