What does your favorite sport say about you?

Trafton B.

December 30, 2009 - 7:32 PM

So, I was lucky enough to attend not one but two Golden State Warriors basketball games while home this break. Watching basketball games is not a normal activity while at home, and these two games were abnormal for the Warriors as well. On Saturday, they beat Steve Nash's Phoenix Suns in a classic western shootout that ended 137-127. Put simply, it was two explosive offenses going toe to toe, and the Warriors found themselves on top when all was said and done. But even more impressive was tonight's 103-99 victory over the Boston Celtics. Granted it was a Celtics team sans Paul Pierce, but when you have KG and Ray Allen on the floor, I don't discount that win whatsoever.
So, I was delighted for change of pace in my sporting world and I was equally gratified to dish out some Bay Area love in my normal offseason as a San Francisco Giants diehard. But my weekend's dose of NBA gave me time to do some people watching in a completely different setting, which was quite intriguing. You see, each different sport attracts very different fans. And a person's favorite sport reveals something about their character; it divulges pieces of one's personality. I'm no sociologist or cultural anthropologist, but see if this makes sense.

Basketball fans I discovered to be more glitzy, and glamorous. There would be men and women meeting at the lounges between levels and chatting or exchanging flirtatious glances. The diehard fans are the ones that will shell out the extra bucks for a closer seat to the action, but they won't be discreet about it. Jack Nicholson, bonafide Lakers superfan. I rest my case. At a basketball game, you cannot get a word out while the action is going on. Lights are always shining and music is pretty much always booming. All you can do is watch these athletes dribble back and forth, and when the guys stop, the cheerleaders come out to please a separate set of emotions for the same exact crowd.

When you really think about it, watching a basketball game is like going out for the night out on the town. You sip fine cocktails; you wear flashy outfits; and you make sure your kid gets a souvenir at his first game. Wait, maybe not that last one.

Comparison should add clarification. Baseball. Warning: I will be bias about this because I love ‘our nation's pastime.' Watching a baseball game is much more laid back than watching a basketball game. You sit back and let things happen. There's no time limit - no bells, buzzers and whistles. Just wave your hand when the hot dog guy rolls by and stand up and stretch after the top of the seventh inning. If you forget, don't worry there's a song to remind you. At Fenway Park, there are two. (Bonus points to anyone that knows the second song and who sings it.)

Watching a baseball game is like heading out to the beach, or the park. You can soak up the sun, or whatever the elements bring that day and pay attention to the game's intricate details, or not. Either way, you will enjoy the company of friends, family and fellow fans, regardless of whether or not you know what's going on in the game. Baseball fans share a common interest in baseball - the stories, nostalgia, memories, records, and what ifs. On any given day in baseball, history can be made. A nobody throws a no-hitter. Some rookie hits for the cycle. A pitcher cranks a homerun. (Okay, there's the baseball bias. I'll get back on track.)

What I'm trying to say is baseball fans are different than basketball fans, which are different from football fans, which are different from hockey fans even. Football fans are similar to baseball fans, except they don't have a game to watch every day, which means football fans have to get a week's worth of cheering and jeering done in one afternoon. Now that I think about it, hockey games are pretty much the same - except swap for a colder climate and missing teeth.

The list goes on in size and scope. College sports fans are different from professional sports fans. Track and field fans are a completely different breed altogether. Even modern day fans are different from the fans of yesteryear. Sports change with time, and so do the fans.

There's a good chance I'm over-thinking these things, I'll admit. It's been a few weeks since my last class, which means my mind could be rusty. Or maybe, I've found a calling in cultural sport-ology.
With all this said, I'm heading down to the Rose Bowl on Thursday. According to my own analysis, I'm going to need to get a month's worth of yelling in on Friday afternoon. My roommates have already started driving down I-5 and they told me that there are "unlimited Duck's fans on the highway." I'm pretty pumped, and I'll be sure to report in soon enough.

In the mean time, think about this:

What does your favorite sport say about you?