All sports lovers know what it’s like being a fan and really admiring a team. Being one of them, I was quite taken aback by Michelle Kann’s Nov. 6 column, “ISU, not Nebraska, has the real fans.” Basically, she stated that Nebraska Huskers weren’t real football fans because their team performed so well.

Needless to say, I totally disagree with her. I mean, how can you say that supporters of a team aren’t real fans just because their roster wins too much?

I somewhat understand Kann’s frustration. I recall having felt the same way as her more than once. A good example of this took place last year as the French national soccer team took home the European Championship, beating my favorite team Italy in the finals. Back in my West African country, soccer is a big deal and soon we were flooded by all kinds of France memorabilia – jerseys, figurines, even chocolate bars.

I began feeling aggravation towards anyone who supported France. But then I asked myself why I was being so hard on people who rooted for France; I realized then that it was nothing but sheer jealousy. After all, I want my team to win all the time. And if that were the case, if they were champions, I probably would make just as much – if not more – commotion as the other fans. It is quite the same in Kann’s case. I don’t see why she is saying that Nebraska supporters aren’t really fans just because their team is No. 1.

The reason you root for a team is because you want to see them win as much as possible and ultimately, be No. 1.

I wonder what Kann thinks about the Los Angeles Lakers aficionados all over the world. Will she be daring enough to say that just because their team has won the last two NBA championships and are favorites to win again this year, they aren’t real fans? If so, I think she should pay a visit to the dictionary.

David Edoh-Bedi

Freshman

Computer engineering