Trumpism Is Not A Team Sport
Either Trump wins or America does.
On February 28th, 2002, back when it was still acceptable to have a website with a bright yellow background and a “PRINT” button on each page, Bill Simmons published his infamous 20 Rules For Being A True Fan.
And ever since that day, writers have been trying to lay out the rules of sports fandom.
Some rules focused on attire:
Don’t wear cheap-looking replica jerseys or flimsy-looking bargain-basement hats. Come on. You’re representing every fan from your team. Show some pride.
Others offered relationship advice:
If your team defeats a good friend’s team in a crucial game or series, don’t rub it in with them unless they’ve been especially annoying/gloating/condescending/confrontational in the days leading up to the big battle…
But none captured the pathos of fandom better than Joshua Glasgow’s ode to being a “real fan”:
The real fan identifies with her team. Your team loses, you lose with them. A player does something embarrassing, and you are embarrassed with them. You put in time, money, and emotion, and in return, you get disappointment, loss, and a level of tragedy that puts Greek drama to shame.
Most importantly, [real fans] are…
