By Nic LaPonte
Winter, as many of you may know, is coming upon us. With the weather turning colder and the days getting shorter, some fans and athletes begin to turn their attention towards sports whose venues offer them shelter from the elements. Others embrace the coming storms and chilly days as another part of the sport that they enjoy.
Much as sitting in the sun and idly sipping the beverage of your choice is a hallmark of an outdoor baseball game during the summer, so too is stripping down to your skivvies in subzero weather, donning body paint and screaming like a lunatic when your team makes a touchdown during the latter months of football season.
For some, the prospect of enduring adverse conditions for the sake of fandom is a mark of pride among those who do so. The solidarity between the fans and the players of a sport strengthens when both parties have to share in the communal misery of driving wind, rain and other meteorological mayhem.
There are, however, other routes to athletic enjoyment when the weather goes sour. Although all but the most die-hard aficionados may not be up to braving the blistering cold, there are sports that can be enjoyed during the winter months without any personal hardship on the behalf of the fans.
Hockey, a sport renown for its propensity for violent outbursts, is also an activity that is enjoyed indoors. This is not for the sake of the players, who could assumedly use naturally occurring ice in the more northern regions during the winter. You could also partake in racquetball or badminton.
The question on my mind is this. Is there anything lost between those fans dedicated enough to endure the elements and those who prefer to be bundled up in front of the TV at home?
Although I'm sure the body-painted masses will argue with me over who the better fans are, I would have to honestly say that it doesn't matter how you enjoy your sports during the winter months.
Even though braving the cold and the rain to watch a live event seems like it's the more hardcore version of the two, the truth is that the same amount of time and attention is played to the effort of the athletes either way.
Whether the sport is being played in an air conditioned arena or outside on an open field, the spectators are the ones who motivate, encourage and support the efforts of those players whose job it is to go out and give their all despite harsh conditions.
However those fans connect with the players, be it in person, by broadcast, or even through printed medium, the important thing about spectatorship is that individual fans feel connected. For some that means braving the storm; for others, simply braving the couch makes for a happy evening.
