The great name change of 2006 has led me to reflect a bit about one of my favorite topics -- what it means to be a fan of a sports team.
I love to mock sports clichés -- the cheesier, the better. "There is no I in team." "We're taking it one game at a time. " "I didn't know that she was 14." But one which I've always actually liked is directed at the selfish player -- "It's the name on the front of the jersey that matters, not the one on the back." By sacrificing your personal goals, the team will prosper. Kind of a warm and fuzzy, if socialist, thought.
But what does the name on the front of the jersey mean? Why am I a NY/NJ, Metrostars, Red Bull(s) New York fan (and Ronen a better fan than I'll ever be)? I guess that the primary reason is geography, especially in terms of access to games in person and on television. Another is success -- when the Jets and the Giants were both awful, every kid in New York rooted for either the Steelers or the Cowboys. Family loyalty and other factors also play into it. But, rationally, there is no reason why I should root for Red Bull New York rather than D.C. United, why my core set of beliefs align me with RBNY instead of another team.
And do the players even matter? Sure, we root for our favorites, but 75% of the Metros/RBNY roster has changed in the past two seasons. Surely, a new player like Marvell Wynne can't have suffered the pain which the Idiots have over the past 2-10 season. They haven't complained about the horns, the NJSEA or the lack of good beer at the games. They don't care, can't care, as much as we do. Hell, most of them have played or will play for one of our rivals before their MLS careers are finished.
In Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby talked about how passionate he was about Arsenal. Yet what struck me (and him) was how arbitrary his choice was, as he could have chosen from literally a dozen other clubs in London to support, how there was nothing truly special about the team, yet he made it such an important and defining part of his identity.
Which brings me back to the name change. Despite my vague discomfort with corporate ownership, the particular name on the front of the jersey just doesn't matter that much to me. I want to hang out with my friends, have a good time and watch a winning team, in that order.