All this talk about the Phillies, the Cubs, Tiger Woods, etc. has forced me to examine where I stand in the sports world. Well, to be honest, I’m not a sports fan. I don’t mind watching an exciting game once in a while (soccer has good-looking teammates) and I love the atmosphere of a sports bar (when the team is winning). In college, I rode on the Mount Holyoke Equestrian Team, went to nationals, had team dinners and practices – hey, I even went to the gym a few times a week! Although the Equestrian Team was still a team, horseback riding is still a competition that is very much on the individual level. Growing up, I was somewhat of a tomboy, but really, deep down, I still wasn’t a real sports fan. My absolute favorite hat of all time was a black, neon purple and neon green Charlotte Hornets cap. I wore it every day, and while all the cool kids were bending the brim of their baseball caps to make a perfect curve, I enjoyed keeping mine flat as though it had been just freshly pulled off the store shelf. The thing is, I never watched one Charlotte Hornets game. Better yet, I never watched any basketball game! If you had asked me at the time who the Charlotte Hornets were, I probably would have taken my hat off and looked at the hornet dribbling the basketball and then answered, with confidence and pride, that they were my favorite basketball team. In fourth grade I played soccer and softball, but enjoyed softball more because it involved less running. After seeing the movie A League of Their Own, starring Geena Davis, I decided that my goal in life was to become a professional baseball player. One would think the path to professional sports would begin with some serious training, practices day and night, push-ups in the rain, right? I wouldn’t know. I never went down that path. My efforts towards my new career began with baseball cards. And it was really just any baseball card that I would collect. I was never selective with my collection because I never really knew any of the players. If he was wearing a baseball uniform and posing mid-throw or mid-catch, or sliding to a base, he slid right into the clear sleeve in my binder especially made for keeping valuable baseball cards. I guess, as John mentioned in his blog, it doesn’t matter where the passion comes from. Do you have to cheer for your hometown team? Do you have to really know the sport you are cheering for? I guess all that really matters in the end is cheering. But, if you’re going to collect baseball cards and aspire to be a professional baseball player, you are going to have to select a favorite team. Mine was the Orioles. Why? Because they reminded me of Oreo cookies. -Courtney Centeno, account executive