I’ve jumped on the bandwagon & I’m not afraid to admit it

by Jacki Wood, “That they might have joy” column, written for the Nodaway News Leader  

I wrote a lengthy Facebook post last October about how I was quickly becoming a Kansas City Royals fan.

“I’ve never been one to jump on the bandwagon for anything,” I wrote. “I’m also not one to root for a team just because you live near them, which is why I’ve never been a Royals or a Chiefs fan.”

“And, I’m not really a baseball fan either. I enjoy watching the postseason every now and again, but not much more than that.

“But…

“I think I’m jumping on this Royals bandwagon. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.

“I watched that crazy wild card comeback win and now I’m hooked. I’ve watched every game since then, staying up way past my bedtime when they’ve gone into extra innings, and I keep asking myself, ‘What are you doing? You don’t even like them.’

“But this team… There’s something I can only describe as magical about them.

“Let me say this, however, I’ve been a Jeremy Guthrie fan since he arrived in Kansas City (he played briefly at BYU before transferring to Stanford). And since I follow him on Twitter and Instagram, I’ve sort of been in the Royals loop all season long.

“It’s more than that now, though. I thoroughly enjoy watching these guys play. The chemistry, the defense, the bullpen, the speed… they truly are a special team.”

The Royals eventually lost to the Giants in the World Series. And that’s where I thought my bandwagoning would end.

But then a couple of weeks ago, I turned on the TV and saw Guthrie was pitching. And so I watched. And then again the next day. And the next. And then the next day when they weren’t playing, I bought my first Royals T-shirt.

And I’m still watching.

My husband asked what was going on with me. He usually gets a sports reprieve between basketball and football seasons.

Is it the winning? Possibly.

I mean, that’s how it started last fall anyway.

But it’s more than that. There’s just something about these boys in blue.

“A lot of baseball fans fell in love with Kansas City last fall,” MLB.com columnist Anthony Castrovince wrote last week.

I know I did. And I’m not even a baseball fan.

Go Royals.