The 12th Man

Dec 3rd:

My buddy "Red" - The most
dedicated 12th Man this year

There had been a lot of 12th Man talk over the last month or two - about 12th Man jerseys and even 12th Man nail polish (you know who you are!!!).  I had no idea what this was all about.

In cricket, one of my favorite sports, there are 11 on the team, and so the 12th man is the person who didn't make it to the team.  So, it is an undesirable and unfortunate position to be in.  The "almost made it" person.  The "just missed it by a hair" person.  The one who didn't qualify.

So, I didn't understand what the fascination with the 12th man was.  But as it just kept going on and on for more than a month, I finally asked someone.  And now I know.

In football (American football), like in cricket, the team also has 11 people, but the 12th man is not the one who didn't make it.  The 12th man is a term used to represent the fans.  Because the fans and their cheering and support gives the team strength and makes them play better, the fans collectively are called "The 12th Man".  Who knew!!!!