Fluff Column in Chicago Trib: Being a Michigan Fan in a city of Loyola fans
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.
All Loyola's new 'fans' will jump right back off the bandwagon after we beat them
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.
That sounds...exactly like Chicago sportsdom to me.
I dont think so.. for example, ever since FGCU went to the Sweet 16, I always hope they make the tournament. Not enough to where I will watch their conference tournament, but I do keep track to see how they fare.
It always felt to me like there were more than 26,000 Michigan alums in Chicagoland.
Last time I went to a Michigan Northwestern football game I think all 26,000 of our Chicago alums showed up.
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.
Only was able to learn this from dating a Bama grad *shakes head*
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).
Go Blue!
March 29th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
Odd...when I finished grad school the only fond memories I had was the day I was done!
Saturday, The end. Not being malicious, just objective.
please. How many of those "fans" have been to a home Loyola basketball game? I was in the Maize Rage when you could show up at game time and get a second row seat.
March 28th, 2018 at 11:21 PM ^
We were a low-major Horizon league team who didn't win anything for 30 years. Is that the program that fans line up out the door to see?
March 28th, 2018 at 10:18 PM ^
March 29th, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^
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