Fred Faour: In the New Year, it’s important to remember why we became sports fans in the first place

As we head into a New Year, resolutions will be made, and change will be in the air. It is a time to think about the future. It’s also a time to look at the past.

If the Astros’ World Series run taught us anything, we were reminded of how much fun it is to be a sports fan. The memories. The moments. Yordan’s home run. Chaz McCormick’s catch. Those are things we will talk about for years. And that is what sports should be about.

Sports are most fun when you are young. Players become heroes. Moments become lifelong memories that you share with your friends and family.

I’ve always said anytime you have a “greatest player” debate, you will always default to the best player when you are 12 years old. At that age, scandals don’t matter. It’s all about the love of the game.

As you get older, those things start to matter. Sports become less important as you wind up with jobs, families, and responsibilities. But that’s why we need to remember why sports are so important. It is an escape, an entertainment we so desperately seek. A reminder of what it was like to be a kid – full of sports joy.

But things change as you age. The scandals become a turnoff. Gambling makes rooting for specific teams harder.

But hopefully, what the Astros reminded us – and what UH basketball is working to remind us – is that sports can and should be fun. It should remind us of what we were or hope to be. We should be entertained.

It’s not easy to root for the Texans or Rockets these days. The Rockets at least have a promising future, but the Texans seem to have little plan and almost no hope. But there are still things we can take from them. Enjoy the athleticism, the promise of the future.

We get only 17 real NFL games; we should enjoy them all. There are always things to watch for. Is the offensive line improving? Are there players who might be a part of the team’s future?

With the Rockets, it is the continued development of potential star Jalen Green and the other young players.

Whatever your team is, enjoy rooting for them in a way that makes you happy. We can’t lose sight of how important it is to have an escape in such a divided world.

It does not matter who you root for or what your favorite sport is, as long as it is fun. The Houston Roughnecks will return in 2023, and they had a rabid fan base that was there for the experience.

And you can find any good experience in sports, no matter what level. Youth sports, even, for the joy on the kids faces – not the overbearing parents who are trying to relive their youth.

We have avenues for that.

There will be no shortage of teams to support in the next year. The Astros, of course. UH basketball. The Texans, Rockets, Roughnecks. For years I was never really able to be a fan because I had jobs that required me to be neutral. I could root for teams outside the market – the Toronto Maple Leafs and Saskatchewan Rough Riders in particular. But it was hard not to support the Astros during this amazing stretch. And I have always been a fan of UH athletics, even during the dark years.

But there is no shortage of teams to root for. If you like soccer, there is the Dynamo and the Dash, who made the playoffs last year. Of course, UH fans are more than happy to welcome you to a bandwagon for a team that could make the Final Four in Houston. Imagine the memories then.

In the new year, have fun with sports. Remember why you love them. Remember the big moments.

It’s OK to be a fan, and unleash your inner child.