I guess you could call me a fair-weather fan when it comes to football. No, make that all sports.
I can take sports or leave it – and generally, I leave it.
Growing up I never took an interest in sports, with the exception of an occasional backyard game of baseball or those years I bowled on a league as a kid (bowling counts as a sport, right?)
Part of it was my dad, who also had little use for sports. When I was a kid he never had sports on the TV and never pushed me to take part in a sport, though if I had I’m sure he would have been fine with it.
Being a non-athlete in high school was an absolute joy. Between coaches hassling me to play football because I was a big kid who would have made a good blocker and the other kids all getting a good laugh out of my complete lack of skill and coordination on any playing field or court, sports never was really my thing.
Maybe I missed out. Or maybe that’s just how it was supposed to have been.
My disassociation with athletics has prevented me from ever really becoming a big sports fan. As I said, I have always been a fair-weather fan.
I loved NBA basketball during the Detroit Pistons Bad Boy era. Heck, I even remember going to see a few games at the Palace of Auburn Hills back in the day.
When the Red Wings were hot, during the 1997, 1998 and 2002 Stanley Cup Championship years, I was right there cheering them on (probably would have thrown octopi onto the ice at the Joe if I’d have been to an in-person game).
I wasn’t a fan of either sport before or after, so again I guess that makes me a fair-weather supporter.
Being a fan who only jumps on when things are bright and sunny, when the team is playing great and watching their games is exciting has its advantages. During those winning streaks there are more victories to celebrate, more joy and happiness to be had.
On the flip side, when things take a turn and the going gets rough its easy to just step off the parade and walk away. No hard feelings for the team or the sport, just a general sense of I should have known better than to get invested in that!
So, when I climbed aboard the Detroit Lions bandwagon a few months ago, I mentally prepared myself for the potential downside of getting my hopes up on a sports team. You’re going to get invested and then when they don’t make it to the Superbowl, you’re going to regret it.
That moment came Sunday when the Lions lost that important game against San Francisco; that heart-breaking, will-crushing moment when all Lions fans had their Superbowl dreams dashed.
I found myself literally unable to watch the ending, instead going upstairs to get ready for bed knowing it was coming and not being able to do anything about it.
When I went to sleep that night, I told myself I was done. I wouldn’t be tuning in for this year’s Superbowl, and I wouldn’t watch the Lions next year – my penance for allowing myself to get wrapped up in a silly game.
On Monday, however, as I went out and about on my rounds for work, the people I spoke with all had the same thing to say – and I discovered we had a shared experience from this past season.
But there was also this glimmer of hope in their words.
Maybe next year!
At least the Lions had a good season. I’m happy about that.
I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next season!
Then I realized that maybe it isn’t just a dumb game after all. The Lions mean something to people, and this fantastic ride they’ve given us this past season isn’t necessarily the end.
If there’s one thing Lions fans have, it’s hope, and maybe, for once, I need to give them a chance and take away from this past season all the good things – the wins, the camaraderie, and the thrill of a good game.
That’s what being a true sports fan is all about, so maybe it’s okay to be a fan even when the team is down.
Because, as I taught my kids, it’s not all about winning, but rather it’s about having fun.
So, maybe if there’s room on the Lions’ bandwagon next year, I’d still like to be a part of it – rain or shine.
