Every sports fan, at least once in their life, has said, “That’s my guy.”
It’s a term used for athletes with whom we share a special connection, whether it’s for playstyle, jersey number, college, or sometimes there is no logical explanation.
One of mine was Alec Burks. I racked my brain, unable to understand why I felt so drawn to a name that many basketball fans probably don’t even recognize.
He became a part of my identity — my screensaver, my Twitter. Everything revolved around Burks. Where he went, I followed; I watched every game, whether he was the first or last guy off the bench.
Most of you reading this couldn’t name one team he’s played for, but I can name all eight, in order.
If someone asked you what the most memorable sports moments of the last 10 years are, what comes to mind? Perhaps the Cubs breaking the 108-year curse, LeBron James’s chase-down block in the Finals, or the Patriots’ 28-3 comeback in the Super Bowl.
When I asked myself that question, none of those legendary moments came to mind; rather, it was the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
During the deadline, there were rumblings that Burks might return to the Knicks. At the time, he played for an 8-43 Pistons team, and I watched every game.
The potential of going back to New York and playing playoff basketball excited me.
As it turned out, the Knicks made a move for him. When I got the news, I almost froze with joy. I couldn’t concentrate on anything but what the future held for the veteran guard in New York.
Some memories fade with time; that one hasn’t. It remains as vivid as it was then.
He wasn’t the first unlikely athlete I connected with so strongly. A trail of unconventional fandoms has followed me all my life.
As a kid from the Chicago suburbs, most people naturally assumed I was a Cubs, Bears, and Bulls fan — and I was. But while other kids wore Derrick Rose jerseys, I sported a Memphis Grizzlies Zach Randolph jersey.
What a strange sight that must have been: an 8-year-old with no apparent connection to Memphis wearing a Z-BO jersey.
Why Randolph? As a kid, I could never muster anything more than “I just liked him,” but I was OK with that. Then and now, I have never felt the need to justify my fandom.
It can come from things as simple as a fantasy football draft pick.
Over 10 years ago, during my annual family fantasy football draft, I selected Andrew Luck. It was nothing but an attempt to build the best team I could.
I rooted for him to play well, as he was on my fantasy team. Gradually, I became a Colts fan. I bought Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton jerseys. At 10 years old, I even took a photo with the Colts cheerleaders at the 2016 NFL Draft.
I never imagined how much it would hurt when Luck shocked the NFL world and retired.
But what if, instead of Luck, I had picked Drew Brees?
I might have never been a Colts fan.
Years of memories would not exist. My identity as a sports fan would’ve been completely different.
I also loved watching Matthew Stafford play, and over time, I found myself rooting for the Rams. I became so invested in L.A. that I even caught myself pulling for Stafford against “my favorite team,” the Bears, in their divisional matchup a year ago.
I couldn’t believe it.
There seems to be no clear pattern regarding the players I connect with. It’s unpredictable, almost random. Some connections are through admiration, others without reason, and some by pure chance; regardless, each became an equally important part of my life.
The athletes come and go, but the impact left will never fade. The connections went way beyond their performance; they became part of who I was and who I am.
Everyone has their “guy,” even if it means nothing to somebody else.
There are no rules to fandom, which is the beauty of it all. You don’t need to explain yourself to anyone.
Whether we choose “our guys” or not, it seems almost unimaginable to have ever rooted for someone else.
So thank you, Alec Burks, Andrew Luck, Zach Randolph, Matthew Stafford, for finding a place in my heart. And to some future fourth-round tight end out of somewhere State who joins the list because…well, I don’t know, I just think he’s cool…welcome to the team.