Rooting for laundry

We aren't at British soccer fan levels of sports "loyalty" (though NBA victory riots may come close), or the Blues and Greens dividing along every possible preference. Different political partisans can still support the same baseball team, at least as of 2020.

I've never been excited about sports, unless I was playing, and not always then. At the SuperBowl parties I've been to I spent more time in the kitchen with the snacks and good conversation than in front of the TVs. And what I don't care about I'm tempted to deprecate.

But we're not overburdened with things that bond us.

The Cubs aren't just Chicago, they're regional--Oak Park-ians can call them "our team" as easily as 4'th ward-ians. It may well be the only thing that links them--a trivial thing, but better than nothing.

The "laundry" isn't just a team symbol but a symbol of "membership in my region," and it's an American sort of ideal that you can change regional membership.

I'll try not to disdain "rooting for laundry."

And cat videos--anything benign that draws the disparate tribes together is beneficial. They won't cure our problems, but despising the little things is worse.