Justin Bieber, the teenage-heartthrob-turned-actually–compelling–singer, has been known for a while as a bit of a front-running sports fan.
In the NBA alone, he’s publicly rooted for the Heat, Lakers, Warriors and Cavaliers, among many others. And he’s drawn some criticism during the Stanley Cup Finals for hopping hard on the Penguins bandwagon for no real reason.
Well on Monday, Bieber responded to allegations that he’s a bad sports fan with a compelling point: There’s no such thing as a bad sports fan.
I support all sports I'll put ANY jersey from ANY pro team if I'm whack for wearing jerseys they give me out of love then I'm Whack
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) June 5, 2017
Leafs above all but other than that u give me ANY JERSEY THAT LOOKS COOL ILL THROW IT ON
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) June 5, 2017
I also don't know enough about sports to Really have valid opinion but I do enjoy sports!! And enjoy any high level sports game. Any team
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) June 5, 2017
Whether or not he realizes it, Bieber is calling out thousands of sports snobs who love criticizing other fans for not being as devoted as they are. For some reason, we’ve created a whole system of laws about what teams you can and can’t root for, depending on how good they are, what others teams you support and where you live. Yankees-Patriots fans in Connecticut get side-eyes. Cowboys-Lakers-Duke fans get scorn. There’s no greater sin in sports fandom than to be a bandwagon-jumper… except, maybe, being a front-runner.
When you think about it, as our man J-Biebs has, all of those social norms are kind of intense given that sports are low-stakes entertainment. Why shouldn’t fans consume sports how they want? Some people get the most enjoyment from following one franchise for years and years and going crazy when it succeeds. Others prefer rooting for the best teams and best players and just appreciating their excellence. What’s it to you?
If you live in Boston but are a Dodgers-Cowboys-Rockets-Capitals fan, go for it (and enjoy the playoff disappointments). If you live in Toronto and root for the Cubs, congrats on the title. If you like the Bulls because they won when you were a kid, that’s cool. If you picked the Chargers because you like powder blue, good for you. If you choose to cheer on the, I don’t know, Reds, Bills, Bucks and Lightning, whatever makes you happy. If your favorite team changes every third day, more power to you. If you wear team gear not because you care about the team but because it looks cool, you do you. You’re not a lesser sports fan because you root differently from how you’re “supposed to.”
Oh and if teams are constantly giving you free jerseys just for the hell of it, you are very much allowed to wear them and take selfies in them.
In other words, leave Justin Bieber alone.
