There are all kinds of ups and downs that come with being a fan of a sports team. To someone on the outside looking in, it can all seem a bit strange and hard to understand. There are some things that only fans truly understand. It’s part of the fun of being a fan, and it doesn’t even matter if these things look crazy to people who are not fans.

These habits and ways of doing things cross different sports and countries. They unite people who support teams no matter where they are in the world. And there’s something great about that. So, here are 6 things that every committed sports team supporter will understand, even if no one else does.

1. Superstitions Must Not be Questioned

Superstitions are very common among supporters. Some people have a lucky pair of underpants that they just have to wear when they’re watching their team play. Other people have a routine that has to be followed the morning before a game. These things make absolutely no sense to other people, but they’re superstitions that have to go on regardless of their irrationality. Every team supporter knows that these things must not be questioned or doubted for a second, even if they seem strange to most people.

2. Screaming at the TV Screen Does Make a Difference

How many times have you been watching a game on TV with someone who’s not a sports fun, only for them to ask you why you’re screaming at the TV? After all, those players, the referee and the manager can’t hear what you’re saying. Well, that’s not the point. When you get that need to jump up and scream and the screen, it helps you as a supporter. We get that, even if no one else does. It’s therapeutic, and even if it doesn’t have any impact on the game that’s being played, it helps you deal with the stress and pressure of the game, especially when things aren’t going right for your team.

3. Rumors Matter

When you follow a sports team, it’s essential to know what’s happening with the club. Is the owner selling up? Is there a new coach coming in? Which players are we going to be relying on next season? Who’s that rising star that we’re about to sign? There are so many rumors that float around, and as a fan, you can’t help but pay attention to them. People use sites like HockeyBabble.com to stay on top of news and rumors relating to their team. There are sites like this for every sport out there, and many fans are glued to them throughout the year.

4. The Off Season is Unbearable

When the season ends, the countdown to the beginning of the next one starts right away. Unfortunately, that break can drag for what seems like forever. It’s one of the most hated times of the year for sports fans. Off season leaves you with nothing to do at the weekends, and you yearn for the chance to watch your team play again. This is the time of the year when reading rumors relating to your team becomes even more important because you have nothing else to focus on. 

5. Traditions Are Traditions, and Understanding Them Isn’t Even That Important

There are some sporting traditions that no one really gets. Why do some fans wear fake beards to the playoffs? What’s the seventh-inning stretch? Well, answering those questions when they’re asked by people who don’t really get the sport can be tricky. Most sports fans just accept and embrace these strange sporting traditions without really stopping to question them. You don’t need to understand them nor their derivation to know that they’re important. After all, traditions are traditions, and they have to be respected by all fans. Every team in every sport has its own strange and unusual traditions that no one really gets.

6. Paying for Expensive TV Deals is 100% Worth it

Many sports fans spend a lot of money on TV deals because they want access to all the best sports channels. It’s just one example of the many ways in which being a sports fan can cost you big and ruin you financially. However, it doesn’t matter how much of your income goes towards following the team you love when you’re a supporter. It’s just part of the deal, and everyone knows that it’s more than worth it. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Sure, there are probably better and more sensible ways to spend out money, but that’s not how the mind of a dedicated sports team supporter works.