Jumping onto the Bandwagon





Above: My Aunt Kris looking excited in her Vikings gear, and her daughter Ainsley posing by her (Kris's) "Vikings Fan number 1 brick" in the Minnesota stadium. 
Definition:vBandwagon fans are defined as sports fans who have shown no past loyalty to a team, and who only support them when they are doing well.

 Guilty as charged.   Except I can't be defined as a "sports fan" since I am not really a fan of sports. However, my parents always had sports on the TV.  My dad was an avid tennis player and tennis was always on TV.  Or basketball and football.  The only time I enjoyed watching sports was when the Winter Olympics was on and I would watch the womens figure skating comeptitions.  Kristi Yamaguchi and Oksana Baiul...just amazing.   I made sure to pick up posters of those ladies at the schools book fair that year.    I remember watching my mom just yelling at the TV and calling her two sisters, (CRAZY Vikings fans...you don't even know..) and just wondering what all the fuss was about.  My aunt Kris who passed away, could not even watch Vikings games with people because it annoyed her when they would talk during it. Nobody was allowed to answer the phone in her house on Sundays until after she had talked to my other aunt Terri to go over all the plays that happened.  She was devastated when we took on Brett Favre, we didn't even speak about it in front of her.  My cousin told me that in 2009 when we played the Saints to go to the Super Bowl and Favre threw an interception to lose us the game, she fell to the ground sobbing and screaming, "I hate you Brett Favre!" over and over again.  I just never understood this passion. 

 Pretty much out of respect to my mom, aunts and their legacy, I often feel compelled to sit through some of a game. Last Sunday night I stopped picking up the kitchen long enough to sit down and see what my husband was so upet about.  You all know the story...there was no time left....everyone was sad..Minnesota was doomed again.  He was putting on his snow boots to go outside and explaining to our daughter that the "Vikings had failed us again!".  My daughter kept saying, "but...there is still time..." and as they were arguing about whether or not it was "truly over" , I was lucky enough to be looking right at the TV when the Minneapolis Miracle took place.  All of the sudden, after a lifetime of never caring, I had turned into my mom.  I was jumping around the living room, throwing air punches, yelling and hugging all the kids. 

 I have had a bad attitude about many sports figures over the last few years, and in many cases, rightfully so.  As a teacher, I see how kids obsess over and look up to these people, and often times, the things that come out in the media are not things we like to bring up in second grade (but trust me, the little people do indeed bring them up during circle time).  I had to admit my bias was perhaps overly misplaced after listening to some after game interviews last weekend. As "unfaithful" as it may be, it feels like I was "converted" to this thing of football after just one game.  It's also pretty easy since we live outside of Detriot Lakes, and all the Adam Thielen excitement is everywhere. The video of him and his wife talking about their personal relationship with Christ and the example they want to set for their child just sealed the deal for me.  My daughter had Vikings day at school on Friday and as of Wednesday I could not find her a purple shirt at any store in the town, because they were all sold out.  My husband switched up the dismissal bell at the school he works at so that each period, the students were released from their class to the sound of the Vikings horn. The enthusiasm is everywhere.  The biggest reason for my sudden realization of why this "felt so great" was put into words by my friend Tara who stated on her Facebook:

 "You know, there is just something about events like this. That stadium last night was full of Clinton voters, Trump voters, 3rd party voters, Christians, Atheists, Muslims, Mormons, Republicans, Democrats, cat lovers, dog lovers, lifetime Vikings fans, bandwagon Vikings fans, you name it.
Yet everyone was cheering for a common goal.
The freakout moment at the end was undeniably the most amazing moment ever! One of those moments when you hug a random stranger and high-five everyone sitting around you. It's being a part of something bigger. Something where you don't all have the same beliefs and values, but at least on this, you are united.
That's why I love watching football."

It felt really nice to take a "break" from feeling all the hard stuff of the world, and just jump around the living room with everyone else in Minnesota (and in Tara's case....Colorado..).  I have been watching the nightly news since eighth grade (because I was indeed a cool kid) and I really feel the division amongst us has never been quite as strong as it has within these last few years.  How refreshing it is, to have somewhat of a common goal, even if it is, "just a game".  I know every game won't be this great, and my husband is still going have to keep explaining how many yards we get per down....but I really enjoyed feeling united with others. It's also going to be great for future conversations with second graders since Kristi Yamaguchi and Oksana haven't been much help.  So to all my family members who have waited patiently for me to come aboard and embrace this thing called football, thanks for welcoming me onto the wagon.  I have absolutley nothing productive to add to the conversations that will happen but I promise to bring chips.  I hope to be jumping around with you all again tonight, but even if not, I think I am here to stay.  

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