Column: MLS team goes down easier for fan behind #FCCBourbon
Jeremy Lance provided the Enquirer with photos from his Twitter feed.
TO THE COACH’S BOX BLOG READERS: This is my weekly Sports Fan Coach column for the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com. Thanks to sports editor Jason Hoffman and the Enquirer for agreeing to share this here.
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Mike Bass
Enquirer contributor
Editor's note: This is a weekly column from former sports reporter and editor Mike Bass. Bass will be contributing to The Cincinnati Enquirer by offering advice for sports fans, athletes and youth sports parents and coaches through a weekly Q&A. To ask a question of Bass for potential publication, email him at mikebass3838@gmail.com.
Jeremy Lance realized early that FCC Cincinnati would not be good this season. When COVID-19 hit, he couldn’t even enjoy the social part from the stands — talking to other fans, sharing the (few) highs, commiserating over the (many) lows.
So he invented a way to make watching at home more fun.
#FCCBourbon.
“Matches just became about watching the team you love, hoping for the best, and virtually enjoying a bourbon and conversation with fellow fans on Twitter,” he tweeted to me from @Jeremy Lance. “That's why I started the #fccbourbon hashtag.”
A toast to the creative Mr. Lance.
“Matches just became about watching the team you love, hoping for the best, and virtually enjoying a bourbon and conversation with fellow fans on Twitter.”
— Jeremy Lance
This season could have felt miserable. It stopped because of COVID, a decision made by MLS. It resumed without fans at Nippert Stadium, a choice made by the University of Cincinnati. It finished with FC Cincinnati sporting a league-worst 16 points, the result of a 4-15-4 record.
As our conversation moved from Twitter to telephone, it seemed clear Lance had not looked for sorrow-drowning buddies to get mutually wasted. He’d seen an opportunity to connect with people sharing his tastes for a sport and a spirit that are hot in this country.
Here’s why this works: We as fans can struggle to see the choices we have, when so much seems out of our control. That came up a lot when sports shut down for COVID. We mourned the loss of our escape and felt helpless. We needed to connect differently. Some of us found the value of interacting on social media.
Once the games resumed, Lance used Twitter and his hashtag to find a new community. He would generally post the first picture of his bourbon, then enjoy seeing others post their “pours” and bourbon choices. Generally, about 10 people would join, maybe 15. And that’s OK.
This is not about a universal phenomenon, but a shared experience for Lance. A little soccer. A little bourbon. Maybe a little bourbon hunting in advance. It all was, said the 34-year-old from Deer Park, “kind of cool.”
Bourbon doesn’t need to be the extra element. Just messaging your friends during a game can add to the experience. It’s all about what works for you.
It helps that Lance knew and accepted the state of the team; lowering expectations can lower stress. He is a commissioner for Gotham Soccer, which runs adult recreational soccer leagues in parts of the country, including Cincinnati. He is a host of the Wrong Side of the Pond soccer podcast. He worked for the Cincinnati Saints semi-pro soccer team that became the Dayton Dynamo.
Working on the team end, Lance saw the ugly side of fan behavior “a lot,” including “the abuse and vitriol thrown at teams and players and officials and coaches and people who work in the organization.” He thought back to one preseason game during his Saints days, and one fan among maybe 1,200 that day.
“We went up against a team that was basically a bunch of college kids,” Lance said. “This guy was heckling the other team so bad that the captain of our team walked over and told him to shut up.”
Lance experienced his real suffering when younger. Born in the Chicago area, life as a Cubs fan felt “pretty painful” until recent years. Raised in Milwaukee, his fan low came at age 9, watching at a friend’s house as his beloved Green Bay Packers lost to Dallas in the 1996 NFC Championship Game; he burst into tears, ran home and ripped up his Cowboys football cards.
Today, losing doesn’t tear at him so much. It’s more fun this way. Bad team? No fans allowed? No problem. He still can watch a team he loves. #FCCBourbon helps, too.
“It’s something to look forward to,” he said, “even if it’s a terrible game.”
Cheers.
Remember to email Bass at mikebass3838@gmail.com if you want to be included next week. His website is MikeBassCoaching.com