One of my earliest memories is of watching the New York Rangers defeat the Vancouver Canucks in the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs. I remember watching the final game with my dad, caught up together in the rapturous joy of victory. A few years later I found myself spending my dad’s birthday in a hospital room after I had a close call with a brain tumor. That night my dad skirted hospital rules so that we could watch a Syracuse basketball game together on his birthday. There’s something about these moments that approach the sacred.

On the other hand, I can remember countless times when my team has lost a big game and I’ve been in a malaise for days afterwards; cue the Yankees being walked-off in the 2001 World Series. Even seeing a rival team win a championship can send me spiraling, losing sight of the real things of life. It’s in these moments that I ask myself the question: is modern sports fandom compatible with an abiding discipleship to Jesus? The question itself can seem a bit extreme because there are plenty of other areas in our lives that feel like more glaring vices. But the truth is that my sports fandom does sometimes compete with my affections for Christ.

Perhaps the better question is this: am I able to maintain my sports fandom without turning it into an idol? Jesus warned us that we can’t serve God and mammon, for no one can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24). Despite the dangers of wealth, money can still be used for good. Could the same be true of sports fandom?

The Opportunities

While sports fandom can be a breeding ground for some social ills, it can also be the context in which deep relationships are formed. Common fans of a team discover a shared language and even a shared history. Even when my dad is on the other side of the world, we’re only a text away to commiserate about a Yankees loss. In a society experiencing deep division and distrust, sports fandom may be one of the few places left that cuts through our differences. To our shame, most football stadiums are much more diverse than our churches. When you’re high fiving the fan next to you, you’re not thinking about who they voted for in the last election.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13–14). Sports fandom can bring us into contact with people from all sorts of backgrounds with an opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love. We can connect with fellow fans while demonstrating that our hope is in something much more secure than our team’s success. This is one way we can heed Paul’s exhortation to be all things to all people (1 Cor. 9:22). Beyond the relational opportunities, sports fandom can also be fertile ground for spiritual formation. In a world rife with brokenness and darkness, it can be hard to imagine the scene in Revelation 19 when God’s final victory over sin and death will be celebrated in the wedding feast of the Lamb. Watching your team celebrate a championship offers the briefest glimpse of what that might be like.

When the season ends on a sour note, there’s both the reminder of living in a fallen world and the invitation to wait for next year. Much of the Christian life is about waiting. We wait on God trusting that when it feels like evil has the final word, the story must not yet be over (which may actually be a delusion in sports but is always true in God’s Kingdom). When kept in their proper place, sports can serve as an echo to these grand stories we were created for.

The Pitfalls

Unfortunately, we’re masters at turning good things into idols. The greatest temptation of sports fandom is placing our identity in our team’s performance. When the actions of 18–22-year-olds determine our emotional well-being, something is off. And I confess that I’m speaking from experience. One indication of this idolatry is when we prioritize our fanhood over our primary calling and relationships. Too often our sports fandom can interfere with deep involvement with church community or being available to those who need us most. Our teams’ schedules should never take priority over the people in our lives. While sporting events can be a wonderful opportunity for connection, they can just as easily crowd out our ability to be present with friends and family.

Sports fandom can also tempt us to treat our rivals as enemies. Rivalries could be considered the true marrow of sports. But if Paul wouldn’t stand for the church dividing over preferred leaders (1 Cor. 1:12–13), how much less patience would he have over division caused by team loyalties? There’s a fine line between fun banter and disparaging remarks.

A Few Suggestions

Sometimes I wonder if I should give up sports fandom and join the masses who are blissfully unaware of the previous night’s scores. For some, this may be the best solution. In the same way that some can’t enjoy alcohol responsibly, God may call some to forsake sports entirely to remain focused on him. But for many of us our sports fandom can be a locus for discipleship. It can be a place where we learn to enjoy God’s gifts and repent when we confuse them for God himself. It can be a place of connecting with others and even demonstrating that we can love our rivals (i.e., enemies). For those of us still navigating this tension, here are three things I’ve found helpful:

1. Allow yourself to feel the ups and downs of sports . . . to a point. After taking some time to enjoy a victory or lament a defeat, remind yourself that it’s still just a game. And that game can point you to God’s greater victory coming, even when it feels like you’re in the throes of spiritual defeat.

2. Consider seasons of fasting from watching sports. Find times in the year when you will disengage with sports even when your team is in-season. Choose not to follow your team while you’re on vacation or taking a spiritual retreat.

3. Share this struggle with others. Because so many of us wrestle with this tension (or would prefer not to admit it is one), sometimes we need each other to point out when we’re caring too much about a team. Be willing to receive correction from others, as I once needed after legitimately feeling depressed following a Duke national championship.

There’s perhaps no better feeling as a sports fan than when your baseball team hits a “walk-off homerun.” It’s one of those rare moments in sports where the game ends at the height of athletic accomplishment instead of simply because a clock hits zero. The winning team rushes to home plate to welcome the hitter who will signal the end of the game when they cross the plate. A baseball photographer has been quoted as saying he makes a note of taking a picture of teams waiting at home plate as the batter rounds third base because it reminds him of how we will be welcomed into heaven.

All sports fans are tempted to believe that these moments are what we’re actually living for. But if we can remember that they are meant to be a sign of the real thing, we might just become better disciples for it.