Sport has always been good at creating a powerful sense of connection once people have been welcomed through local identity, inherited loyalties or tradition.
What it has been less successful at is creating a pathway for people who take the road less travelled. The industry still operates as if fandom begins close to home and grows from there. While that may be true for a lot of fans, it is far from the whole story.
I’ve felt the other side of it myself. I moved to a new city, walked into a sports bar, and suddenly felt like I was in a room where I knew no one and still felt part of something. And that feeling is separate from loyalty.
