Read the debate intro and Bleacher Fan’s argument the fans should never root their rival no matter what the circumstances.
I am an Ohio State fan (though my bias will not peak through at TSD. If it does, call me out.). As such, it is my duty – yes, I said duty – to, on the rarest of occasions, root for the despised University of Michigan Wolverines.
(Sports Geek is now on the way to the hospital to get treated for wounds suffered shortly after writing the lead. Please read on. The following is what was dictated from the hospital bed.)
There are three basic reasons why it is a fan’s duty to root for their archrival – when appropriate.
Reason #1: Conference Supremacy
Fans cannot be short sighted or closed minded. The better your conference, league, division looks – whatever your sport, whether it is at the professional or collegiate level – the better your team looks. Rarely do supreme teams emerge from easy games against lousy competition, and every fan wants their team to be a supreme team. For example, the Big East was dominated by Cincinnati in football last season. Yet, when they reached their rightfully earned BCS game they were clobbered by Virginia Tech. As a result, the perception of Big East football suffered a dramatic blow, which creates a cyclical problem for the conference. The worse the conference looks nationally, the harder it is to recruit the type of players that can reverse the perception. In short, when your favorite team is not playing your archrival, it makes sense to root that the archrival does well. The conference’s value and perception depend on it.
Reason #2: Help Your Team’s Cause!
It is the duty of fans everywhere to root for the best possible outcomes for their favorite teams. Therefore, it does not make sense to always root against a team that could potentially help your team reach their goals. Carrying the Ohio State example forward, if Michigan beating Michigan State is what the Buckeyes need to ascend to the top of the Big Ten rankings and secure another BCS bowl berth, then I root for Michigan. I root for my team to achieve the best result out of every season. If that means my team’s archrival must help us out along the way, so be it. If the New York Yankees need to beat the Texas Rangers for the Boston Red Sox to make the playoffs, a Sawwwx fan must cheer for the Yankees. There are countless examples here, but the principle is the same – if any team can help your team make the playoffs, or the championship game, or even capture a high draft pick, you have to root for that team to help.
Reason #3: Preserving the Rivalry
For a rivalry to REMAIN a rivalry – and interesting and relevant in sports as a whole (see reason #1) – both teams must remain excellent. That means the more teams Michigan whoops up on, the better it looks when Ohio State crushes them at the end of the season. Ohio State grows stronger and improves their image (and the image of the conference), when they get to the BCS, or when the conference has two BCS teams (though it ALSO helps to win those important games, fellas). Sometimes a big win over a rival is what it takes to get a team into the discussion for a championship game appearance. A victory over a highly ranked rival is extremely valuable – only if that rival is also highly ranked and has some big wins of their own over the course of the season. The better a rival is, the better the rivalry is in the present and future.
I admittedly joined the frenzy of Buckeye fans rejoicing the Appalachian State victory over Michigan a few years ago. There is something about a glum look on the face of a fan who is also wearing a maize and blue t-shirt. But, how did that one victory change the perception of the Big Ten? Michigan, formerly one of the strongest teams in the conference, was relegated to also-ran status and became an embarrassment to the conference on the first weekend of the season. The conference has not recovered from that negative perception yet (though they seem to be off to a better start this season). Fans must always root for the best interests of their teams, regardless of how awkward and against our nature it may feel.
