The Sports Fan's Guide to Nerd Culture Series Announced!

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The superhero genre of films is something that has impacted the mainstream in a way that has dominated the entertainment landscape. This has given rise to the so-called “Nerd Culture” in a way that no one could have ever fathomed.

With the movie “Iron Man” hitting the scene in 2008 as the tip of the spear, we now know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU for you newbs out there), culture that was once stereotypically relegated to the basements of the consumer’s mother’s homes now roams about in the minds and airwaves for everyone to experience. With that in mind, Nerd Culture previously rarely crossed the sports world of the NFL, NBA, and other sports fandoms.

But coming up on 10 years later, superheroes are household-famous mythical entities via billions of dollars in revenue from blockbuster releases. Pair that with fantasy sports becoming a pastime as prolific as the games they model to the point where it too is a billion dollar industry. People are now engaging in banter with everyone and are at least casually aware of both entries into the American lexicon. But, to those that may not have been involved previously as a fantasy team owner or a “true believer” of the MCU (or any other Nerd Culture), there’s still a learning curve involved. I’ve seen both sides still flounder with basic knowledge posing 101 level questions of the other such as “Why do they call that Belichick guy Darth Hoodie?” or “Why does that Wolverine character have claws?”

These questions being asked shows that the answers still aren’t cardinal knowledge.

Bridging that gap is the impetus for the Sports Fan’s Guide to Nerd Culture. It was Rubin in the 2000 movie “Road Trip” that left the indelible concept in my head. I know that the movie isn’t exactly a classic work that shaped human thought, but it was ironically a point made in helping the main character, Josh, cram for his ancient philosophy final in 46 hours.

It is in that vein that we bring you the opportunities for nerd pop culture and sports fan knowledge to combine to have us all achieve harmony around our breakrooms and watering holes. After all, if the WWE is a way for dudes to watch soap operas without having their masculinity questioned, how are fantasy sports not an excuse for jocks and their supporters to share their inner nerd to the world?

Here are the first few installments that will be brought to you by the Student of the Game:

How Tom Brady is like the Wolverine

How Peyton Manning is like Indiana Jones

How Russell Wilson is like the Amazing Spider-Man

. . . plus much more in the works.