Generally not a fan of professional sports, especially American sports, the only U.S. teams I would deign to follow today are Rocco Commisso’s New York Cosmos (if they’re ever relaunched) and Vincent Viola’s Florida Panthers. The former is out of sentimentality for my childhood team and love for the “beautiful game,” aka football (American: soccer), and the latter is out of respect, loyalty, and admiration for the proud Italian American ownership, whose munificence extends far and wide.
I’m afraid the continued modernization, globalization, and sanitization of professional sports, not to mention cringe player antics and acquiescence to whatever the “latest thing” is, leaves me cold. Increasingly unwatchable, Serie A and Napoli were the last holdouts, however the atmosphere and mentality of Italian football (Italian: calcio) have changed so much in recent years that I’m finding it less compelling or relatable. Even after winning our third Scudetto (2022-2023), I couldn’t do more than check the scores last season (2023-2024). Luckily, my decision to spurn the matches spared me the pain of watching that miserable campaign. Finishing in 10th place, it was the worst title defense in Serie A history.
Unlike my steadfast allegiance to Napoli, which is based on sociopolitical fealty to my ancestral capital and a sense of solidarity with the diehard Neapolitan tifosi, my rooting for Florida in the Stanley Cup Final is based solely (as I have already mentioned) on respect, loyalty, and admiration for the Viola family. In the case of Napoli, footballers, coaches, and owners come and go, but the city they represent is eternal and all that really matters to me. They can languish in Serie C (Lega Pro) and I will still support them. On the other hand, my support for the Panthers is contingent on the ownership, not any esprit de corps with Floridians or fondness for the team. If the franchise were ever to change hands, so would my support. It’s that simple.
Until professional sports brings back something I can identify with and enjoy I will continue to entertain myself, whenever possible, with “alternative,” amateur, and more traditional sports, like water jousting (la joute nautique), fencing (scherma), and coursing (caccia), among others. Give me the Palio di Siena, the Palio delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare, or Calcio Storico Fiorentino over the Super Bowl, or any other over-hyped commercialized cup final, any day of the week. Forza Napoli Sempre! Go Cats Go!
~ Giovanni di Napoli, June 23rd, Feast of Santa Agrippina
