Testing Your Fanhood

I'm going to the Eagles v. Dolphins game tomorrow. Is it the most exciting game in the world? No. Is there any hype or interest in the game other than having the Eagles win? No. As a matter of fact, the only major area of interest is the hope that the Birds don't lose to an 0-9 team. Sure there's talk that if they win they'll be a game back of the Wild Card, but come on. Unless the Birds beat Pats next week, there is no chance of getting that Wild Card unless the Redskins, Giants, and Lions pull a collective New York Mets and vault the Birds into the playoffs. However, here is my point...I want to go to the game. I will enjoy going to the game. I want the Eagles to win that game. Why? Because I'm a fan.

People, especially in the Philadelphia area, often refer to themselves as fans, but that is not the case. For example, two years ago when the Eagles were an absolute mess I went to the last game of the season against the Redskins. There were probably more 'Skins fans in attendance than Eagles fans. Now, this was an especially disappointing season since there were high hopes for the Birds, but more and more often people only want to be a fan, for any team, when times are good. You don't become a fan by enjoying championships and celebrating wins. Those are your payoffs for being there for the heartbreaking losses and embarrassing defeats. Every time something horrible happens to your sports team you have to be there so you can fully enjoy those truly great moments.

And those moments aren't always championships, but can come anywhere at any time. It's being there and knowing that you truly wanted your team to win above all else.

That is really the ultimate litmus test for being a fan: Will you be there to suffer through the tough times? AND Do you want your team to win at all times?

There is an exception to the second part of the test. Rooting for your team to lose is acceptable when going for a higher draft pick for next year, but ONLY when that top pick is a life altering player, like Greg Oden and Kevin Durant were. Other than that, there really is no excuse to root against your team. Even if you just want them to rebuild or move on, when it comes down to it, can you be happy if they lost? Sure maybe from an outsider standpoint moving on and cutting your losses is the best option, but when that game is over, something just does not feel right about accepting defeat.

Being a true fan is really the most nonsensical thing a human can do. Think about it. From the time you first become a fan, you arbitrarily select a team based upon geographic location, your dad's favorite team, or maybe a team that had a big impact on you during your formative years. That's all that it takes. After that, you root for that team no matter what. You spend thousands of dollars on tickets, merchandise, apparel, travel, along with countless hours watching these teams throughout the year. Hours and hours spent all for little morsels of pleasure and, if you're lucky, a championship or two.

It would make more sense just to have a laid back approach to sports fandom and just enjoy sports as entertainment. Root for the best teams and check in every now and then to see what they're up to, changing your favorite team year to year so as not to be stuck with a loser.

That's not what being a fan is about though. Something inside you makes you adhere some kind of mythological loyalty, on the level of loyalty to your friends and family (maybe even a little more), for seemingly no good reason at all. It makes people take out second mortgages on their home to buy Super Bowl tickets or cry uncontrollably or maybe even act a little out of character.

What being a fan is, is just having a passion for something. Sports pushes those buttons and makes you root, cheer, live, and die with a team you've selected. It is a masochistic (go with the second definition, but I bet there are some people out there that go with the first) process that the more you think about it, the more odd of an entity it becomes. I guess that helps explain when you try to tell your girlfriend about why you like a certain team, she shoots back at you with an "Are you insane" look. And what it boils down to is yes. It is a completely insane approach to life, but it is oh so necessary.

I'll be at the Birds game, rooting for them on Sunday. Whatever team you like, I suggest you do the same. Go Birds!

Gotta support the team...

Courtesy Flush: Sports Edition

Just a quick run through of some sports over the past week. ONWARDS!

Sadly, I was at that Eagles disaster on Sunday. I'm actually glad to say that I saw this final 97 yard drive by Brian Griese coming. You see, one of the benefits of being a long-suffering Philadelphia sports fan, you begin to anticipate and expect crushing defeats to take place. No regular season loss has been as devistating in recent years as that loss to the Bears. It officially ended the Eagles hopes of making the playoffs this year. This isn't just because this was a bitter loss, but due to the fact that the Birds still have two games against Dallas, one more against NY Giants and Washington, at New England, against Seattle, and at New Orleans. The key to this season was getting off to a fast start to help guide the Birds through the end of their schedule, that hasn't happened. Also, the rest of the NFC East are a combined 15-5.

