My Story As A Fly-By-Night NFL Fan
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Sports

My Story As A Fly-By-Night NFL Fan

I cannot commit to one team.

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I always loved the NFL. I enjoy the intense rivalries, how the 16-game schedule makes every game important, and the passion of the fans for their team. Unfortunately, as a fly-by-night fan I was never able to hold on to the passion I had for one team and I would totally stop caring about them and find another team.

The first football game I ever watched was Super Bowl XIII but I didn't become a fan of any team until the 2010 NFL season. My uncle was a Jets fan and if you liked any other team he would kick you out of the house. He always had the games on and he would curse at them and most especially at Rex Ryan. I always enjoyed watching how he would react to the games and since I didn't know the NFL too well and I had no other choice so I became a Jets fan.

I didn't really follow the Jets too much unless they were doing good. I remember in 2010 I was with my uncle watching the Jets in the playoffs and they beat the Patriots and the whole house was screaming and we were all so happy. But then the Jets went on to lose in the conference championship to the Steelers and I felt like I was dying on the inside.

The Jets were mediocre or terrible in the next couple of years and thus I didn't follow them or the NFL as a whole. But then Fitzmagic came along in 2015. I also started having a closer relationship with my dad and he supported the Vikings because he knew the owners and I thought that was really cool so I became a Vikings fan alongside the Jets. However, that season the Jets missed the playoffs while the Vikings made it so I decided to just be a Vikings fan. Little did I know that the Vikings are the epitome of a hard-luck franchise and that a few years later this fact would end my support for them.

The 2016 NFL season was rough for me. The Vikings started 5-0 but went on to lose 8 of their next 11 games and miss the playoffs. To make matters worse, all of my friends' favorite teams, Giants, Packers, Steelers, Cowboys, made the playoffs that season.

But it was the 2017 season that really destroyed my love for the Vikings. It was at this time where I really started looking into the stats and histories of each franchise and I saw that the Vikings were one of 6 teams to not have a championship (meaning a super bowl win or a pre-merger championship). Of these 6 teams the Vikings were the oldest meaning that they have had more opportunities to win a championship than the other teams so by that metric I considered them the worse current franchise in the history of the NFL. They have also made it to the super bowl 4 times and lost all of them, the last being in 1976.

But this season felt different. The super bowl was going to be in Minnesota and the Vikings were playing great. I became obsessed with the Vikings that season. I really thought it was their year and that all of those depressing statistics that I obsessed over wouldn't matter anymore.

I got especially crazy during the playoffs since if you lose you're done. The Vikings first playoff game was against the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional round and I was watching it with my family. The Vikings started off great leading at the end of the first half 17-0. But as soon as I saw the first signs of a Saints comeback I screamed and left the house and they made me come back in but I kept running away from the tv. But then I saw the Vikings get that last second touchdown and I was fired up but my negativity quickly ruined it because I knew they were going to lose their next playoff game.

Then came the conference championship against the Eagles. We had a big party at the house since my dad and I supported the Vikings and my sister supported the Eagles. As soon as the Eagles got that pick 6 I knew that the Vikings were going to lose and I stormed upstairs and didn't come down for the rest of the night. I spared myself from watching most of that horrible 38-7 blowout but my family was very upset with me.

At that point I was sick of the Vikings. That was the 6th conference championship they lost in a row. I also accepted that they were probably never going to win a super bowl. If 2017 wasn't their year then no year would be their year. So then I decided to change teams again. This was also good because I felt that every member of my family liked a different team and maybe it was about time that I found mine. I spun a wheel on the night the Vikings lost and the Seahawks came up.

I was cool with being a Seahawks fan but the problem was that this team is declining. They lost many of their great players due to being traded. I was a little reluctant but I thought I would support them.

Then came the first game of the 2018 season between the Falcons and the Eagles. Because of what happened last season I hate the eagles and I wanted them to lose. Since Villanova has many Eagles fans I decided to wear a Giants jersey during the game just to piss the Eagles fans off. I even considered being a Giants fan since they won 4 super bowls in their history. But then they started playing as horribly as they did last season and I went back to the Seahawks when they beat the Cowboys in week 3.

I was still unsatisfied with being a Seahawks fan and then one night I had a great idea of which team I should support next. I decided that I would be a fan of the New Orleans Saints. I thought that it would be a great fit since they lost to the Vikings in a heart breaking fashion the year before but they ended up getting the last laugh on the Vikings since they went on to get slaughtered. Also I love their jersey colors, their chant, and they are division rivals to the Falcons and I have a family member who also acts like a baby when it comes to sports who is a Falcons fan so that could be a lot of fun.

From the Jets to the Vikings to the Seahawks to the Giants back to the Seahawks and now the Saints it seems that I'll never stick to one team. What is most ironic about this situation is that I did a how to public speaking presentation about being a true fan of an NFL team. I think I'm happy with the Saints but I know how easily I could switch teams as a fly-by-night fan.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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