Thankful for Bringing Fans Together

Happy Thanksgiving, Wahoos on First readers.

When Brian asked us to write a post on what we’re thankful for, it took me a while to come up with something that would not only be relevant to me, but to the readers of the site.

In the end, it’s quite simple.

I’m thankful for sports and baseball in general.

One of the most underrated things about any sport is the way in which it brings people together. For better or for worse, it’s one of those things that can help you find common ground with any person. See that person sitting across the bar who seems completely different from you in every conceivable way? Well, he or she probably has at least a casual interest in sports, and you can use that to start a friendly conversation. Sports can be an equalizer, bringing together people from all walks of life no matter your political preference, personality, or likes and dislikes.

Apr 29, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Fans cheer as Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Derek Lowe (26) walks to the dugout after pitching seven and two-thirds innings of shutout baseball against the Los Angeles Angels at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

I see  it every day on Twitter – there’s an incredibly large community of sports fans there, and baseball fans in particular are always discussing the sport. It might be a good-natured argument about something relatively small like the effect David Murphy‘s low BABIP might have on his 2014 season, or simply a scathing back and forth on who should really be the MVP this year (we all know it’s Mike Trout).

Either way, it’s giving people common ground to discuss something, and it creates conversation between people who otherwise may have never crossed paths, even in the relatively forgettable manner of a 140 character tweet. We’re all fans of something.

For me, Wahoos on First has never been solely about getting my opinions on the Indians out there. Writing for the site has always made me feel like I’m part of something bigger, a group of people who have combined from all across the country to discuss Tribe baseball. It might sound a little sentimental, but these bonds I have developed over the past year have been incredibly valuable to me. And they wouldn’t have happened without sports or the Cleveland Indians.

Whether or not this post resonates with any of you on a personal level, I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for you, reader – without you, this site wouldn’t exist, and every page view is another example of the way in which sports can create connections, no matter how insignificant.