Sal Licata claims he’s a Ranger fan. Others aren’t so sure.
Here’s what we know: He roots for the Rangers to win, and often takes his nephew to MSG to watch them play, helping him develop into a true Rangers fan. But he has also worn an Islanders jersey. Twice (at least). And banged the drum during a “let’s go Islanders” chant at UBS Arena.
So, is Sal really a Rangers fan?
Well, we know there are different kinds of fans. There are casual fans, who like it when their team wins, and serious fans, who live and die (figuratively) based on how their team performs. I think we can agree that Sal is – at the very least – a casual fan. The question is whether he can be considered a serious Rangers fan, despite being willing to don the jersey of a division rival and help fans of that rival cheer on their team.
Both Sal and BT rave about what a great guy Jon Ledecky, the Islanders’ co-owner, who hosted them in the team suite, is. Sal tries to defend himself by saying that he couldn’t say “no” to Ledecky’s offer of a personalized jersey, even though he acknowledges that Ledecky included an “out” in his jersey offer, understanding why a fan of a different team wouldn’t want to wear an Islanders jersey. And Sal admitted to BT right after he banged the drum that he might have gone too far. Did he?
Anyone who knows Sal (and I’ve known him for decades; I even helped save him from getting fired in his early years as a board-op – before he was actually fired years later) knows what an avid Mets fan he is. As an extension of his Mets fandom, he used to despise the Yankees. With a venom. But now that he is a host, and the Yankees doing well helps the show, he hopes they do well. Does that minimize his credentials as a Mets fan? Is appreciating and fostering his relationship with the owner of a local franchise comparable? Do they both disqualify him from being a real fan, or are they both the result of an ever-so-slight maturation process?
Humans are social beings, and interaction in the world (and business) of sports is no different. Casual fans are usually connected to sports because so many of their peers are interested in sports. People go to games because it’s an event, not just for the game itself. Real fans go to games because of what happens on the field, court or ice; the other attractions are more of a distraction. In Sal’s case, he went to the Islanders game more because of the event (a FAN night out, in the owner’s suite, hosted by the owner) than because of what was happening on the ice. But does occasionally being more of a “casual fan” at a game negate being a real fan almost every other game? If the Islanders were playing the Rangers when he put on the Islanders jersey and banged the drum, it most certainly would. But what about when they were playing a team from the west coast?
Casual fans aren’t the only fans that are primarily a social construct. There are die-hard fans who take it to the next level, and become a tightly-knit social group. The guys (and gals) who tailgate together before home games. Those who hang out after the game at a local bar. Don’t bleacher-creatures take it to a different level than other season ticket holders? Remember the blue seats in the Garden at Ranger games? (Do you, Sal?) Rivalries are much more important to those in these social constructs, but I wouldn’t consider these fans to be the only true real fans. If losing ruins your mood, and winning gives you an emotional high, then you are a real fan. Even if you only go to a few games, aren’t into tailgating, or don’t hate the other teams in your city .
There is no question that Sal is a real fan. A real Mets fan; a real Knicks fan; and yes, even a real Rangers fan. (I’m not sure he’s still a real Falcons fan.) But if your definition of fandom includes the us-versus-them mentality that the intimate social clique of die-hards insists upon, he doesn’t belong in your group. He might have belonged in the blue seats a few years ago, but now you will more likely find him in the press area, near the glass, or hanging out with the team owner.