Being a fan means something. It gives you purpose. It fills a hole in your heart that you can’t explain. It offers an outlet for your passions to be released. Being a part of a fandom? Well, that can make you feel right at home. A fandom is like a family. There will be different levels of involvement. Some only show up for the main events, while others show up at everything. Some will irritate you and some will become closer than you could ever imagine. Some are sane, but there’s always those nutters like your old Aunt Alma who’ve cornered the market on crazy. Regardless, through thick and thin, if you’re a fan, you are not alone.

I, myself, have been a fan of many things through the years. Being a fan of anything can be as exhilarating and joyous as it can be frustrating, tiresome, and depressing (any Cubs fan will confirm this is true). Being a fan is also an investment. Whether it’s time or finances being sacrificed for the love of the game, television show, fictional character, political ideal, etc., one’s energy is being spent in the form of unadulterated devotion. This is meaningful. THIS is a big deal. However, after watching my Twitter timeline implode like Donald Trump during this week’s debate, I question what being a fan is really all about.

There are those that go with the flow, and then there are those that go bat-shit-crazy too far. i.e. The Steve Bartman Incident. The abuse he endured was unacceptable. Sure, I wanted to ring his neck like the rest of them, but that feeling eventually went away… after a few years (no really, I’m not bitter).

So here’s the issue – no matter how die-hard you adore whatever it is you adore, there are boundaries, but where is that line? Social media has allowed us to band together more easily. No more waiting for tailgates or water cooler moments with our nearest and dearest to share our excitement. Just last night I was following the Cubs versus Dodgers NCLS Game 5 on my Twitter feed and though I couldn’t be at the game, the interactions online made me feel like I was still a part of things. I could share similar sentiments with fans 3000 miles away, and when the Cubs clinched the win, I was jumping up in down along with every other Cubbies lover there is. It was glorious.

However, social media is a fickle thing and a double edged sword. Though it’s expanded our connections beyond our backyard, it’s also taken those (sometimes quite volatile and inappropriate) conversations, once limited to your best friends or close colleagues, and allowed those thoughts to be plastered across the web for anyone to see.

I’m all for being honest, but there is such a thing as being polite. There’s decorum. There’s a general respect we should have for one another that seemingly disintegrates online. My timeline was imploding over rumors about a storyline that may or may not happen on my current favorite show (Arrow). Did Ithe rumors excite me? No. Is that how I want my favorite story to be told? No. However, I am a fan, so I won’t just give up on it. At the end of the day, that show has endeared itself to me and has me wanting the best for it and those that make it happen. That said, I’ve witnessed “fans” taking to their keyboards demanding resignations from the writers, calling for boycotts of the show, threatening the producers, applauding lower ratings and essentially giving the fandom a bad name. Remember how I said fandom is like family? Well these “fans” are like the red-headed step children in revolt. One of my biggest pet peeves is a vocal minority presumptively speaking for the whole.

Those “fans” aren’t fans in my eyes. I wouldn’t consider them pink hats, either. Take it from someone who’s team hasn’t won a World Series in 108 years … patience is a virtue. Sometimes you just have to have faith. It can’t always be pennant wins and rainbows. Sometimes it’s sucking it up for the love of the game and holding out hope that the best is yet to come. Did I want to cry in a corner when Joey was with Dawson instead of Pacey? YES. Was I disappointed Mad Men never killed Betty? YES. Do I want to pull my hair out every time Michigan loses to Ohio State? YES. But such is fan life, right? It’s not taking the smack talk I shared with my bestie over beers and publicly ridiculing those that I claim to love with it. Some conversations should be kept behind closed doors. You’re in it for the long haul or you’re not. That’s what being a real fan should be. Just because there’s a platform which allows easy engagement, doesn’t mean you should always engage. Sure, knee-jerk reactions come with the territory, but hurling insults at your favorites and decreeing “being done” isn’t. Don’t kill the fandom vibe by being the drunk idiot uncle everyone hates. Walk away. It’s ok, though I can’t say you’ll be missed.

Lately, I’ve been absorbed by podcasts. Am I the last one to board this ship? Likely. I’m typically the last person to join any party.  It was nearly two years ago, I believe, when I was somehow introduced to Aisha Tyler’s Girl On Guy. I can’t recall which interview it was that caught me, but what sold me was Tyler hosting. I love Aisha Tyler. To me, she is one of the best examples of an artist with strong business acumen (a rare combination) putting herself out there, never satisfied, always pushing to improve, to do more and be more. She is a modern Renaissance being pouring her creativity into multiple projects across various industries. Just because one is an artist, doesn’t mean he or she is limited to creating one type of thing. It doesn’t mean their enthusiasm for producing work is narrow or finite. She explores and experiments and evolves and that is what being an artist is.  As a fellow creative, I admire that. It’s not as easy as it looks. And to be an artist with an entrepreneurial spirit to boot , well, that interests me because the two don’t typically go hand in hand.

