Manifesto

Welcome to The Bearded Doctor Sports Blog, which will unsystematically present my thoughts on sports in general, but especially on sports and sports fandom as sociological phenomena. I am interested in the spiritual (the faith, the psychological scars), the material (scarves, jerseys [especially retro jerseys], print culture, decisions about the proper attire to wear to a game...), and the day-to-day (e.g., reacting to last night's game/match) aspects of what it means to be a fan.


The blog swears loyalty to the New York Mets, the New York Jets, the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers, Manchester United Football Club, Syracuse University basketball, Penn State football, U.S. national teams (especially men's and women's soccer), and Red Bull New York until MLS gets a team that actually plays in New York. The blog believes it is always a sin to root for the fucking New York Yankees.


The blog supports old-school practices such as the brushback pitch, hockey fights, and basketball bitterness McHale-Rambis style:

The blog embraces the rebelliousness embodied by teams such as the 1968 Jets, the 1970 Knicks, and the 1986 Mets, and players such as Willis Reed, Joe Namath, Keith Hernandez, and Eric Cantona.


Writerly influences include Bill Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, Roger Angell, Bill Buford's Among the Thugs, Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, When Saturday Comes (http://www.wsc.co.uk/), the New Yorker, and MetsBlog.com.