Cheering for the Home Team

One of my friends recently called me to talk about the exciting Red Sox season ahead. He goes to BU and, like any proud Boston fan, was excited about the baseball games coming up. I, however, was very disappointed. Why, you might wonder? Because my friend and I went to the same Chicago-area high school, where for the decade we lived in the area we both cheered for the Bulls, the Bears, the Cubs, and other area teams. His switch in allegiances upon moving east struck me as overly convenient, even disloyal. I didn’t say it on the phone then, but I would now—when coming to an out-of-state college, it is crucial to stay true to one’s hometown sporting allegiances, backing the teams that have defined a childhood.

Cheering for a sports team allows one to develop a tangible and powerful connection to a home city. When Bears fans throw their support behind the gritty, tough, and understated ethic of the football team, they are also connecting to the modest, hard-working, and unassuming culture of Chicago. When Patriots fans cheer for the flashy, loud, and sign-stealing antics of their football team, they are attaching themselves to a certain Boston mores as well. Teams reflect the personalities of their cities and fans; lifelong allegiance to a team is an important facet of identifying with one’s hometown.

Just as importantly, the sports teams we grew up with have given us some of the best experiences of our childhoods. Every sports fan remembers crying and cheering over losses and victories and immortalizing his or her athletic heroes. During spring training, students in the high school cafeteria would speak excitedly of a hopeful new year and look forward to missing school days in April and May to attend baseball games with their dads. During the winter, looking forward to Sunday football games was one of the few reprieves from the cold, dreary, snowy, and generally depressing weather. Every kid who lived in Chicago during the 1990s knew that their career of choice was to be Michael Jordan and also knew, for better or worse, that the Cubs’ annual late season collapse was an essential part of the calendar year. After home teams have given us so many memorable childhood experiences, they deserve lifelong fans, supporters who will come to their defense in any city, in any game, at any time.

Next time you watch a series between your hometown team and a Boston team, you may be tempted to join in cheering alongside the hordes of loud Boston fans watching with you. But resist the urge to simply hop on the bandwagon. Root for your true home team, keeping in mind the connections your team built between you and your hometown and the experiences and joys that it gave you throughout your childhood. As I watch the Bulls play the Celtics this week, win or lose, I’ll sleep soundly knowing I haven’t sold my soul; I’m rooting for the home team.


Ravi N. Mulani ’12, a Crimson editorial comper, lives in Thayer Hall.