Read the debate intro and Sports Geek’s argument that there are certain times in sports when it is okay for a fan to cheer for their team’s archrival.
The worst episode of He-Man I ever watched growing up was the one where He-Man actually teamed up with Skeletor in order to defeat Sh’Gora. It was bogus, and I did not like it! Even as a child, I understood that the good guys should NEVER team up with the bad guys. When they do, the good guys only become bad guys. The same rule applies to sports!
I have three favorite NFL teams – the Cleveland Browns, and whoever is playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens! That is the code of the Cleveland Browns fan.
You can imagine, based on that statement, how little I enjoyed the AFC Championship game last season, when those two teams played. It was not fun for me.
I was actually in Las Vegas for that game. Even though I was on vacation, I had to sit in my hotel room while the game was on because I just could not stand the idea of being near the sports books that were littered with Steelers and Ravens jerseys. I would rather sit alone in a hotel room on vacation than be around fans of the teams that I despise, knowing that one of their teams was about to go to the Super Bowl.
As far as wagering on the game went (I WAS in Vegas), I struggled for DAYS trying to figure out the best way to bet without betraying my Browns. I tried to think of every possible way to justify a bet one way or the other, but none seemed right in my gut. On one hand were the Ravens, owned by Cleveland Public Enemy number one, Art Modell’s family. They were the FORMER Browns who had moved to a new city where they saw success while those of us left in Cleveland had to suffer through a 4-12 season. On the other hand were the Steelers, a team that I was raised to despise before I even knew about football.
Ultimately, I decided to bet the “under” on total points scored. That way, I could bet AGAINST whichever team had the ball (and Steelers safety Troy Polamalu just HAD to run that late interception all the way back for a touchdown, which put the score over the line?! The Steelers ALREADY had the lead, there were only four minutes left in the game, and all Polamalu had to do was go down, but NOOOOOOOOO, he had to score a TD… but, I digress).
The point I am trying to make is that there is NEVER a time when I would cheer for the Steelers or the Ravens.
But what if the Browns were in a Wild Card race, and the team they were racing with was playing AGAINST the Steelers (for example)? In that case, if the Steelers win, the Browns could go to the playoffs. Would you root for the Steelers then?
Still, my answer is no. Rivals should remain as rivals. Fans identify themselves not only by the shared support of their team, but also for the shared dislike of the rival team. It becomes a source of pride for fans everywhere, knowing that you support the “good-guys” and not the “enemy.” The moment that fans of one rival begin cheering for fans of the other rival, it diminishes the value of the entire rivalry.
Personal gain is not a good enough reason to sacrifice personal sense of pride and propriety. Is it ever worth sacrificing your dignity and your pride for a small token of personal benefit? Imagine if you were walking down the street and you found a wallet with $100 in it. You could keep the money, which would be of personal benefit to you. Nobody would ever know, but you would know that you were sacrificing a little bit of your own integrity in order to keep that money. The RIGHT thing to do would be to return the wallet AND the money to its rightful owner, foregoing the “economically” gained short-term benefit.
In much the same manner, the idea of sacrificing your integrity as a fan for your local team would be sacrificed by cheering for your archrivals, the ones you claim to “hate.” The cheap, short-term gain of temporary success for the team would not be worth the long-term knowledge that you, a so-called fan, actually supported the enemy.
Could you imagine a Duke fan EVER cheering for the Tar Heels? How about seeing a Red Sox fan wearing Yankee pin-stripes, even if only for one game?
If the Browns made the playoffs, but only because the Steelers “helped” them get there, it would taint that experience. To me, it would mean that the Browns could not make it on their own, so they had to rely on assistance from their archrivals for help. It cheapens the entire experience.
TRUE fans understand that it is better to lose with dignity than to win in disgrace.
