When Does Friendship Beat Rooting For The Home Team?
My all-time favorite song has the following words, “Root, Root, Root For The Home Team!” I sing this during the seventh inning stretch at the ballpark and when I’m watching a ball game on TV. There is something special about “The Home Team”. These are your boys, your neighbors and the team you grew up with.
Living in New Hampshire, my big-league home teams are:
- The Boston Red Sox
- The New England Patriots
- The Boston Celtics
- The Boston Bruins
So, here is my dilemma. I am not much of a hockey fan. Everyone who knows me knows that baseball is my middle name. The Boston Bruins of the NHL have made it into the Stanley Cup Finals for the championship of hockey. But they are playing the Chicago Blackhawks, the comeback kids of this year’s playoffs. Geographically, I should be rooting for the Bruins. But, my friend Lyle Hill is the strongest supporter of the Chicago Blackhawks, and he infected me with his enthusiasm. I have been pulling for the Hawks in the post-season, not realizing they might face the Bruins for the finals.
What do I do now?
Well, I actually made up my mind this morning. I am pulling for Lyle’s Hawks this year. You see, I would rather see Lyle with a big smile than a lot of folks I don’t know drinking beer at Boston Garden. There, I have done it, rooting against the home team. There are many reasons to cheer for a certain team, and supporting a friend is a darn good reason.
Good luck Lyle, have a great time yelling your lungs out. May it be for a good cause.