A young Richardson in her Celtics garb.
Audrey Richardson
Contributing Writer
It was my first day of college classes in Ohio. Our professor broke us into small groups for icebreakers. As we went around introducing ourselves, I casually mentioned, “I’m a Patriots fan.”
And then, silence.
The kind of silence where you feel like you’ve just declared something scandalous. You could hear the sound of a pencil dropping.
Confused, I looked around at classmates and asked, “What?”
One of them, staring at me like I had just insulted him, muttered, “I hate the Patriots.”
That’s when it hit me. I wasn’t in New England anymore. Ohio, the land of the Buckeyes, Browns and Bengals, is no place for someone trying to cheer on the Patriots without getting some shade.
And it’s not just football. As a Celtics fan, I find myself deep in Cavaliers territory. People love to tell me that the Celtics are overrated, and don’t even get them started on Jayson Tatum. But, as any true fan knows, loyalty isn’t something you compromise just because you’ve crossed state lines.
Then there’s baseball. I am in Guardians territory. When I mention the Green Monster, people think I am talking about a new Marvel villain.
Here’s the thing — Ohio has a hockey team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. But as a Bruins fan, it’s tough to get into the hockey scene here. It’s not exactly a hockey hotbed, and when I’m trying to explain why the Bruins are the best thing to ever hit the ice, I might as well be talking about curling. It’s like the sport exists in another dimension.
Sometimes it feels it could be easier just to blend in and not mention my allegiance to the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics, but where is the fun in that? I will keep cheering on the teams I love. At the end of the day, sports are all about community, even if that community is one of rivalry and opposition.
Being a New England fan in Ohio may be hard — but honestly, it’s wicked fun.
