We’re now a month into the regular NFL season, which is not something I’m typically aware of until the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, when conversations start bubbling up about which teams will make it and whether or not Taylor Swift will appear in the stands. But now that I’ve pledged my undying loyalty to the NY Giants (who, I’ve painfully learned, haven’t made it to a Super Bowl since One Direction was still together), I’m locking in.
This loyalty wasn’t born from growing up in a family of Giants fans, or even from bandwagoning based on the team’s winning streak. (In fact, after looking into their score history, Google’s AI module promptly informed me: “No, the New York Giants are not good; they are one of the worst teams in the NFC, with a long division title drought, a poor record in recent years, and very low Super Bowl odds for the current season.” Which feels harsh.) No, like many young women on social media this NFL season, I chose my team completely at random.
If you’ve spent years watching the country’s football obsession from the sidelines and finally want in, this trend is the perfect entry point. Inspired by a bit of FOMO, people on TikTok (many of whom have never cared about the NFL) are throwing team names into a hat and randomly picking which franchise they’ll support for the season. One by one, they eliminate team names until one slip remains. That then becomes their team for the rest of the season, or maybe longer. (The level of commitment is entirely up to you.)
The selection process is usually silly and full of uncertainty (there are a lot of questions regarding team colors and which team is Hailee Steinfeld’s husband's on), but these new-age fandom commitment ceremonies have caught the attention of some very big teams. Many are now in on the joke, popping up in comment sections to lobby for support. (“We’re disappointed you divas aren’t rooting for us either :/” — a real comment from the Los Angeles Rams’ official TikTok account.)
Beyond the goodhearted fun and potential virality, I very much understand the appeal of this schtick. I, too, want to be overcome with emotion after a third-quarter touchdown. I want to feel crazed joy when my star kicker brings us to a tie during a nail-biter. I want to wear overpriced merch and host watch parties where I prepare aggressively American appetizers like artichoke dip and pigs in a blanket (never mind that I’ve been vegan for eight years).
Fandom creates community, and right now, we’re in dire need of anything that fosters togetherness. (Need I remind you of the loneliness epidemic?) You might expect longtime football fans to react to this trend with hostility, annoyed that young women are talking about their beloved teams with such levity. (Because usually anything that brings women joy online results in vitriol from men who take their happiness as a personal affront.) But surprisingly, the conversations this trend has inspired are actually pretty wholesome.
“Real” fans are jumping into comment sections to offer warm welcomes and advice on how to get to know a team’s history. (Particularly obsessed with this comment under a video of a couple of girls who randomly landed on the Seattle Seahawks: “You honestly lucked out. Very solid fandom. Team is rarely really bad.”)
So if you’ve lacked direction at football watch parties and want a reason to feel invested, pick a name out of a hat. Maybe even let the internet watch you do it. Even though my now beloved Giants have only won one game so far this season, I’ve enjoyed having a stake in the game.
Related Stories