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Prior to that moment, my experience with football came from watching the Michigan Wolverines, in person, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The nigh-sainted Bo Schembechler was often spoken of in mythic tones. My father was attending the University of Michigan and for four years, every home football game was attended by my father, mother, and myself. And I recall fondly the elderly couple - alumni - that sat next to us and would treat me to snacks. I was young, but my father explained football to me as best he could, setting the stage for a life long love of the game.
My mother used to say in such a way that it sounded like an oracle speaking destiny that the first time I kicked, while she was pregnant, was during a Detroit Lions game being watched on television (and the second time was during an episode of Star Trek).
In January 1982, I was now living in California and though I had heard many a friend in elementary school speak of the greatness of NFL teams (especially the Oakland Raiders) in a manner that bordered on religious dedication, I had not made any such conversion. I continued watching my beloved Wolverines. Then the 49ers went to Super Bowl XVI. For reasons now lost, my mother sat me, my younger brother, and a couple of friends down in front of the television with soda, candy, and popcorn to watch the game, and told to root for the 49ers. I obliged. And now as a man of 40 plus years, I still root for the 49ers.
The manner of being a fan of a sports team is a phenomena that transcends logic. Attending a university and following those related sports teams makes a certain amount of sense (assuming you are a fan of any given sport). The teams represent your alma mater. The elderly alumni couple mentioned above and still attending games years after their graduation is testament to such connections. Where, however, does fandom arise for professional teams? The answer for most is purely by geographical proximity. Had I been living in Ohio in January 1982, I might well have become a life long Bengals fan.
My love of 49ers football was seemingly born of arbitrary chance, location, and timing.
I suspect most things we love are born of the same ingredients.
-Brent
"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society." - Vince Lombardi
