Every time I tell someone that I’m a Philadelphia sports fan from Los Angeles (LA), I get the same confused look as they attempt to piece together how that makes sense.
While in simple terms, I can explain that my dad, born and raised in Philly with an immense passion for sports, forced it upon us, there is more to it. I could easily have become a Dodgers or Lakers fan, supporting the city I grew up in and have a deep love for. Yet, there is something about the sports culture in my city that absolutely turned me away from it.
LA sports fans, bluntly speaking, are very lame.
Football is somewhat excusable, as the Rams and Chargers came from other cities, making it hard to be a diehard fan from the start. At Kings games I’ve attended, the away team’s cheers always take over the arena. The only thing the Kings have going for them is an annoying “go Kings go” chant that makes you want to get a hot dog before the period is over. At Clippers games, seats are never filled, even during good matchups, and it is never so loud that you can’t hear yourself think.
The only place where you actually feel like people actually care about the sport, rather than the aesthetic of it, is at a Dodgers game. In a stadium built in the early 1960s, surrounded by the culture and heart of Los Angeles, attending a Dodgers game feels like you are a part of something bigger than the sport. Of course, winning two championships in the past two years helps. Regardless, going to a Dodgers game feels more authentic as people know and love their players, and are genuinely there to watch their team.
People are not going to Los Angeles for its sports. It is a cool addition that you can go to a sports game and show off your new thrifted boots from the Melrose Flea, but you rarely see someone in it for the love of the game and their team. Nobody would “die for their team,” as I was raised to think.
At my home, friends, family, and strangers always notice one distinguishable trait. That is, there are always sports on our TV.
From birth, my dad engraved his love of sports into my brothers’ and my head. If we weren’t watching a live game, we were reminiscing on YouTube highlights of the best Philly sports moments of the decade.
My first memory of truly falling in love with Philadelphia sports was during the 2017 Eagles football season. It became second nature for me to know every single player on and off the field. I watched in awe as Nelson Agholor made ridiculous catches and felt the heartbreak when our star quarterback, Carson Wentz, tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against the Rams in a season that was supposed to be our year. I got to see a once-no-name Nick Foles take over as quarterback and lead us to the Super Bowl, where Brandon Graham would strip the ball from Tom Brady, and, against all odds, we would defeat the dynasty New England Patriots.
I stayed up all night, marveling as I watched Philly fans take to the streets, climb poles, and stay out till the sun came up. I was so happy for all the people who had waited years to see their team win it all, realizing my dad was one of them. In that moment, I understood that to these fans, the sport was more than just 32 teams playing a 17-game season. It was a culture and passion so strong that it became a part of people’s livelihoods and the city itself.
From then on, I would commit to every Flyers hockey season where the team sucked, scream at Sixers preseason basketball, and feel the heartbreak of the Phillies losing in the World Series.
I loved the fans’ dedication. They would boo when their players sucked and would make players feel like gods when they tried. While some would say it is ruthless and Philly fans are crazy, they do not care. They have a devotion for their teams and expect the best. If you do not appreciate it, it is not for you.
Coming to Seattle, I was given a taste of another sports fandom in a bustling city. It was wholesome to see all my friends show me photos of little them in their parents’ oversized jerseys during the Seahawks’ last Super Bowl win. While I was unable to go to the Seahawks parade (boo midterms), from the photos and video I saw, it seemed like a genuine moment for the city where people came together to celebrate their love of the 2025-2026 team and season. The only thing I found strange was that after the Super Bowl, everybody seemed to forget about the win. It was not the type of win that people reveled in. To the community, it was a super cool victory, but not something that people continued to talk about every day since.
This past month, I attended my first Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) game. While the Seattle Torrent were the worst team in the women’s hockey league, Climate Pledge Arena was filled to the brim with passionate fans. In an experience that felt truly Pacific Northwest (PNW), people attended the game because they loved the players and wanted to watch their team continue to flourish.
Therefore, I do not feel that I can make a full assessment of Seattle sports fandoms. I have seen the passion, but it does not necessarily have the same capacity as Philadelphia fans (but maybe I am biased).
Ultimately, it is not about which city has the “best” fans, but what fandom means to each city. For a good part of society, it is something of a convenience: a fun reason to put on a jersey and buy an overpriced beer. For others, it is a constant, something that sticks with you whether your team is losing big or on the biggest streak. For me, as someone who has a personal connection with sports and my childhood, wants to work in the sports industry, and truly loves every aspect of the game, sports is somewhat romantic. It is not necessarily about showing up, but staying invested, and caring a little too much. Thus, fandom is not defined by how often you show up, but by how long it stays with you.