True Fan

True Fan

For some reason, I wanted to combine baseball and cowboys. Guess that’s what I get for being named after Wyatt Earp.

Yes, I hope the title reminds you of the awesome movie, True Grit. Anyway, everyone has their varied opinion about what it means to be a true fan. Some people instantly think of their favorite team, others think of quality baseball. Some people get tattoos to show their pride, and other people jump on bandwagon teams that are winning right now. My thing about being a true fan is sticking to your team through thick and thin. Love ‘em when they’re in first place (which my Dodgers currently are, not trying to toot my own horn but, just saying, fyi for all of you that don’t know), and love ‘em when they’re dog shit, like my Dodgers were last year with good ol’ Frank McCourt was being such an immaculate owner…right.

So glad you’re gone.

What I’m trying to understand is how much certain fans bash other teams’ fans. Let’s think of a completely random example: Giants fans. This is obviously the team I’ve had the most exposure to, but every time Giants fans talk about Dodgers fans, it’s how ridiculously terrible and unfaithful they are.The fans are in Southern California are so terrible because they get there in the 3rd inning and leave in the 7th. That may be true, but the traffic and layout for Dodgers Stadium isn’t the best. I honestly haven’t been around enough Dodgers fans to really come to a generalization about them. I’ve been to Los Angeles like three times in my life at 14, 17, and 26, and noticed insincerity and fakeness during each trip. My friend Asia told me a story where a Dodgers fan stepped on his LA hat in the street just to get a cigarette.I can imagine people going to Dodgers games and throwing on an LA hat just to fit in, but doesn’t that happen for every team, everywhere? Not to mention the massive amount of Bay Area residents that hopped on the Giants band wagon from that ever so dreadful, let’s all quickly forget it year of 2010.

Impressive.

I’ll flip it around and talk about how I see Giants fans. I really admire the old-timers that have pins from Candlestick and have been following the team for decades, that really is awesome. Seriously, no sarcasm. You may have noticed I wear a Brooklyn Dodgers had and not the LA one as I’m not a huge fan of the southern end of the state. However, when I’m around The City or at AT&T Park people don’t even know what the “B” stands for. No, buddy, it’s not Boston, Braves, Bruins, or anything else; do your homework and figure it out. Giants fans constantly insist on a “no-wave” rule at AT&T Park, but next to the visitors bullpen on the right field, they do this stupid whistle for every pitch a reliever throws. I see a bit of inconsistent logic. I know Giants fans who know baseball to an amazingly high degree, and I know others that I raise my eye-brow it. There’s going to be such a different spectrum it’s hard to generalize so much for an entire fan base.

How can you not like Joe Maddon!?

That all being said, true fans are what make going to games fun. I love hearing terrible the Dodgers are as they beat the Giants just as much as I love rejecting high-fives from Giants fans when they score runs. However, I can’t stand baseball fans that have a different hat for every winning streak throughout the season simply to stay popular and relevant. On a side note, my fellow pitching coach and I have come to to the consensus it’s ok to have an opposite league team to cheer for. My American League team, for example, is the Tampa Bay Rays because their spending philosophy and franchise is so fascinating. Plus, Joe Maddon is a wine lover that gets ejected and manages with abandon, which really pushed me over the top. As long as you know where your main team lies, follow them through the good and bad, and have a sense of pride for your team, hum you. What do you think it takes to be a true fan? Do you Giants fans have any bad stories to tell about Dodgers fans and vice versa? Let me know in the comments. Also, if you have any ides for the franchise comparisons please let me know in an email or comment. Thanks for reading!