There are too many people out there who claim to be a “hardcore fan”. Do you even KNOW what it means to be hardcore? That means you live, breathe, and eat for YOUR NFL team. So you have a lot of cool knick knacks with the Broncos logo on it. Nice little mug, nice little flag hanging above your TV as you watch Sunday afternoon football. Big deal.
You and almost every other “hardcore fan” who thinks they are their team’s #1 fan. Nobody sees that stuff except you. You aren’t even representing your fandom to the public at this point. You are just a NORMAL fan. You are the same as every other person in Denver. Or maybe you’re driving down Washington, D.C. enjoying the patriotic monuments. Your Redskins license plate nice and polished for all the citizens of the world’s greatest capital to see. And then you see him. The man driving around in his blue and red Ford Mustang completely decked out with Patriots gear. His New England license plate brandishes the infamous logo of one of the NFL’s most winningest teams. This guy even painted the logo on his side doors, BOTH of them. And he just CUT YOU OFF. So much for patriotism, Redskins boy. You just got put in your place by a true hardcore fan.
Or maybe, you ARE that Patriots guy in the Mustang. Maybe you flaunt your fandom with PRIDE. Maybe every Sunday, whether you are alone or with fellow brothers and sisters of the same team, you paint yourself with the colors of your team. YOUR team. You are a fan. Well how did you PAY for all of that? Look at your credit card. Does the way you PAY for your livelihood represent your team? It better. Anybody can buy things and act like they’re a fan.
Anybody can recite team history and look up information on the internet. But a true fan is so proud of their team that they are willing to put the face of the team on the way they spend their hard earned cash. That’s impressive. Imagine walking into a Packers bar. No jersey, no hat, just a normal outfit that you would wear on a normal day. No sports logo anywhere on your body. Your innocent waiter brings you all your wings, all your beer, and all the water you ask for. You’re watching the multiple games on the huge TVs that this Packers bar has. And then you go to pay. Your innocent waiter, wearing his innocent little Aaron Rodgers jersey, strikes up small talk about how great the Green Bay quarterback is. Yeah you nod, give the man some recognition (after all he IS Aaron Rodgers), and tell your waiter that you had a great time. And then you pull it out, your Visa card, showing the true and proud colors and logo of the San Francisco 49ers. The same team that knocked the Packers off the playoffs just last year with their exciting sophomore quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
And your waiter, in complete and utter awe, is forced to use this disgusting 49ers card so that he can get paid. And you look him dead in the eye. Small tears are forming in them. And he hands you the card. And you tip him. Using your 49ers card. Yet another victory for San Francisco against Green Bay.
