I am from the Metro-Detroit area, and I love sports. So naturally I cheer for my Detroit teams, the Red Wings, the Tigers, the Pistons, and yes, even the Lions. I love me some good Detroit sporting.
Unfortunately I choose to go to school in Northwest Indiana (not too far from Chicago) so there are a lot of Bears fans, and just like everywhere in the country there are a lot of Packers fans. And while I as a Lions fan could care less about the Packers-Bears debate it can get pretty heated at times.
Today a I heard a Bears fan accuse a natural born Illinoisan-Packers fan of being a traitor to his state. The Pack fan said it was in his blood, his mother was a fan, it was how he was raised. This got me to thinking, why do we cheer for the teams that we cheer for?
The Packers have an incredible fan base across the country. So do the Patriots, the Stars and the Giants. Geographically in my little corner of the world, you would expect to find mostly Colts and Bears fans with a sprinkling of Lions, and Packers. But I bet that in reality, you could find someone at Valpo who supported each of the NFL teams.
Are the teams we cheer for a geographic thing, or is it more of a blood thing, you know, the-Mom/Dad was an <insert team here> fan, so I am too-type, or is it something else entirely? And why do we feel so passionately about these teams?
I don't personally know any of the players on the Lions, but I still am happy when they score a touchdown and thoroughly disappointed when they continually throw interceptions. For me, the team was a geographic thing. I like being connected to my home and my region through my sports teams. I am more excited to watch a game now that I have lived outside of Michigan than I ever was growing up. I love having a team to support and the connections that I can make watching or talking about a game. No matter where I end up living, I can promise you I will always be a Detroit sports fan.
(Picture from detroitsporstsnetwork.com)
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