Please Root FOR, and Not Against

When we root-root-root for the home team, we're rooting for our home as much as the team. ~ Richard Roeper, American Columnist

Whether it is a baseball game, a work meeting, a debate, a beauty pageant, an election or the upcoming Olympics, when you are cheering for someone, please ensure you aren't jeering another.

What I mean by that is support for one person, team, idea or country need not be the bashing of the opposition. Rooting for something you like, believe in, or hope will succeed is just that "rooting". In the unofficial definition of rooting (read as "my definition") rooting is 'pulling for, showing support in a positive, encouraging, professional manner'.

Your rooting may mean a vote, applause, "who hoo"s when the person, team or candidate is presented, and it also may simply mean silence to hear what is said, or an open mind and non-distracted eyes to see what is done. It may mean wearing the colors of the team, or a button of the contender, or sharing verbal and non-verbal agreement with a concept or proposal. It need not be the trashing of people, ideas, parties, etc. just to get noticed, get the crown going, or to get inside the head of whomever you are not rooting for.

There are many ways to root, to support someone or something, and all of them can be done without any negativity, attack or ill-will toward those not receiving your outright support. Please consider respecting an opponent is as much rooting for your idea, player, participant, candidate or country, as all of the other actions you can take. And, yes, hopefully all that "rooting for" leads you to your ultimate victory, I do not want to overlook or negate that. Still, by practicing the root, root, root, as in the quotation above, you really can be a rooter filled with cheers and not jeers, and no matter the final outcome of the discussion, meeting, event or competition, you will not have presented anything but support and can hold your head high for how you handled the opportunity.