It’s easy supporting Barcelona, Real Madrid, or Bayern Munich. It’s not difficult to jump on the New England Patriots bandwagon, or be one of the millions that consider themselves a part of Yankee Nation. It doesn’t take effort to support a team that wins championship after championship constantly attracting the best talent year in and year out. This isn’t a hater manifesto, so don’t read it as such, I will be the first to admit that winning is an incredible feeling; who doesn’t like it? But, if you support one of the many sporting dynasties, one of the perennial powerhouses, do you truly get the full fan experience?
My favorite sports team is Arsenal Football Club, located in London, England. Arsenal are one of the biggest and richest clubs in England, as well as the world. They have a rich tradition of winning and doing so with class, The Arsenal Way. Many would say Arsenal are not a mediocre team at all, and I would often agree, depending on which decade that statement was made in. Over the past 11 years England’s highest honor has eluded my beloved Gunners; the English Premier League title. In fact, up until 2014 Arsenal didn’t win a single trophy for 10 excruciating years. We have been bang average. We sat back as we watched some of our biggest rivals achieve glory both in England and in Europe, over and over again, as our beloved Arsenal sank further in further into the cellar of mediocrity. We even had the opportunity to break our title drought against lowly Birmingham City in a 2011 cup final only to give up the game winning goal in the 83rd minute…seven minutes away from the full time whistle. Since then Arsenal have gone on to win back to back FA Cups in 2014 and 2015, but we just aren't the Arsenal of the past. My difficulties as a fan even extend to college football as my favorite team is The University of South Carolina. Although the Gamecock’s lack of success is much, much greater than Arsenal’s the pain is still the same.
In recent years I often found myself cursing my own choice of teams. Why couldn’t I have been raised an Alabama Football fan instead of South Carolina one? Why didn’t I choose to support Barcelona or Bayern Munich as a young boy instead of Arsenal?
However, as I’ve gotten older I see the beauty of supporting teams that don’t always win. The beauty of supporting teams that constantly see their best players leave in search of greener pastures, teams that lose crucial games to sides they should absolutely obilterate, teams that throw away victories at the end of matches. The beauty is you form a tighter bond with the team you support and with fellow supporters. You find yourself hurting more when they suffer defeat and celebrating with more zeal when they’re victorious.
There is a certain beauty in supporting a team that doesn’t win all of the time. That beauty is, when it finally arrives, victory tastes so much sweeter. You appreciate it more than the supporters of the powerhouses do.
When South Carolina won the SEC East in 2010 I was ecstatic. Division titles aren't even worth celebrating at schools like Alabama, but to South Carolina fans it felt like we had just won the conference. Overcoming a years of mediocrity (and worse) to win a championship, albeit a divisional one, was an incredible feeling. When Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2014, overcoming a 2-0 deficit, I was over the moon; I had a permanent smile on my face for the next week while supporters of clubs like Bayern Munich aren't concerned with winning competitions like the DFB Cup...they have much larger fish to fry.
So this is a message to all of you whom support your teams that aren’t perennial Super Bowl contenders, continual World Series participants, or recurrent Premier League champions. This a message to all of the fans that would go to war for their team if anyone dared to speak negatively of them. This is a message to all of fans of run of the mill teams and mid-table clubs; you are the true fans because you know what it’s like to experience constant heartache and still tune in to watch the next game. You celebrate all victories, no matter how small. To all of you, don’t give up. Stick with your team for success may be right around the corner.
