A Suit of NFL Armor?

If you paint your body in colors, wear crazy hair and wave a flag, people will call you a “die-hard superfan.”

On the other hand, if you put on a cloak, and carry a homemade lightsaber, they will say “You need to grow up.” (Actually, that last bit was a paraphrase from a news anchor covering the Revenge of the Sith premiere)

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Personally, I don’t think being a grownup means having to give up the things you enjoy, it just means you make decisions--good or bad--based on an understanding of the consequences. Both fans are having fun and supporting their franchise in a way that they enjoy, why should one be a social stigma and the other a casual ribbing?

I first saw Star Wars out of the family station wagon at a drive-in theater in 1977. By the time I saw the movie I had already read the novelization, the comic adaptation, and numerous spfx magazines devoted to behind the scenes material. All that immersion did nothing to spoil the visceral thrill I experienced.

Can a similar line be drawn to the armchair quarterback? I think it can; my father, mother and brothers have all been guilty of shouting at the TV screen, either out of elation or frustration.

My dream now is to build a suit of Sandtrooper armor and join the 501st, marching in charity parades and making children smile. I wonder how many football fans dream of putting on a jersey and joining the NFL?