So I was easily hooked by Girl On Guy. Discussing creative processes and motivations with other artists has me hanging on every word no matter the forum. And Tyler’s interview style is an informal one. She will be the first to say that she tries not to research so she can learn along with the audience. To me it keeps the content organic, which ultimately leads to more engrossing conversations. I think that’s the other thing I really enjoy about Tyler’s podcast specifically – it doesn’t feel like an interview. It feels like I’ve happened upon a perfect back and forth between two individuals sharing and dissecting their histories and passions and practices with one another. It’s a beautiful unabridged dialogue that unravels at a flawless pace. It can be humorous or deep, but it is always raw. So for me, it is Tyler that has set the bar by which all other podcasts are measured.

Once introduced to Girl On Guy, and after having listened to every episode (several of them twice), I needed more. I love music. It’s great for working out or dancing around but I’m more of a conversation person in the long run when it comes to having something on in the house, while working, or while driving in my car. Now I am not an NPR kind of girl or any sort of Talk Radio fan. I wanted more podcasts. I don’t need someone speaking at me. I want to listen to a discussion, or rather a trade of ideas or verbal ping pong. So I expanded my repertoire to The Bill Simmons Podcast next. Contrary to popular belief, an artist can also have a love for sports, which I do. I enjoy Simmons’s commentary and recaps with his guests. He doesn’t try to be witty or clever. He’s down to Earth and always has his facts straight. He doesn’t limit himself to sports-related guests, either, which I appreciate. He’s had guests like Louis C.K., David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele to name a few that I’ve really liked wherein they’ve discussed their projects and histories among other things. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the sports talk, I do, it’s actually why I listen, but it’s nice to hear someone typically focused on athletics interacting with authors, actors, and producers because it creates an entirely different exchange for my listening pleasure.

And finally I have found Unqualified by Anna Faris. This is a just a super silly and fun podcast with creative people offering personal advice to callers that has me laughing so hard every time. Faris genuinely cares about her guests and call-ins. Unqualified strikes the perfect balance of comedy and sincerity. It covers topics that you would only discuss with your closest friends, thus making an unfiltered Faris seem like nothing more than a charming addition to your intimate circle.

I do dabble with The Digital Doctrine by Eric Von Haessler and Radio Labyrinth by Tim Andrews. These are two of my favorite Atlanta radio hosts that I grew quite fond of during my early morning commute back in the day. Andrews is hilarious and focuses on pop culture, which I love, and I think Von Haessler is brilliant, particularly when it comes to politics even though I don’t usually care for politically driven shows.

But this still leaves me wanting more. I’m on the hunt for additional podcasts. If you know of any that could be a good fit after reading what I like (and what I don’t *cough* NPR and Talk Radio *cough*), hit me up on Twitter or Facebook or email.  I want to be exposed to more quality content, hopefully expanding my podcast palate. Searching for podcasts can be difficult if you don’t really know what you’re searching for, so I am looking for recommendations of any kind. I trust you. Well, most of you. Okay, a couple of you, but I’m willing to take your suggestions regardless.

What I want to talk about today is a new love in my life. I love Fantasy Football, and I want to shout it from the rooftops or jump on a couch with Oprah – that’s how in love with FF I am.

I was surprised, too.

Where has it been all my life? Better yet, where have I been to have only joined a league this year?

There’s definitely been a little bit of a learning curve because I’ve never played before, but it’s become an obsession for me. Clifford would watch The League on FX — I feel like I might be becoming those people.  It’s also been fabulous because Clifford is playing with me. My husband, who I remind you is not from North America and has never been interested in football or particularly any other sports since moving to the States, has finally invested in one. And that sport is football. This. Is. Huge.  It has sincerely taken our relationship to the next level. Watching him shout things at the TV about offside and holding makes my heart grow three sizes too big.

Yep.

And I’ve gone from interested to completely engrossed. I’m suddenly more involved in NFL stats and player performance and injuries than I’ve ever been before. I’ve always been a college football kind of girl and now I find myself living for Sundays instead of Saturdays (though I’ll still catch any college game to watch Notre Dame lose or Michigan win).

Fantasy Football is like the ultimate school yard pick-up game of kickball. There are captains and there are players. In Fantasy Football, you’re guaranteed to be a captain and you get to pick your team.  Your choices have consequences, but you get to watch those consequences be played out on your hi-def TV instead of on a dirt field behind an old smelly gym.

I’m not leading my league by any stretch of the imagination. It’s my rookie year; cut me some slack. But the highs and lows of winning and losing week to week have brought back my competitive drive with a vengeance. Though it’s a much more mature competitive drive than what I had during school yard kickball. It’s healthier… Instead of pounding the nearest teeter-totters like a two year old after a heartfelt loss, I just pound a bottle of wine like my liver could care less (we’ve struck an accord).

Fantasy Football is my happy place. Living the dream …