2020 was a wild ride for the entire world. People lost jobs, loved ones, hope, and many are still looking to pick up the pieces and get back to some semblance of normality. While January 1st, 2021 is just a random arbitrary date for many people to reset their lives and habits, New Years still serves its purpose for some introspection and at least attempting to create the best version of yourself.
So what’s this have to do with football? The further and further you get entrenched in the world of football fandom you realize all the negativity that can plague the game. Trashing on players after a bad game, online bickering that goes too far, and sometimes unquestionable blind hatred for opponents. Its important to remember, football – and all sports for that matter – are a gift that we take for granted. More than just watching 22 players on a pitch; its a 90 minutes escape for fans – result notwithstanding, allows for fantastic bonding opportunities with individuals across the globe, and offers a semblance of brotherhood or family through the support of a collection of athletes you’ll most likely never meet or talk to. Frankly it’s quite remarkable what sport can do if you look at it from a healthy perspective.
Unfortunately the camaraderie can get lost in the shuffle as we let the gift of sport consume us and allow it to dictate our emotions and state of mind. I know individuals so hellbent on the results of their favorite American football teams that they’ll be depressed for a week following a tough loss. Frankly, that’s unhealthy and completely misses the point of what sport can provide us. Whenever I find myself nearing that point of danger – although I’d like to think I’m quite far from it – I always remember that the players we cheer on each week are simply human. They put their pants on the same way we do, take morning dumps just like us, and still look to hustle for a buck every single day to make a living. We’re all human, fans and players alike, and perhaps the advent of video games makes us forget that players are not an aggregation of statistics and algorithms that determines whether they’ll perform well or not. Life is more complicated than that, and going into 2021 I intend to watch football more with this intent, be more forgiving, and ensure I don’t suffer from knee-jerk reaction syndrome. I envision it will make watching sport equally enjoyable, less nerve-wracking, and ultimately turn me into a better fan.
For Atalantini I can think of 2 prime examples of how showing a little human empathy and patience can do wonders.
Case 1: Josip Ilicic – whatever happened with Josip Ilicic this summer – it doesn’t really matter – we have to respect what he has overcome to finally get back to what looks like his peak form. I was incredibly vocal about Gasperini giving him an incredibly long leach to try and regain his form – especially with other reinforcements we had – and was continuously blind to anything that may have taken him longer to reach his peak. Whether it was physical ailments, mental ones, or a combination of the two, making snap judgements about his earlier performances was ultimately unfair to him and Gasperini’s faith in him. Finally we may be seeing the peak of the Slovenian wizard once again. Imagine Gasperini acting like a fan and benching him after a few poor games, he could’ve been handicapping himself at the behest of his short-term memory…. Never forget players are human too.
Case 2: Aleksey Miranchuk – many Atalantini, including me, have been scratching our heads into why Miranchuk has been incredibly slow to crack the rotation for La Dea. He’s played less than 10 matches, and most of it garbage time (save the Inter and Bologna matches). Based on what he did in Russia, everyone knows the quality he can bring, and it can be agonizing to think why he doesn’t get inserted in the lineup immediately. But take a second to think about his whirlwind of a life since August. He left Russia for the first time in his professional career (and he may be the only Russian in Serie A don’t quote me on that!), he left his twin brother who he’s played with not just growing up but professionally his entire life, he got zapped by the COVID bug, and his father passed away. That’s quite a life altering 4 months! Take a step back and think about whether he’s prepared to perform at his peak after all of that? In retrospect thinking about it like this, I give props to Gasperini for easing Miranchuk into the lineup, and essentially treating him like a human. The quality is still there, and as he continues to acclimate we’ll still get the best of what’s to come.
I don’t intend to get on a soap box with this article, I’m equally guilty of falling into the same pitfalls of overreacting, getting angry, and letting poor results throw me off kilter for a bit. Instead I’m treating this as an intentional look at how to view football fandom, and be the best Atalantino I can be. And for 2021 that’s what I hope to do, look more at the human side of the equation, and root not just for the player but the person, and I’m hoping this can take my fandom to the next level. There’s a lot to look forward to not just in football but life in general as we look to revert back to normalcy, and a fresh perspective on following football can be the shove we need to get us back on track. Happy 2021 everyone, and always Forza La Dea!
