Make sure a Marlins fan is crowned Fan of the Year

FanSided and Marlin Maniac are searching for the ultimate sports fan to crown our first ever FanSided Fan of the Year. The details are below. Don’t you think a Marlins fan should be the first recipient?

We need entries. Looking forward to hearing your stories.

Imagine Lou Gehrig giving his farewell speech to an empty Yankee Stadium or Michael Jordan hitting “The Shot” in front of empty bleachers. Without the fans, there is no roar, there is no electricity, there is no glory.

Since 1954 our friends at Sports Illustrated have awarded the Sportsman of the Year award to “the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.” That gave us an idea. We decided it was finally time to recognize the nameless faces watching from the bleachers. Thus, we’re excited to present the inaugural FanSided Fan of the Year contest.

What qualifies someone to be the FanSided Sports Fan of the Year? The FanSided Sports Fan of the Year is a person who exemplifies dedication, integrity and “Fansmanship” all for the love of the game.

What is “Fansmanship? Just as athletes exhibit and strive for good sportsmanship, fans strive to exhibit good Fansmanship. Good Fansmanship means representing the teams you follow and the communities those teams represent in a positive way at all times thus perpetuating all that is good about sports and sports fandom. Every fan has a story. We want to hear yours.

Here’s how to enter: Send us a two-minute video or a 200-word essay to FanOfTheYear@FanSided.com telling us your story and explaining why you should be named FanSided Fan of the Year.

We’ll review all submissions and narrow down the field to five finalists. Each finalist will receive a one-year subscription to Sports Illustrated and will be interviewed and profiled on FanSided.com. The grand prize winner will be featured in Sports Illustrated magazine!

Official Sports Fan of the Year homepage and rules