Face Painting

Sitting in our living room recently, the Spinner boys were discussing our favorite sports teams. To a man we are all Jet fans. In baseball we pull for the Mets and Red Sox, I have dubbed us MetSox fans. Papa Bill, one of my boy's grandfathers, was in the room but on the periphery. I am sure he wouldn’t mind if I said, "he's not a sports guy.” Bill Duesing, you should know, is an organic farmer of some note. He’s a Yalie, and a published author, and I guess you might call him a hippy in twilight. If my boys ask me a question I can’t answer, particularly about nature and farming, my pat answer is, “Let’s call Papa Bill.” In short, he’s well-educated and wise. So when Nick, Brian and Charlie asked, “Papa, what’s your favorite team?” He hesitated and cleverly said, “The Farmers.” Knowing Bill, I thought Farmers was a great answer but my boys were relentless. “No really Papa. What’s your favorite team?” “Well, I grew up outside of Philadelphia, and my mom was a Phillies fan. So I guess I would say the Phillies.”

For me the conversation was cute but awkward. When I talk to Bill and my mother-in-law Suzanne about sports, I always feel like I have to qualify my fandom. It’s my own insecurity, they have never given me reason to believe they are judging me. I feel compelled to explain to Bill and Suzanne (who don’t even own a tv), what it is we sports fans get out of rooting for our teams. Why does a relatively intelligent, 47 year old father of 3 boys, care if the New York Jets win the Super Bowl? How to explain this? In my head I know it’s kind of pedestrian to be a fan. Yes I am being a snob but part of me thinks I should be above it. The fact that I spend so much time watching grown men play a game seems, embarrassing. I can’t help it though, I am a fan.

On the way out of our house that morning, I thought about ways to explain being a sports fans to Papa in terms he would understand. I wanted to explain that I am not a cliché, I am not a beer swilling lout on a tv commercial. I wanted to show him and Suzanne that what I am doing, a lot of us do, and there are reasons for it. I wanted to make the case that this fandom, because it’s so pervasive in our society, addresses some primal need. It would appear that many of us, especially guys, have to do it. We buy the t-shirt, tune in to games, read the newspaper, learn the lore and lexicon, chat with friends, attend games, and some of us, paint our faces.

That’s when it hit me. The painted faces! I had a hypothesis that would explain fandom to Papa Bill in terms that his scientific-naturalist mind would understand.. “You know what Papa, maybe being a fan is…Tribal? Could it be that somewhere in our DNA, in our hunter-gatherer genetic helix is a code that persuades us that we need to be a part of a tribe of: Met fans, Jet fans, I hate to say it, Yankee fans? If you look closer, these are tribes: color wearing, chanting, with their own histories, idiosyncrasies and customs. We need to be a part of…something bigger than us, protective, inclusive. We are not hunting and gathering anymore so we put our jerseys on and tailgate; or drive to our local sports bar and eat chicken wings, with our tribe.” I figured I was on to something.

After that discussion, my radar was up to gather evidence to support my theory. Shopping for a car just after that I said to my buddy Johnny Murray, a fellow Jet fan, “I saw a used Jaguar XJ6, it was in my price range but it just didn’t feel right to me. I don’t think I’m a Jaguar type of guy.” To which Murray says, “You can’t drive a Jaguar, Jet fans don’t drive Jaguars, Giant fans drive Jaguars.” He wasn’t insulting me, he was confirming my hypothesis.

Then I saw an interview with Jumbo Elliot, former All-Pro Offensive lineman who played for both New York NFL teams. The article was about the Jets and Giants sharing the new stadium and Jumbo had this to say, “Jet fans are…blue-collar, anti-establishment, rebels. Giant fans are older, established, they can be a little much…” Confirmation from an All-Pro?

If we move beyond the borders of the United States, isn't it easy to see our national pride during the Olympics? Or Soccer's World Cup? I don't know that much about soccer fans but are Manchester United fans different from Manchester City fans? Does my theory hold water overseas?

I started to think that there had to be more to this sports fan thing than just the tribal nature of the group. I mean for so many people to be involved, really? I walked after the snow storm recently and I thought of other benefits of being a sports fan. Most important to me is sports as metaphor for life. How we are all learning life’s lessons through playing and watching sports. Things like: hard work and practice are rewarded, sacrificing individual glory for the good of the whole is admirable, sports as the arena of redemption, yesterday’s goat might be tomorrow’s hero, cheaters never prosper, you can be gracious in victory or defeat and of course you can be classless as well.

Of course there is the fact that if you watch, you will be compelled to play. How often will my boys and I go play a sport after watching a game? It puts you, in the mood. Watching sports encourages kids to play and that’s healthy, mentally and physically. Sports figures can also make good role models, helping this and further generations in sports and life in general.

Finally, there’s the goosebumps department. When sports fans know that what we are witnessing is genius. Fans develop an appreciation for the sublime when watching the artistry of the performance. Can we make the comparisons? Michael Jordan to Michaelangelo? Tom Seaver to John Steinbeck? Jack Nicklaus to Jack Nicholson? Sports fans know when they are witnessing greatness, Ted Williams at the plate, Wayne Gretsky on the ice…

That's about what I can come up with. A little help? What other benefits are there to being: Met fans? Yankee fans? Giant fans? and of course Jet fans? Let's Go Jets!