The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Being a Fan

As a kid, I was irate when sports teams I followed closely lost important games. I have no idea why I got so fired up, but whether it was the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, Hawks, or Blue Demons (and a sprinkle of Miami football) I got really fired up when teams I liked lost. I'd get violent (literally throwing/breaking stuff), pouty, and couldn't stomach my Eggo's while I checked out the Tribune sports page, painfully pouring over the carnage from the night before. Over time, I got a little less emotional and dramatic about sports, and learned some important lessons about being a fan--like avoiding the internet/TV/radio sports content after losses. But at the end of the day, I like it when the teams I follow do well and put on my grumpypants when things go south.

So after last night's bulls loss, it really got me thinking about the impact of sports on my mood. Part of my job entails asking people 'Why' problems exist, and with my mood somewhere between grumpy and shitty this past 96 hours I turned the mirror on myself to ask: 'Why Delta, Why do you care so much about the outcome of a sporting event?'

The short answers as why I think I'm impacted so much by sports comes down to:

-I enjoy the sense of Shared Community Interest/Pride

-Sports allow me to spend time (both in person and via email/text) with the people I'd like to be around (family/friends)

-I'm pretty shallow when it comes down to what entertains me and sports teams are just as dramatic as any soap opera, sitcom, or reality show you follow on TV. Its not the only thing I do for entertainment, just tends to pre-occupy my time more than other activities when teams are doing well.

One of sports' upside (for me) is the Human Contact it encourages. Its a great feeling to leap on your feet as part of a crowd that erupts at a big moment in a game. Although you have no idea who the other 23,000 screaming idiots are, you've all shared that moment and acknowledged it together--something that doesn't happen very often in your daily life. That experience of being part of a shared public event is something I thrive on--whether its a concert, a sporting event, or a party...I'm a guy who likes to be around others. (An ENFP if you're familiar with Myers Briggs Personality Profiles). And I enjoy those events even better when I share it with someone I know--my father, brother, cousin, niece/nephew or friend (even girlfriend this past week) who enjoy the Bulls like I do. Make no mistake about it, the bulls give me an outlet to spend time with all of those people, and sad as it sounds, it binds us together. Maybe not with my girlfriend, but you get the idea.

And on the flipside of those highs are the devastating lows after a tough loss. I've lived through a bunch of them in my lifetime. The Bears in multiple playoff runs, the Cubs in every series they've ever played, the Bulls in the late 80s before they got their legs underneath them (and this week), Depaul choking a game when they began to get a shred of credibility from folks other than the 19 loyal fans...You get the idea, I've been let down as a fan of Chicago teams I spend my spare time following. I think part of the reason I get so angry is the feeling that I had invested all of that emotional energy, time, cash, and brainpower only to result in a crappy outcome. (As an interesting aside, I just loosely defined waste, a concept I use to help folks examine how they do their work to deliver a consistent service/outcome). In addition to the feeling that it was a waste of time to care in the first place, there's also a sense of inadequacy that comes with supporting a losing team. Almost as if it that loss reflects back on me and makes me a loser. Yes, I realize that sounds ridiculous, but why else would people feel so pissed about a random 12 people losing in a sporting event?!?

As far as this year's Bulls team goes, I've written ad nauseum about my appreciation for what they've done, even took time to thank them. I tend to be a pretty "glass half full" kinda guy about things--sports included, so when I step back from the table and look at the glass from this season it is close to the brim. Last July, I was one of many Bulls faithful wallowing at the thought of another mediocre Bulls season after they lost out on Lebron James and other free agents. But over the past 12 months the Bulls have proved me and every other fan into believers wrong by playing basketball in its purest form--relentless effort, discipline, teamwork, and defense. And although the outcome wasn't what I hoped for, I can't get too down on them--I'm proud to be a fan of a team that plays together, works hard, and genuinely wants to continuously improve. But the Bulls success is only half the reason why the cup is nearly full--I had nearly 8 months of great entertainment, abundant time with family and friends, and that sense of community I enjoy...

