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You know what the best part about being a fan is, it’s the range of emotions one can go through in just a matter of minutes. During Game 2 of the Spurs-Blazers game, I was at work listening to the game on the radio. Hearing scores from other fans at the park, and lucky enough to be on break during the half, I knew that the Spurs had not had one of their better days. Already grumbling on my way back to work because of employee problems, that didn’t help any either.
When I returned to my store, I turned on the radio louder, and put it on the speakers outside. To imagine the picture in my mind, you must know where I work at. I am an assistant manager for the recording studio at a local theme park (name withheld at columnist’s decision). By the final 6 minutes of the game, I had over 100 guests in front of my store listening to the game and hanging on every word. If you were to look at that from a normal person’s perspective, not as a fan’s, you would realize what I mean.
I didn’t know everything that people were thinking, mainly because I had my own yelling to do at the game, the numbers of fans lined around amazed me when I actually noticed it.
I’m sure you could hear it at least in San Antonio all at once (and yeah, Hoffy, in Australia too), but the roar that came from the crowd as Sean’s three-pointer fell in amazed not only my staff, but other workers at the park enough to come out of their stores to see what was going on.
In that time alone, my mood swing would have matched, and possibly stand on its own as one to stay away from. And I loved EVERY minute of it. Of course, the Spurs winning helped a little, too.
As much as I have said in the past about not letting myself get caught up in the team again, not letting myself take a risk over the losses, I continue to come back to it. Is that what being a true, die-hard fan is? Is it learning the game constantly to offer up your own opinions at the bar with your buddies, or to teach someone who doesn’t know the game, and maybe even convert them into one of your own rowdies? Maybe, I can’t be sure.
I love being a fan. I lead the chants. I’m the first to cheer, and the first to accept the failure. I thought that’s what “fan-dom” was. Yet some see it differently.
Stepping off the subject a little, being a fan allows you to ask yourself some questions about “fan-dom” that transfer to life.
Why is it that the best fans are always the ones who sit in the upper decks?
Why is it that even though you KNOW that “Spurs Coyote beanie baby” is way too expensive, you dish out the bucks for it anyway?
Why is it that we can’t seem to get enough of it all? Seriously though, isn’t this all just my opinion....
By Joe Ruiz
