Mail Time!!

Folks, today is a great day in JAT history for today we do our first ever Maibag issue!!! Wooo-hooo, we're hittin the big time folks! Actually, it's not really a 'mailbag.' Heck, it's only a response to a comment left from my previous article on annoying Patriots fans. The one and only Brandon "Joisey fo Life" Maenius posted an intriguing question/comment that probably all sports fans (and fantasy sports fans) have pondered at some point in their life. I'll break down the question and give my two cents on each subject. I don't claim to be a know-all and end-all for sports questions, yet I do feel somewhat qualified to give a semi-educated explination for Mr. B-Bong's queiries. Here goes:

B: I propose a series of loyatly questions: Is it possible to be a Mavs fan and a Spurs fan? (We all know where I lie)
Me: To be a true fan for any sport, I find it emparative to have one, and only one, favorite 'for better or worse' team. For me, these teams are the Cowboys, Spurs, Rangers, and Texas Longhorns. No matter who these teams are playing and regardless of the kind of season they are having, I'm rooting for them. Now, this isn't to say you can't like other teams or even cheer for them at times. Two years ago, when the Mavs beat the Spurs and played in the NBA Finals, I was pulling hard for them to beat the Heat, and am still a little bitter about how they got jobbed by the refs. That being said, I was still dissapointed that San Antonio fell to them two rounds earlier, but in the Finals I rooted for the Mavs because I'm a Texan and honestly, I like the Mavericks, and even the Rockets. Don't love them. Like them. Same thing for me and baseball. I love the Rangers, but lets be honest, they're awful. So, from April to September, they're my team, but when October rolls around, you can find me cheering for the Boston Red Sox. If they're not in the playoffs, it's Anyone But The Yankees. All that to say, one sport, one team people!!

B: Is it wrong to root for the Philadelphia Eagles, just because you have Brian Westbrook on your fantasy football team?
Me: Yes and no. If you're a true Cowboy fan, and I know you are Brandon, you never want Philly to win. However, if you have Westbrook, McNabb, or another Eagle on your fantasy team, I don't think it's wrong to root for that individual player to do well. This is really the Catch 22 of fantasy sports, and Bill Simmons wrote a great article about this very thing a year or so back, I'm just too lazy to find it in his archives and provide a link. (I'll leave that to you, Justin Scott) Anyway, if you have a good player from a rival team on your fantasy squad, I don't have a problem with wishing that player well, so long as his team loses.

B: Is it wrong to hate a team, but like one player on that team?
Me: I don't think so. The fantasy issue comes to mind here, because you'd obviously be partial to a player on your fantasy squad even if he plays for a rival team. For me, I like to root for former Longhorns in the NFL, even when they're playing for a team I don't like. For instance, I was happy to know that Aaron Ross played well for the Giants this season and was bummed to see him get hurt against the Cowboys on Sunday. Also, when the 'Boys played at Tennessee last year, I was hoping Vince Young played well, but that ultimately Dallas would win. All in all, I feel fine about liking and even rooting for opposing players, so long as it doesn't interfere with what's most important-rooting for your favorite TEAM.

That'll do it faithful readers. I'd like to thank Brandon for his comment, which gave me an idea of what to write. Hopefully my response was helpful, but again, I don't claim to be an expert, so feel free to form your own opinions, and please respond, I'd love to hear y'alls thoughts.

-Twig