Is it ok to jump on the bandwagon?

Ask any of my family or friends and they will tell you that I'm a sports girl, I always have been.  Maybe it's a Chicago thing, maybe it's just how I grew up.  I watch the Bears games, attend at least 8 Cubs games a year and watch a good majority of their games since my summers are work-free.  I was here for the Bulls 3-peats of the 90's and experienced the White Sox World Series of 2005.

This summer I entered into a different realm of the sporting world here in Chicago, as I was more than happy to jump on the Blackhawks bandwagon.  For many of my younger years, the Blackhawks was a successful franchise, but games were unavailable on television and attendance was poor.  My brother moved to Colorado and was a huge Avalanche fan who questioned my loyalty to our home city's team.  I always shrugged off my lack of devotion to the fact that many other Chicagoans weren't watching the games either.  Well this year both the Cubs and Sox are pretty darn bad, so I'm officially a Stanley Cup/World Cup girl.  I'm not ashamed to admit it at all.  I wasn't out buying Patrick Kane or Team USA jerseys, I have merely been enjoying the atmosphere and excitement that comes with a Stanley Cup victory and the playoff run that went along with it.  You hardcore fans can call me bandwagon, but is that such a bad thing, to have the sports fans of the city congregate at friends houses or at local establishments to support a winning team?  The Cubs have broken my heart so many times that I deserve a chance to displace my loyalty somewhere.

And as for you World Cup, a die-hard soccer fan I am not, but a supporter I am.  Thank you to my friends Meg and Javier, who encourage me to participate as a fan of the US or of Chile, my country to be, or for whatever team I may choose that day. Whatever kind of ball or puck is flying around, it's always exciting to support a team that is passionate about what they're doing.  It's inspiring for me to watch Chile and the excitement that has enveloped the country from afar.  I'm ready to pack away my Cubs jerseys in exchange for my "I Heart Chile Futbol" t-shirt. (thanks Javier) Although I will arrive in Chile upon completion of the World Cup, in my heart I will know that I got up early, wore my shirt, looked at all of the pictures, and felt the surge of pride that came with Wednesday's victory and hopefully with the games to come.