Sports and Allegiance

Just talking to my sister and watching ESPN (I'm a big time double tasker) and I put some things together...I noticed Tim Hudson is 3-0 this year for the Braves. Hudson was my favorite player on the A's, back when he was on the A's. Now that he's on the Braves, I don't even follow him. In baseball and football, I follow the A's and the 49ers - no matter who they have on the team. I generally like the players on the teams or grow to like them. But when they leave, I don't really follow them - even my favorites - like Huddy.

But with soccer and basketball, it's different. I love players and follow and root the teams my favorite players are with. For instance, when I was little, I absolutely loved Magic Johnson. Next to Joe Montana, he was my favorite player in sports. I got in fights with kids at school who were Larry Bird fans. My favorite article of clothing at one time was my Lakers Starter jacket. I mistaked my love for Magic at the time for a love of the Lakers and I followed the Lakers into the Eddie Jones era, even though my heart really wasn't into it.

In soccer, my favorite player is Zindane and I followed his French teams and Juve and Real when he played with them. Also liked Berkamp a lot, Henry. I generally follow players and styles of play more than one particular club, although Aresnal is my favorite. In hoops these days, I'm a big fan of Nash. I also like Iverson. Love the way Golden State is playing in the playoffs, but feel like a bit of a poseur being a Golden State fan because I was never a huge one growing up. I can't help but get excited about these guys now, though.

Why is this? I think it has to do with the different style of games. Basketball and soccer are remarkably similar in the type of passing, movement, positioning, and space. They are free-flowing, unstructured games. When played immaculately, they transcend victory and turn into beauty - if not art. Baseball and football are much more structured and involve more strategy, planning, etc. They are more like battles of will and determination, representations of human accomplishment and building, but not really artistic.

I don't know, it might be a bunch of mumbo jumbo...but just some thoughts I had.