Merrianne Do didn’t have to do any of it.
The Los Angeles Chargers superfan caught on Monday Night Football‘s cameras rooting her hardest for her disappointing team didn’t have to come forward and explain that she wasn’t, in fact, an actor hired by the NFL franchise or some AI construct. She didn’t have to give multiple interviews to tell her side of the story, as if there was a side to tell other than, “I like rooting for the Chargers, just like every NFL fan roots for their team.”
But, no. With the internet’s unblinking, unrelenting eye of Sauron on her for a 24-hour news cycle, Do happily spoke with multiple outlets to say that’s just who she is. That was despite writers and TV personalities who actually wondered out loud if she was just an act or gave a platform to those conspiracies.
.@chargers super fan Merrianne Do joins @kimmichex to discuss how it feels going viral overnight ✨ (via @NFLTotalAccess) pic.twitter.com/25OMLetXb2
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) October 17, 2023
The whole thing smacked of sexism — my For The Win colleagues rightfully wondered on Tuesday what the reaction would have been if it was a man in a jersey, practically ripping his hair out at the Chargers falling short yet again. You know the answer. It’s gross that we’re living in 2023 and a woman is getting questions about her die-hard fandom.
Which brings us to the stupidest part of this whole thing, when someone inevitably dug up a photo of her in Minnesota Vikings gear. SHE MUST BE AN ACTOR THEN OH HO HO HO!
But here she is, calmly explaining it to TMZ:
“I grew up in Minnesota before moving to California almost 20 years ago,” Do says. “I don’t think you have to be a single-team fan. I love my Chargers and I’m not gonna deny my Vikings. At the end of the day, yes, I’ve been a Vikings fan, I’ve been through that journey as a Vikings fan and still am, but I’m here in LA for the past 20 years.”
Thank you, Merianne. We all didn’t need you to have to remind everyone that fandom isn’t black and white, or that there are some rules we all have to follow or we’re not “real” fans.
But you did it anyway, reminding us of everything there is to love about sports fandom in spite of those who felt threatened by you having a good time.
