Geographic Fandom

In honour of Green Bay's epic victory on Sunday, I decided to write a blog post about my love of sports. I don't actually play any since I am not a very co-ordinated person and I have a messed up knee. The truth is, about the closest I have ever gotten to playing competitively is wearing my "No, I don't play basketball" t-shirt. That said, I do enjoy watching pro and amateur sports.

Watching sporting events has always been a part of family life for us. Every year since before I was born, my aunt and uncle host a Grey Cup party and my family hosts a Super Bowl party. Everyone gets together and there is enough food to feed the entire NFL. These are really fond memories for me, especially from back when my cousins and I were little and would play running pad in the basement together all night.

What really got me interested in sports, however, was when I realized I could use watching the games to my advantage. I have always been a night owl and staying up past my bedtime was a nightly goal for me when I was a kid. One night, I sat with my dad and watched hockey with him. When he started to shuffle me off to bed, I asked a question about the game. That bought me at least half an hour.

It was brilliant. It didn't matter what sport he was watching, there was always something to ask about. "Why did they do that?" "What are the lines on the ice for?" "How come there are four (or three) downs?" The list was endless.

One night, I decided that it was time to pick sides. Toronto wasn't playing, so I asked my dad which team was geographically closest to Toronto to decide who would have my allegiance for the evening. This sparked many an interesting conversation, actually, since my dad had to try to figure out which team was closer to Toronto without the benefit of Google Maps. This carried on for several nights until once night, after my dad answered my question, I gleefully exclaimed, "Go Buffalo!

"No," was my dad's stern reply. "We do not cheer for Buffalo." Apparently there was more to being a fan than geography.

Over the years, I've created my own list of favourite teams in every major professional sport there is (and no, Buffalo teams don't make the cut). Even though I know geography isn't everything, Toronto teams will always have a special place in my heart. Even when they're terrible and it looks like there is no hope.

I'm still asking questions, too, like "Is the ref blind?!" or "Why did he swing at that?!" even though I don't get the answers I want anymore. The point is, though, for me watching games will always be about having fun with my family and friends, staying up too late and eating way too much.

What more could anyone ask for?