It’s that time of the year again. When you and your coworkers meet up at someone’s pod (hopefully, not for too long), to discuss which school, town, or state is the absolute center of the universe (or who’s going to win a game of football between two groups of college kids – either or). Some people are more subtle about rooting for their team, and then we have others who are so in-your-face about it that it makes it worth it to walk around the entire office building to get to the restroom, just so you can avoid those awkward encounters. Today, we’ll discuss how to show your fandom without making people want to avoid you like the plague.
- Remember Your Team Could Lose The Game
If you are one of those people who are so high on their team that you could not fathom the thought of your team going down, please understand that in fact, your team could lose. It’s a hard concept to wrap your mind around, but as history has shown us, every dog (or Tide or Tiger) has a day. To be fully prepared should this happen to someone cheering for the losing team, the best bet is to not hassle coworkers that cheer for the opponent “too” much. Of course, you want to state who you’re pulling for or even talk a little smack. Don’t put yourself into a situation where you’d be writing a check that, well, you know the rest.
2. Treat People The Way You’d Like To Be Treated
You can want your team to win without bashing the other team (or the people who cheer for them). This might be one of the most important things to remember. A lot of people get irrationally down on opposing fans solely because of their own fandom for their own team. This benefits absolutely no one. As the old saying goes, “shading my grass won’t make yours grow”. Cheer for your team, by all means, but do so without being a jerk to other people in the office – you do have to see them and work with them after this is over. A person would hate to be stuck in the restroom stall with no tissue and their coworker outside with bad memories and access to tissue. This won’t end well…
3. Less Is More
You know the guy who’s dressing his entire work area in his team’s colors, wearing a school’s apparel non-stop for weeks straight leading up to the day of the big game as if he paid 4 years worth of tuition to this institution? Don’t be this guy – less is more. If you want to show your school spirit or team spirit, there’s nothing wrong with some subtle approaches. For example, maybe just wearing the colors of the team you’re rooting for on your shirt. There’s plenty of color options in the Classic Moneyball line to choose from. So, there are ways to show pride without seemingly being obnoxious.
In conclusion, we all want our team to come out victorious. Nobody wants to feel less than, just because of a game that you yourself aren’t actually playing in. Remember, your team could lose. So, treat people well because the shoe could always be on the other foot. Also, don’t go overboard with the decorations and apparel every single day – less is always more. Until next time, Go Clemson?