Root, Root, Root For Your Friend’s Team
It’s the next best thing to winning yourself
On Monday night at 10:53 pm EDT, the Florida Panthers won the first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 31-year history.
On Monday night at 10:55 pm EDT, I texted Andrew, “Congrats!!! 🏒🥅🏆”
Let the record show that I am not a Florida Panthers fan. I am a dyed-in-the-wool Washington Capitals fan. There is a picture of Rod Langway in all of his no-helmet glory in one of those multi-window picture frames atop the staircase of the home where I grew up. He’s the only person in the frame that is not my mother, father, or myself. I was in attendance as a 10-year-old for the “Easter Epic,” sleeping in between periods when the Caps and Islanders playoff game stretched to four overtimes. (I would prefer to not talk about the result of that game.) I cried when the Caps won their first Cup in 2018 and reveled in absentia as they proceeded to celebrate by doing Cup stands in a fountain in Georgetown.
None of this history prevented me from being completely psyched for Andrew when he got to see his team hoist the greatest trophy in sports. Fandom is a weird thing. It’s an endeavor that most often ends in disappointment. So after experiencing that disappointment often enough, when you get to see your friend experience disappointment’s opposite, it’s easy to be elated.
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I’ve taken this approach to extreme situations. Rooting for Andrew’s Panthers was easy. (Regardless of ownership structure, the possessive pronoun can still always be applied to the fan.) I have no animosity toward the Panthers. The same cannot be said for the Celtics. I loathe the Celtics. I loathe all Boston teams. Passionately. So the fact that approximately 30% of my college group chat is Boston fans presents challenges. Nevertheless, I found myself quietly pulling for the Celtics in this year’s NBA Finals. (I say “quietly” because whenever my wife or kids would ask me who I was rooting for, I couldn’t bring myself to actually admit it out loud.) I wanted to see my friends experience joy.
I suppose this phenomenon of rooting for your friends’ teams shares something in common with gambling. One of the big appeals of betting on sports is that it gives people a reason to care about a game they might not otherwise give a crap about. When you have skin in the game, it’s easier to pay attention. The only difference is that in one form, the “skin” is money. In the other, it’s friendship. I’ll leave it to you to decide which has more value.
Geoff McFetridge: Drawing A Life
I think it was about a year ago when I first saw the trailer for this documentary of the artist Geoff McFetridge. Ever since, I’d check every month or so to see if it was available on streaming platforms. It was something that I wanted to see, but also something that felt like it had the potential to fly under the radar enough and disappear before I had a chance to watch it. Geoff is one of my favorite artists. His ability to distill emotion into its simplest form is remarkable. He’s also someone who, from my removed vantage point, appears to have created a fairly balanced lifestyle that I envy. He does purely creative work and commercial work with equal aplomb. He does all the activities I do or aspire to do (skating, fly fishing, cycling, trail running, surfing). He has a family that he’s an active participant in. After watching the film—which I was fortunate enough to see in theaters (because NYC)—I’m just as envious. I’m also really inspired. —Justin
Everybody Wants Some!!
If you have seen Netflix’s Hit Man (2024), you presumably agree: Glen Powell is a superstar. My framed.wtf group chat agrees. And in that resounding agreement, this 2016 Linklater banger was made known to me for the first time. Last night, upstate in Ghent, after grilling some steaks by the pool following a lil 2-on-2 driveway hoops, the activity of the night for this quasi men’s retreat, was a 10mg gummy and this here masterpiece. This is what The Cars were on about when they sang "Good Times Roll." —Andrew
This American Life [831 & 832]
There is a reason they are nearing 1,000 episodes of this podcast. Sometimes I forget how great it is — and they pull me back in! Ep 831: Lists!! was hard not to click on, as a fan of their throughline. Ep 832: That Other Guy features perhaps my favorite “act” in any TAL episode ever — all for free burritos from Chipotle (that he doesn’t even want). —Andrew
Justin Mares & Derek Thompson on GLP1s
I don’t believe I’ve ever shared content in this fashion, but if you want to know what the deal with Ozempic is, these are the two best things I’ve read/listened to on this polarizing and prolific weight loss injection drug. I think both are great and required for the full picture. Justin’s piece will radicalize you against Big Pharama and Big Food (and it should!) but Derek’s podcast (with transcript) will show you that it’s not all bad, despite the f*cked up reality that Justin explains got us here. —Andrew