The Atlantic

Letters: ‘I'd Rather Suffer Honestly Than Proclaim Victory!’

Readers debate the virtues of fair-weather fandom.
Source: Scott Olson / Getty

In Praise of Fair-Weather Fandom

In The Atlantic’s May issue, Derek Thomspon argued that rooting for great teams and great players is more fulfilling than unconditionally supporting your sad-sack local franchise.


Leave it to a Yankees fan to write the arrogant, superficial drivel of D. Thompson’s “In Praise of Fair-Weather Fandom.”

Thompson belies the fact that championships reward longtime fans far more than mercenaries. If someone roots for a team for three months and explodes in joy when they win, that person is purely a sociopath.  

That team-owner billionaires are wolves in wolves’ clothing isn’t exactly news.  Thompson almost makes a cogent”—decades ago.  

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