It's part of the "fun" of being a fan and the "hate" is in perspective, for most folks. I'm a Yankee fan; I hate Boston Red Sox...in most cases, I dislike peop

It's part of the "fun" of being a fan and the "hate" is in perspective, for most folks. I'm a Yankee fan; I hate Boston Red Sox...in most cases, I dislike people from Boston for no good reason. However, when the Boston experienced a tragedy during their marathon, I couldn't care less about baseball and only wanted to support friend and co-workers who were from Boston. During the next Red Sox game, I cheered for them because inside I made the decision to distinguish what I feel as a fan vs. the person that I am and the humanity inside of me. Do I wish Red Sox luck? No...I still dislike their team, fans, etc. but with a very conscious effort to separate fandom vs. humanity. On a side note: I travel to Chicago a lot, for work. When I wear my Yankee hat, I catch a lot of flank and in most cases, I partake in some general banter. If the situation seems a bit too intense, I'll leave them alone since it's not worth the argument + getting in a scuffle while on a work trip is frowned upon. There are differences, we (fans) understand limits and are okay with the dichotomy of using the word "hate" with no real intention of harm. Clearly, there are outliners in every case.