Rough Sunday if you were a Boston sports fan:

If you aren't lucky enough to have Tom Brady quarterbacking your actual football team, it is just as good to have you QB-ing your fantasy football team. After a ridiculous 6 TD performance, it is clear that the Pats are going to run up the score on every team, and their run game is secondary to Brady's TD numbers. Here's what I said about Brady's fantasy impact in my NFL East Preview:

Best Fantsy Player: Tom Brady - he finally gets to have a multitude of weapons around him. With Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth at WR and Laurence Maroney coming into his own at RB it is almost like Brady is being spoiled. He should be able to extract TD's like a surgeon extracts a gall bladder this year.

As for the Red Sox, they came storming back from a 3-1 hole to beat the Indians in Game 7 hours after the aforementioned Pats won yet again. Personally, I'm happy that Daisuke Matsuzaka got the important start and pitched very well. He's been under a lot of pressure to be this elite pitcher right away, and it is going to take a year or two for him just to get comfortable to the new environment. Everyone makes a big deal about his $100 million contract, but he didn't ask the Red Sox to spend half of that just for negotiating rights. It is a bloated number, and I feel that along with an average year for this supposed phenom has caused people to give him a harder time than he deserves.

In the World Series this year, it is obvious that no one has any idea what will happen. Either team could sweep, it could go 7 games, every game could be a blowout, every game could be close, hell with the series going to snowy Denver in late October, we may not even finish this whole thing until early March. It is a complete wild card on all fronts. Too much is relied on for too many different things to take place to make any kind of confident predictions aside from, the Sox have experience or the Rockies lay off will hurt them. I did pick the Sox at the beginning of the year, so I'm sticking with them because it is more fun to be right than wrong, but I will say I think the whole series will fall in line with how Game 1 goes. It is the battle of the post season masters: Josh Beckett and his post season career vs. The 7-0, 21 of their last 22 Colorado Rockies. If Beckett pulls through and shuts down the Rocks, I like Boston, but if the Rockies come out firing another World Series Championship may not happen for the BoSox. Not like Boston doesn't have enough trophies nowadays.

On another bizarre note, ex-Phillie Paul Byrd has been linked to HGH. You'd think the feds would release, you know, good baseball players to link to HGH. Sort of play up that, it's ruining the game and tainting the sport type angle. If Paul Byrd, Jay Gibbons, and Jason Grimsley are HGH users, then maybe it's just making baseball players that would normally suck ass slightly more tolerable. In some weird way, it may actually be improving the sport. If Wes Helms hits 15 homers next year, investigators may wanna check out his bank statements.

(Note: the image is not altered. Paul Byrd really is that short and stumpy.)
(Note: Byrd released this statement in regards to HGH allegations, "Look at me! I look like an albino Smurf, and you're going to accuse me of HGH?")
(Note: I just made that quote up.)

Finally, UFC had it's latest pay-per-view on Saturday. UFC 77: Hostile Territory. While usually spectacular, this PPV was pretty weak and disappointing. There were two highlights. The first was the official announcement of Brock Lesnar as a UFC signee. Brock is a former amateur wrestling champ, professional wrestling champ, and had his attempt at becoming a professional football player thwarted a couple years ago when he was cut from the Minnesota Vikings. However, Brock may have found his calling with UFC. Stronger, faster, and more skilled than virtually any heavyweight in UFC, the only question with Brock is his ability to strike and take a hit. If he can be successful at those two things, then he will surely be a champion.

Secondly, and more impressive, was the main event of Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin. Silva has been on a tear as of late since beating Franklin for the UFC Middleweight Championship by essentially breaking his face with knees. This time was just a pure tactical display of fighting by Silva. Virtually unchallenged all night by Franklin, Silva knocked down Franklin at the end of the 1st Round before finishing him off in the 2nd. It was about as impressive a victory as I have seen, and firmly place Silva as one of the best fighters on the planet. The only challenge may come from Dan Henderson, who is currently in the 205-lb. weight class division, who would have to cut weight to fight Silva. Something Henderson has done back in his Pride fighting days.

Here's a link to Silva's beat down of Nate Marquardt.