Rooting Interests

At the end of the day, I ended up pulling for Duke.

On its face, that’s not particularly noteworthy, I must admit.  I not only attended Duke, but am a member of both the Iron Dukes (the Duke booster organization) and Varsity Club (former letterwinners club).  And they were playing the North Carolina Tarheels.

What was somewhat remarkable, I guess, is that I spent the better part of a week thinking about this.  Okay, with a wife, two children and actual responsibilities I did some other things during the week as well.  But I wrestled with it off and on all week, because the question of whom we pull for – and why – can reflect our values. My children notice if my hat says “Duke” and my tee shirt reads “Florida.” So before I put either on, I paused to consider the choice.

And I’m not sure that I came to the right conclusion.

At some level, it’s a matter of pride.  I played football (well, was on the team a lot and played a little) and baseball (was on the team a little – just one year – but played a lot) and should simply welcome the reflected glare of positive news from Duke.  But, for those of you who have followed Duke athletics over the past decade or so, we’ve suffered through a few bumps (baseball steroids scandal, football losses, and a little thing we like to call “lacrosse kids paying $800 for strippers and being stunned when things fall apart”).   In other words, I haven’t always taken a great deal of pride from my association.  (My ever-supportive wife notes it’s probably a two-way street.)

One day, however, I “tweeted” a short but surprising note: “the Yankees and Tarheels won last night.”  I grew up in a Red Sox household and coupled with my attendance at Duke, yet – mysteriously – typing that sentence caused me joy.  This would’ve been unthinkable even three years ago.  What caused the change?

Many people cheer for – as Jerry Seinfeld famously pointed out – the laundry.  They may have originally liked particular players but over time as the players change, they still pull for the Giants because they wear the Giants uniforms.  They don’t particularly care who’s donning the uniform – they’re Giants and that’s enough.

And I appreciate that – in fact, I admire it.  There’s something to fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, sharing the bonds of loyalty and commitment.  (And don’t think I’m above selective commitment – I’ll be a Gator ‘till I die which has more to do with my birth and upbringing more than any logical analysis.)  I appreciate the consistency most people have in their rooting interests. Mine,  however, have simply evolved during my lifetime to revolve around people.

For example, Shane Mularkey, who I’ve known since his birth, is a freshman at Carolina, and the reason that I hope that they do well.  Andy Pettitte, a Yankees pitcher, is as fine a person as I know, and I’m pleased to count him as a friend.  I’ve read numerous stories about the Colorado Rockies building youth fields all over the state because they feel that their club is a community trust that should positively impact the citizens of Colorado.  I pull for them, too.  Are there wholesome, values-based reasons to pull for their opponents?  I’m certain.  But the ones that I’ve selected have become part of my own story. 

“Why am I wearing a Rockies hat in Florida?” I might respond to my daughter.  “Well, I really like that they…”

And so, as the Duke/Carolina tilt was approaching, I had to make a decision.  The more I analyzed whom I should support, the more unclear it was:  I know Shane; I don’t know any of Duke’s players.  I know the head coaches on both teams and am friends with assistant coaches at both schools.  If anything, I was feeling a little pulled toward UNC, which felt …strangely inappropriate.

Finally, the game happened.  And when I saw the final score flash across the screen – another Carolina win – I found myself pleased to be bitterly disappointed.  I’ll still pull for Shane; I’ll still pull for the Yankees and Red Sox and Gators and others as I learn their stories.  But for now, it felt good to know that I was still pulling for Duke for that most important of reasons:

That blue and white laundry.