To the people who call themselves die-hard sports fans, let me ask you this, why when your team is in the fourth quarter and losing, do you sit down, walk out of the stadium or hold your head down as the other team boo's at you when you walk by? Why do you give up on them when they need your spirit, overbearing-loud voice and chants of “your team sucks” to the opposing team now more than ever, to cheer them on to a comeback. It’s time for self acclaimed “Sports Gods” to admit that sometimes they don’t always stay standing.

Think back to when you were a kid and you had the naive idea that sports were just for fun and winning and losing was not the end of the world. When you lost you cared for two minutes and when you won your parents would make a tunnel for you to run through and then you’d forget about it five minutes later.

Now remember the feeling you had when you went to your first professional sports game. Whether the company was of your mom, dad or grandparents, they held your hand tight to not lose you in the crowd of eager and excited spectators. Maybe it was a Tigers game at Comerica Park, and even though you may have sat in the nose bleeds section, tell me you did not smell the sweet and mouth watering scent of freshly cut grass and ballpark hot dogs. You never gave up hope on catching the game winning ball. Maybe it was a Lions game at Ford Field and you were with your dad and you had no clue what any of the players on the team’s names were or even how many points a touchdown was worth. But when they ran out into the tunnel, you sat on your dad’s shoulders, and as all the fans roared in anticipation, you knew that win or lose that field meant something. Or maybe you were a hockey fan and the icy air of Joe Louis Arena and the thrill of octopus thrown on the ice remains more vivid in your memories. And as the Red Wings skated onto their home ice, a feeling of pride and joy for a team that maybe you had no clue anything about couldn’t help but make you smile.

Yes, most of us probably remember these games, clearly, they were the frameworks of our love for sports that shaped us into the kind of fan we would always be. We were young and we loved our teams no matter the outcome. If they lost, we didn’t care we would still stand up on the seat clapping our hands and cheering, until the last whistle was blown or the clock counted down to 0. We would still wear our jersey with pride for the number that adorned the back.

I invite all you sports lovers to remember what it was like to be this kind of fan. To not get angry or cuss when your team makes a mistake or loses. Remember what it was like in your own life to play sports and how much it sucked when people questioned your skills or thought you lacked heart. Remember what it’s like to be the kind of fan that stood up even when your team was falling down. No matter the name of your team, colors of face paint you wear or section you sit in, be that fan that always stays standing.