The NBA Column (No Basketball Allowed)

In recent weeks I've used the blog to spew nonsense to anyone who would read about the Bulls, the NBA, and watching a bunch of grown men run around in tank tops grabbing each other. To change it up, I figured I'd use tonight's column to share some random musings about life outside of the hardwood. Tonight's column will serve as a public service announcement for reading (including gift recommendations for the reader in your life), so if this doesn't interest you please check back later this week for Heat-Bulls coverage.

Believe it or not, I actually do read things other than columns and twitter feeds written by sportswriters. Its not always the "headiest" kind of literature, but it helps me sleep at night and my mom always told me good readers make good writers. So if I really plan to write a book someday I should probably read a few. Having said all of that, I don't read a TON, but normally will read a few pages of a book (actually Kindle) before bed to knock me out. At most I'll read 20 pages a night, sometimes as few as 2. But a few of the books I've read have been really good, so I figured I'd spread the gospel in case you're looking for something to read or know someone in your life who is.

In Fifty Year's We'll All Be Chicks - by Adam Carolla. When I lived in Seattle, Aceman was my wingman on the way to work. Each day I'd listen to him nasally wax-on about the world's problems and just about any topic under the sun, often saying exactly what I think about issues. He's got an engineer's mind and a crass, sarcastic sense of humor that I love, and his presence in the car on the way to work or school is something I miss. He's not much of a writer, but this book is an excellent summary of Adam's life, along with some spot-on observation of the utterly dumb things you and I observe on a regular basis. My only criticism of the book was that I wished he named this something different, mainly because so much of the book would be great for a female audience as well. This would be a perfect book for the "guy who doesn't read much" in your life or anyone who regularly reads Bill Simmons on ESPN.

The Lincoln Lawyer - by Michael Connely. Yes, this is the same book as the movie with the same title starring that guy from Dazed and Confused (I know his name, just can't spell it). The book is a page-turner and profiles a typical "who dun it" legal story about a suspected murder involving a rich douchebag from LA. The writing isn't anything that'll blow you away, but you'll like the action as we uncover the twists and turns from the perspective of a sleaze-bag defense attorney. This book would make a great gift for the serious reader in your life who needs to read something not-so-serious. Also good for folks heading on vacation. Which is exactly what Romeo Sierra and I read on our vacation to/from Seattle. We thought it'd be kinda fun if we read the same book at the same time, you know, like in high school. We didn't have book club or pop quizes but it was kinda interesting to read the same book, even if it was trashy fiction.

Scorecasting - I like to sprinkle some non-fiction in to the rotation, and this book got off to a solid start but faded towards the stretch. After reading Michael Lewis' Moneyball, I became fascinated with Sports Analytics and how numbers, statistics, and measurement can be used to out smart the opponent. As a former coach and athlete, Moneyball made complete sense to me, and bordered on a work-related book as I thumbed through Billy Beane's adventures with the Oakland A's and performance improvement. Since Moneyball, there have been literally hundreds of authors out on the web, in books, and elsewhere who sift through piles of data to tell us something interesting or unique about sports but most of them fall short of talking about how those teams, coaches, or players actually do something with all of that data. Scorecasting is one of these books, and although the book does an excellent job explaining some of the common fallacies in sports (Defense doesn't always win championships, Icing the kicker doesn't work, the Cubs suck because of their fans), I found some of the writing rambled long after the point had been made. Worth picking up for a sports/numbers junkie, but make sure they've read Moneyball first.

The Imperfectionists - recently, I ran out of books to read and went to Facebook to ask for suggestions. Although a few folks responded, I didn't see anything that caught my eye until I stumbled on this book, which I intend to go read after I finish this post. For a first-time author, the writing is outstanding and the plot moves along at a great clip--its essentially a fictional tale of a journalist working for an english-speaking newsroom in Rome. The writing is unlike anything I have read before, and is so good I've actually forced my girlfriend to read passages I found insightful and well-written. This is probably the kind of book you'd give someone who majored in English or a Fine Art in college who also traveled to Europe at some point.