is the word 'diary' better than the word 'blog'? probably not.

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If you are from X--, I am going to Y-- the F-- out of you, even though I know nothing about you and am myself, also, simply a spectator.

So, I live in Philadelphia, and I am still at heart a San Franciscan, which means that I have lots of friends in both cities, and so also I have lots of facebook friends in both cities. And so my Facebook stream is currently overfull-to-embarrassment with TINY NATIONALISM.

I've remarked on this before, I know. Following a regional sports team, and liking that sports team for no other reason than that it purportedly represents the city in which you dwell, it is tiny nationalism. And it is very strange, if you just back up a few feet and look at it with a discerning stare.

"I�m from Philly so I love the PHILLIES." "No. Dude, I�m from the Bay Area so I love the GIANTS!" OK. Fair enough. I'm with you so far. But then: "Because my team wins more often than your team, MY WHOLE REGION KICKS YOUR WHOLE REGION�S ASS! WE ARE SUPERIOR TO YOU!"

What?! I guess this strikes me as funny because this proclaimed superiority has nothing to do with anything I ("I" meaning "enthusiastic regionally affiliated sports fan") personally have ever done or performed or earned. Nor does it have much effect on what is good or bad about a region. But I am still proud! And loud! And sometimes I will even get in a fight over it! And when asked for my reasons for fighting, my answer is either inarticulate or boils down to differences of region or preference that cannot be justified by any reasonable criterion. Tiny nationalism.

I am not saying that it is stupid to like sports. THAT IS NOT WHAT I'M SAYING.

Sure, San Franciscans like microbrews whereas Philadelphians like cheesesteaks, and sure, some but not all Philadelphia sports fans are in a league of their own in terms of aggressive behavior. In fact, Philadelphia sports fans are not at all like Northern Californian sports fans... except in this one regard: many sports fans from all over seem to think that it is fine to make gross generalizations about the character of whole cities based only on a desire that their own city's team win.

And that, my friends, is ridiculous.

You might think I am missing the point, that it is all in good fun. But I want to insist that habits of thought are meaningful.

All I mean is: surely it is possible to love the shit out of some sports without becoming tiny nationalists. Surely it is.

10:18 a.m. - October 24, 2010
meow - 2010-10-24 22:16:59
GO GIANTS!!!
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js - 2010-10-24 22:46:46
word.
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Randy - 2010-10-27 23:00:22
Fear the Beard!
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