At its heart, fandom is a form of tribalism. If you’re sporting the right colors and logo, you’re part of the “in” crowd. Everyone else is “out.” Historically, tribalism has been rooted in the survival of the species as groups worked together toward a common good.
Yes, such an idea has its ugly side too, as the word originated as a means to point out that tribes compete for limited resources with sometimes tragic consequences. I assure you all, this will have everything to do with the Buffalo Bills facing the Baltimore Ravens during the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs.