Call them fanatics, call them over indulging, but one thing is clear you know what team they root for, win or lose. These sports fans are very knowledgeable of the game and of the franchise that supports the game. They display their loyalty to the teams in their cars, trucks, homes, offices, desks and even their computers. They follow the every move from the general manager's desk down to the club house worker. Knowledge and mastery of the game is crucial to their enjoyment of the game. Does it matter what game? No, the game could be auto racing, baseball, basketball, cycling, football, ice hockey, running, soccer, softball, tennis, or a host of other organized sports. The game may be one of those or a combination of sports. The real sports fan is emotional, passionate and knowledgeable about his chosen sport, and they share their enthusiasm with everyone that comes in contact with them.

The task of becoming a better sports fan is easier than one might think. In this world of the Internet and thousands of television channels the information one seeks about a favorite team or sport is easily gotten from your fingertips. Each professional team has a website, and all of the colleges have websites with information on all of their sports. You'll understand the politics of the sport by visiting and reading about the inner workings of the franchise or the sponsoring organization. Delve into the sport as if you were studying the stock market, real estate options, mutual funds, bonds, and other money saving/making endeavors. Dig into the information available and find out what's happening to the organization.

The next component of being a better sports fan is to allow your passions to surface. If you are passionate about a sport, then show it. I understand that there are people out there who like watching a sport, but who sit quietly by as good plays are executed, and scores are made. Find out about the players who are executing those plays and making those scores. The information you seek is available, and let your passion flow to the surface. You'll find that the game becomes more enjoyable.

I've been watching NFL football this year. I don't have a favorite team; however, I have a few teams that I will root against. Last year I watched the Super Bowl, and I hadn't seen either team play all year long. I had no clue as to who would win. In fact I didn't even care. I would be happy with either team winning. This year as the season began I began to think about how much more enjoyable the Super Bowl would be if I at least had seen some of the teams in action. Now the playoffs are here, and I'm watching the games and rooting for a few of the teams. Mind you I still don't have a favorite team; I began to think about becoming a fan of a favorite team. Which team would it be? How would I go about choosing a favorite team? If I chose a team, would it be one that I could actually see on Television once in a while, or one that I could afford to attend a real live game? I found more questions than answers.

As these questions entered my mind I thought about my favorite sport, baseball. Does anyone know that I follow one team in particular? No, not unless they know me really well. Pondering me choosing a favorite team, I thought about my beloved Chicago Cubs. How can I enjoy them more? We all know that they rarely produce a winning team. My gosh! The answer lies in front of me and all I have to do is use my finger tips. I have access to the Internet. I can find out right now what's happening to my team. Am I ashamed of being a Cubs fan? (The Cubs are not known for their winnings.) No, I just keep my passions inside myself. What would happen if I became a real honest passionate fan of Chicago Cubs baseball? I am going to find out, I am visiting their Internet website weekly and sometimes daily, and I've even signed up for their newsletter. I'm allowing my passions to surface. I'm seeking the information available to me to guide my understanding of the game and the organization.

The other sport that I have been watching closely is cycling. Information about cycling is available through magazines, and Internet websites. I'm disappointed in cycling right now. The guys I follow are being accused of using performance enhancing drugs. Yes, these drugs are also prevalent in the other sports, but those folks are not being singled out as much as the cyclist. Since I follow cycling closely on the Internet, then I should be able to transfer my skills and information seeking strategies to other sports and other teams. Besides, cycling I only get to see on television usually in the summer. There's always a football, basketball, baseball, and soccer game being shown on TV.

I'm choosing to explore my passions, and I'm going to be soon choosing a pro football team to follow and root for as they play. I've narrowed it down to about four teams. One thing is very certain, I've enjoyed watching the playoffs, and I know that I'll enjoy watching the Super Bowl. I'll let my passions flow at Super Bowl time because I will have seen all the teams play, and I will find one team I like better than the other. Indulge yourself, and learn the game, from the water boy or bat boy to the general manager or Athletic Director. Finding out about the organization and the team members will make a better fan out of you, and you'll enjoy the game with passion.