Greetings, Bronco Nation, from the Office or Orange Jacket Guy; it is again a distinct honor to write to you.
I’m going to stab at some old wounds, however this one seems to be coming up a lot: politics in fandom. I disagree with some people when I say they mostly don’t mix.
Winning on merits seems to be the general point of sports. My argument often is that politics or national happenings should be closer to that. But then again, people differ in opinion on what exactly that entails…
It always amazes me when in some random interaction with people I don’t know how the majority of people still to this day make assumptions about one’s political views. I encounter this a LOT in the IT field. People who know me know that I have very conservative views about a lot of things. I get a lot of assumptions that I’m somehow liberal or progressive due to my (in no way extensive) Unix/Linux/BSD knowledge. I get the same when I can correctly diagnose and prescribe a correct fix in anything involving computers and electronics. (People never learn that work and politics just don’t mix.)
It is exactly for that reason that I am of this opinion: in most cases, politics and related matters should NOT be involved in sports or its fans, and if for some reason it’s warranted, don’t try to deny your injection of it in the first place! Solving a post-season problem with legislation is a very bad idea on so many levels; a broken system can’t fix another broken system.
It’s no secret that Boise and the surrounding areas are very conservative. This, however, should be no reason to assume that the fan sitting next to you bleeding same Blue-and-Orange that you do is conservative. Political discussion can ruin a fan experience. I have seen it first hand and it always leaves me ashamed of those who brought up politics.
I have, however, been more ashamed when people have assumed the reverse. It only happened to me once. Like I said before I believe winning on merits is the general point of sports, and as such, I believe that some liberal approaches remove the merit part of it. In a good game of football, at the end, whether it be close or a shutout, there’s a clear winner, and I’m sorry to say, a clear loser too. Believe me I remember the clear losses. I remember the 90’s-era BSU football teams. I remember the heartbreaking rivalry losses. Without these, winning means nothing.
I could make this piece longer by driving the point even deeper but I think most of you get the point. While it is at times unavoidable, we should NOT be mixing sports (and the fandom of said sports) with politics. All I want to do is see my Broncos and I want to see them win in a clear decisive victory. Like I said last time, my brothers and sisters, be proud.
Until next time, Bronco Nation: In Pete We Trust
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