Written by Nikki Chasteen
We all have that friend who was a Miami Heat fan in 2012, a Golden State Warriors fan in 2015, and the Cleveland Cavaliers fan in 2016. You get my point. Who is your team? Who do you root for on any given day? Where does your loyalty lie?
I must admit, it is appealing to start cheering for a team that is winning. However, I feel if you can’t be loyal to one team, you may struggle to be loyal in life. Loyalty goes a long way in any kind of relationship, romantic and business relationships alike. In this case, loyalty to a sports team is important.
Sports teams don’t change locations often. Only last year did NFL teams begin to consider moving to a new location, or market to increase revenue. In fact, the last team to change locations since the most recent LA Rams was the Houston Oilers, who moved to Memphis in 1997 and changed their name to the Tennessee Titans. They then relocated to Nashville in 1998. So why is it that sports fans find it hard to be loyal to their teams?
There are instances where the city you live in may not have a home team. I remember when, as a Miamian, you rooted for the Atlanta Braves. There was no Miami –formerly Florida –Marlins, or even Tampa Bay –formerly Devil Rays –Rays. Floridians rooted for the closest home team they had, the Braves. If your hometown doesn’t have a team and then suddenly they bring a team to your city, this may be the only appropriate team switch a fan can make. It was only natural for sports fans to switch from rooting for the Atlanta Braves, to rooting for the Miami Marlins or the Tampa Bay Rays. I would even give a pass to the die-hard, Floridian, Atlanta Braves fans who stayed true to their team.
It’s OK to root for the winning team, but don’t call them your team. Your team should be the team you were ingrained to root for from your earliest memories. If you want to root for Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors because, let’s be honest, the Miami Heat are struggling these days, that’s fine. But stay true to the Miami Heat. All teams go through waxes and wanes, periods of great times and not-so-great times. That’s the nature of the industry. Have a little faith; the Miami Heat will prevail and be great again. That’s what I keep telling myself about the Miami Dolphins.
My entire life, we have been lousy, but I have faith that one day in my lifetime I will see them reach the Big Game. So even through the trials and tribulations of my beloved team, I still buy apparel, I still go to games and I still cheer as if they are the best team in the NFL. Being loyal to my team is important to me, and I pride myself on being a loyal fan.
Keep calm and go Dolphins.
