Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
Sports fans are just geeks and nerds in silly hats [Ep #89]
On several occasions throughout the summer (the exact number dependent on my disposable income), I will meet up in a giant public space with internet friends and total strangers, each of us clad in clothing meant to mimic the uniforms worn by our heroes. Some of us will carry big signs bearing clever turns of phrase and artwork, while others will wait in long lines and pay good money for a selfie and an autograph from the people we've unashamedly dressed up as that day.
Though we hail from all walks of life, we are united by a shared love for a multibillion-dollar business over which we have little control but put at the center of our respective lives nonetheless.
We will cheer on our heroes and curse some of the decisions made by those who employ them, offer them all unsolicited advice, and when things don't go our way, make toothless threats that this time we're quitting for real, because we have better things to do with our lives.
I will be attending both San Diego Comic-Con and New York Mets games this summer, which, when you really think about it, are pretty much the same thing.
Sure, geeks and jocks are traditional rivals, pitted against one another from an early age. But when you get down to it, loving sports and obsessing over Star Wars are really two sides of the same coin. Fandom is universal and it connects us all, whether we're diving deep into baseball sabermetrics or examining canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This may be hard for you to accept, so The Fandom Files was joined in its newest episode by Ted Berg, the lead baseball writer for USA Today's FTW site. His work often probes the world of sports fandom, while you'll also find plenty of references to Game of Thrones in his morning newsletter. We discuss the parallels and crossovers between sports fans and nerds (hey, Avengers: Endgame did it), try to figure out why we're still Mets fans, and have a spirited conversation about fast food condiments. It's fun!
Click here for the podcast's RSS feed.
Subscribe on Google Play Music here.
To contact us about the podcast — or to nominate yourself or someone else as a future guest! — feel free to drop us an e-mail or tweet at us. And if you like what you hear, please be sure to rate and review us on iTunes!
