What Makes a Team?

Yes, I know I wasn't going to talk about sports anymore, but when you live where there are professional sports and college teams, you can't help but hear what's going on even when you're not interested. Through the years there has been a great deal of buzzing going on over the airwaves about all our local teams, whether it be the pros or college teams, and it got me wondering, just what IS a team?

I'm certain most of us think first of the groups of players who go out there and duel with other groups of players, or we may also include in those thoughts the coaches, managers, or even the owners. To be sure, all of them are included, but what really got me engaged in this train of thought was a big promotion done last fall by the Seahawks called "the Twelfth Man."

"The Twelfth Man," which is of course the fans, was all over the local news last fall, and there were many promotional events with free items given away to encourage the fans to be supportive of the Seahawks. Even as a dis-interested bystander, I was impressed by all this, and it made me realize that actually the fans are the most important part of the team, when all else is said and done.

Coaches, managers, players, and even owners come and go, but the fans--those loyal diehards who make it to most if not all of the games, or watch every game on TV, who paint their faces, and dress up in ridiculous outfits, buy tons of team memorabilia, or not, who have bumper stickers on their cars, and give team stuff to all their kids and friends--the fans are always there. Hey, the players who once belonged to the Sonics are gone, but the team name, past trophies, AND the fan base are all still here. What Oklahoma City has is not the Sonics. I don't even know what they have decided to call that team. Regardless of the season of the year, loyal fans are always there supporting their teams and should not be discounted. If not for them, there would be nobody filling the stands at games, and there would be no reason for anyone to play ball at all.

I can't remember all the times friends or family members have told me how important their teams are to them. Their teams. They take ownership, and how their teams perform is a personal thing--a matter of personal pride. One of my closest friends recently told me that one of his goals in life is to watch a professional baseball game at every single stadium in the country. Well, I was impressed by that, because it made me wonder what would be so important to me that I would put it on my bucket list? I'm still thinking about it.

Even though I doubt I will ever attend any of the games held here--unless I go with my friend who wants to watch the Mariners play--I have to admit that professional sports fill a void for many people. I don't seem to experience that in my own life, perhaps because I'm busy with my own particular interests; but I can honor it, whether I participate or not.