A True Fan Wears Something to Support his Team While at a Game

Continuing with the true fan series, I present one more of the requirements that a person must meet in order to obtain the title of “true fan.” A person must wear at least one article of clothing that shows support for his particular team while attending a game. This requirement seems like a no-brainer, but every time I go to a sporting event there are thousands of people not wearing their team’s colors. The people most guilty of this are those that sit in the most expensive seats. If you can spend $100 or more for a ticket, why wouldn’t you at least buy something to show your support?


Embarrassment
One possible explanation is that the fans are embarrassed. When I was younger I was in the Boy Scouts and as a boy scouts I was required to wear a uniform. But I never wore my uniform in public, because I was too embarrassed. I was more concerned with what other people would think about me than showing my pride for the boy scouts. If a fan is ashamed or embarrassed to support his team then he can never gain true fan status. A true fan should be willing to take the abuse from rival team’s fans. You need to take pride in your team even when they lose. I hate to see a fan who is wearing a team’s jersey cover it up with a jacket after his team loses.

Tacky
I must admit that wearing sport’s clothes is somewhat tacky. As someone who considers themselves a sophisticated dresser, I find it hard to wear a bright blue jersey supporting my Dodgers. But a true fan doesn’t need to wear his jersey to work every day. People get dressed up for sporting events. It is like going to a Halloween party and not wearing a costume. A person who doesn’t wear a costume, is not considered suave or dapper, but is looked upon as a kill joy. You need to leave your fashion sense behind when you go to a sporting event. Who cares if your yellow Steelers’ jersey doesn’t match your brown shoes?

My guess is that this is the reason that a lot of people in the expensive seats don’t wear their team’s colors. They might be taking clients to the game on business, and feel that they must still wear business casual clothes. But you must remember a true fan doesn’t have to paint his face black and gold. All you need to wear is a hat, a tie, or a polo shirt, anything that shows your support. Most clients will appreciate your passion for the game. Furthermore, I always find it more enjoyable to watch a game with someone who is invested in the outcome.

Indigent Sports Fan
Another reason someone might not wear his team’s colors is that he cannot afford it. I want to make it perfectly clear that a true fan doesn’t need to be rich. You don’t need to wear an authentic game day jersey to be a true fan. However, even the poorest fan can afford to show support for his team. If you can afford to buy a ticket, then you can afford to buy something to wear to the game. You can find cheap clothes at thrift stores, or stores like Ross or TJ-Maxx. The clothing doesn’t even need to be officially licensed or even contain the team’s logo. I find wearing a plain blue t-shirt is adequate at a Dodgers’ game.

Exception for Tattoos
A true fan that has a visible tattoo of his team doesn’t need to wear an article of clothing. However, a person that is willing to get a tattoo of the team is most likely going to be the type of person that is decked out in his team’s colors. So for all particular purposes this is not much of an exception.

Exception for Safety
I lived in the Bay Area for a couple of years, and I had the misfortune of attending an Oakland Raiders game. Although I did not wear the opposing team’s colors, I felt scared for those that did. If your physical safety is put in jeopardy by wearing your team’s colors, then you do not have to wear an article of clothing and can still remain a true fan. I’m not talking about being hit by the occasional hot dog. I’m talking about being stabbed or beaten for wearing the other team’s jersey. I cannot list certain scenarios where this exception applies, because I haven’t been to every stadium. If you know of any, please list them in the comments section. I want to say wearing a Broncos’ or Chargers’ jersey to the Oakland Coliseum would be an example. I know that wearing a Dodgers’ jersey to AT&T Park is not an example, because I’ve done this and did not feel threatened.

Exception for Spur of the Moment Tickets
If a friend gives you tickets a couple of hours before the game and you cannot get back to your house before game time, then you do not need to wear an article of clothing and can still remain a true fan. If this exception were true it would place a fan in an unusual predicament. A fan would have to decline the invitation, because he doesn’t have anything to wear to the game and would lose his true fan status. The rules are to encourage fans to attend games. Thus, an exception must be made. Some might argue that a true fan should always have a hat or shirt in his car or at the office. There is merit to this argument, but I’m more inclined to not require a true fan to always have a cap ready in the off chance that he gets tickets to the game. Another argument is that a true fan would buy something at the game to show support. I think this is true if the fan is rich and can afford it.

Magnitude of Clothing
There are always those fans that excessively dress-up for a game. There are those Raiders fans that wear spiked shoulder pads and Darth Vader helmets. There are those fans that paint words on their chest, and sit shirtless in freezing temperatures. Often people remark to me that these people must be the biggest fans. However, there are no levels in true fanhood. Either you’re a true fan or you’re not. I think it is great that people wear these crazy outfits, but don’t be fooled into thinking these people are some sort of super fans. A person that wears only the team’s baseball cap can still be just as much a fan as the person who paints his face. Furthermore, you never know if these people are complying with all of the other requirements of the true fan series. For example, the person with the Darth Vader helmet might leave games early if the Raiders are losing. So don’t be awed by such extravagant displays of support.