A lot has been written about sports fandom. In the US, we have all manner of teams to root for, depending on where we live and what our favorite color is and even who else likes them too. This is the story about the latter.

A long time ago, in an effort to bond more with my biological father, I became a sponge of information. What kind of beer he liked. What kind of cologne, and his mannerisms and what he would say when he got mad or disappointed. I never wanted someone to like me more in my entire life.

Anyway, my father lived in Arkansas, and though he wasn’t a huge sports fan, he had a passing knowledge of the state of professional athletics, as well as the flagship university’s mens teams, the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.

Now, a razorback is a kind of wild pig indigenous to the South, and it is nowhere near as comforting as its domestic cousin. It does not give up its bacon willingly.

For the razorback is ornery, and aggressive, and many a dog and quite a few hunters have fallen prey to its tusks, which is a real up-close-and-personal way to deal with those who want to eat you.

Anyway, the university’s sports teams are named Razorbacks, and its women’s teams the Lady Razorbacks, and, to my knowledge, they’re the only ones in the country named such.

So, in an effort to connect with my father, I became a Razorback fan. I would cheer them in every game. I begged for apparel. I bought hats and shirts with my allowance money, but could only wear it when we went out of my neighborhood. For I lived on a Crip side of town, and cardinal and white was literally waving a “please shoot me” flag to those who wore blue.

Anyway, I have long figured out that loving Arkansas wasn’t the way to get my father to love me, but old habits die hard. And last night, the university mens basketball team beat a team they weren’t supposed to, and all I could yell was “SOOOOOIE PIG”, which is nonsensical on its face, but is the rallying cry for pig farmers and Razorback fans alike.

Perhaps one day I’ll grow out of this. But, someday, I don’t suppose I will.