Every-Thing Sports
Where does your city fit when it comes to the psychology of the fan base?
Saturday, I replied to a tweet from Bomani Jones. He quoted a tweet from Yahoo Sports about the Toronto Raptors pregame video. The video was basically a thumb to the nose at previous Raptors players, while serving as homage to Kawhi Leonard. That being said, the idea of the psychology of sports cities has always been debated as a fascinating topic. So here’s my attempt at explaining this topic.
First up, you have “The Bluebloods.” These cities think because of their history, they are superior to all other sports cities. This big brother complex often leads to foolish statements by fans of these cities. They also suffer from team colored glasses and believe it’s their right to be seen as a constant contender. I’m looking at you New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Tuscaloosa, Columbus, and Chicago.
Next, you have the Cinderellas. These cities have only recently won a title, only have one title, or could have won a title long ago. Either way, these cities were longshots that overcame the odds to win, but don’t have a rich winning history. They often display little brother complex and can get quite snippy with the Bluebloods. New Orleans, Tampa, Cleveland, Miami and Clemson, will you please stand and be acknowledged.
There’s always the loud mouth has-been or never-was uncle in every family who all too often proclaims his greatness on some minor scale of life. Whether it was recalling a fabled performance in an obscure high school game long ago, or touting his letterman jacket, showing off his ancient relic trophies, or talking about the time he almost (fill in the blank), this uncle’s feats are rotary dial phone old. So Dallas, Green Bay, Atlanta, Lincoln, Notre Dame, Austin, and Lexington, will you guys please come get your pagers, flip phones and VHS tapes.
Last but not least, there are the babies. These are your aunt’s kids who are the youngest cousins that are privileged and get away with anything. They are spoiled because of the tech boom their dad took advantage of and are now the new “it kids.” It’s hit or miss whether you like them or not. They have either taken their privilege and made the most of it, or they have squandered the opportunities afforded to them. A couple of them are cool, but some are brats who have too much and like to show off. Will Oakland, Houston, and Philly please respond to our DMs or we’ll be forced to release the screenshot of that text where you called your mom and dad those ugly names.
Of course most of you will disagree with where your city is on this list. Heck, some of you will wonder why your city isn’t on this list. Some of you may even feel like some of these cities can fall into a couple categories. Guess what? You’re ALL right! I’m not here to ague or debate. I just want to spark a discussion. If you ever have a bone to pick with me, I’m an easy man to find on Twitter.
