Fluff Column in Chicago Trib: Being a Michigan Fan in a city of Loyola fans

Submitted by StephenRKass on

Here is a link to a different kind of article. Eric Zorn has been a columnist in the Chicago Tribune for many years. He is also a Michigan Alum, whose dad was a Michigan professor. On very rare occasions, he has written a column highlighting his Michigan fandom.

LINK:  Choosing Loyalty over Loyola:  Why I'm rooting against the Ramblers

There is really no basketball content. But it does hit on the pressure in this particular community to root for Loyola. I didn't know it, but apparently there are 26,000 alumni in the Chicago area. (let alone family members, etc., who also root for Michigan.) The one thing he highlights is that no matter what, we will always be Michigan fans.

 

StephenRKass

March 28th, 2018 at 6:28 PM ^

Almost all Loyola fans this week are the very definition of a "bandwagon fan." I mean, it is a nice story and all. And if they were playing ANYONE ELSE besides Michigan, I would want them to win. But yeah, sports in Chicago sucks right now (Blackhawks and Bulls are turrible, Bears not very good, baseball hasn't started yet.) They have a city that is delighted to have someone local to watch they can root for.

PopeLando

March 28th, 2018 at 6:26 PM ^

Here's the difference: I was a Michigan fan before, and I'll be a Michigan fan after.

There won't be many Loyola fans in a couple weeks, no matter the outcome.

I'm pretty comfortable being a Michigan fan in Chicago

USA2018

March 28th, 2018 at 6:44 PM ^

I live in Chicago and, aside from radio, No One is talking about Loyola. There seems to be far more Michigan fans/alumni here than Loyola fans. Loyola is living in OUR city.

Bando Calrissian

March 28th, 2018 at 6:57 PM ^

It's been really weird living on the far north side this week. There's been a helicopter or three hovered over the Loyola campus pretty much constantly. People went from basically not even caring about their team into hardcore Rambler basketball fans overnight. The students are wearing gear, which you'd pretty much never see before. The alderman took over a movie theater for game viewing, and gave every other alderman a Loyola hat for today's city council meeting. And those damn scarves. They're everywhere.

I found and hung a Michigan basketball flag in my window out of sheer spite. 

Feel The Strength

March 28th, 2018 at 7:04 PM ^

I can’t bring myself to talk trash about this game. I have two FSU friends and didn’t talk shit to them either. I absolutely love to jaw jack especially living in SEC country. But this entire tournament I’ve kept my mouth shut and will continue to do so. Bring home the ship boys, HAIL!

Jfhskhx

March 28th, 2018 at 7:06 PM ^

He brings up a good point about rooting for the overdogs.

(Author Malcolm Gladwell, who is one of those people, explained his preference in an interview with Business Insider: “If the underdog loses, the underdog feels very little distress because he expected to lose. If the favorite loses, he feels a great deal of distress because every expectation was that he was supposed to win. … If your job as an empathic human being is to want to minimize human suffering, the suffering comes when the favorite loses.”)

 

Everyone should root for Michigan to minimize suffering (then go back to rooting for the underdog).

RamblerRobotics

March 28th, 2018 at 8:37 PM ^

It’s been 30 years since Chicago had a basketball program that wasn’t a laughingstock. People are excited, that doesn’t make them bandwagoners anymore than it made you after Michigan basketball made its resurgence.

I Love Lamp

March 28th, 2018 at 10:18 PM ^

At the gym wearing a Loyola sweatshirt. I was going to ask him if he went to school there and if so, how pumped was he that his school is on the big stage. Then I remembered, I live in East Lansing, it’s a troll job. Back I went to my next set.

WindyCityWolverine

March 29th, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^

After our run last eve, we headed over to a local watering hole as we usually do. Decked out in my gear of course.



As we head to the door, three guys walk out, and upon seeing my Michigan jacket, one of them points at my jacket and says, "Boooo....boooo". I promptly reply, "Oh, you're saying Goooo Bluuuuee...thanks"



He laughs, puts out his fist for a bump, and says, "ya got me".



I know, I know....cool story bro