Team spirit in hyper-drive defines the creature known as the superfan. These team loyalists show their passion and their pride in various creative (and sometimes kooky) displays. Learn some of the ways to be a sports superfan here.
Get a Gimmick
Various sports have seen towel wavers, puppeteers, a firefighter tailgating in full gear with a team-colored fire engine, clown costume and wig wearers, and masked superheroes. There are even mustachioed mimics sporting Ditka-style facial hair in homage to the Superfandom portrayed on the SNL sketch. Superfans call attention to themselves as a way to drum up enthusiasm for their favorite team and express passionate support. Some pro sports, like basketball and football, have sections of their halls of fame devoted to superfans.
Create a Crew
A single superfan is an entertaining curiosity. A few rows full of similarly attired, vocal team supporters form a fanbase and help keep the volume and the energy high.
Become a Stats Snob
If you’re not the type to dress up and yell, you can be the person who annoys everyone with your encyclopedic knowledge of team statistics. Why stop with just your own team, though? True superfans of stats can compare and contrast at thesis-length everything from batting averages to balks, or buckets to backward passes.
Display Team Colors from Top to Toe
Wearing only a team jersey is for amateurs. Superfans take team colors to extremes, from hats to wigs, through face-paint, boas, and beads. Hardcore, lifelong fans go as far as tattoos of team mascots or insignia. And don’t call yourself a superfan unless you have several pairs of custom team socks.
Buy Season Tickets
Superfans show up over and over and over again, through great seasons and ghastly games. Teams lavish attention on long-term season ticket holders, so build your bank account and treat yourself to some coveted season tickets.
Neither Snow, Nor Rain, Nor Gloom of Night
If the team is playing, superfans are going. While no one (really, no one) wants to see painted potbellies covered with goosebumps in a snowstorm, sticking with the team through rain delays or weather anomalies like the infamous “fog bowl” of 1988 is a given for superfans.
If you’re passionate about your team, dress up for them (and for the weather—foam fingers won’t protect real ones from frostbite) and choose which ways you will show that you’re a superfan.
