Identity Drives Everything
I recently attended a big football game at my alma mater, UC Berkeley (Cal for short), where the Golden Bears faced off against #10 ranked Miami. What made the day even more exciting was the fact that ESPN’s popular College Football GameDay show was broadcasting live from the Berkeley campus that morning. For college football fans, having GameDay come to your campus is a big deal—a true badge of honor. If you know, you know.
Between the broadcast and the game itself, the excitement level on campus was sky high.
Unfortunately, the California Golden Bears lost in the final minute. While the defeat was disappointing, my takeaway from the day wasn’t just the game or the show—it was something deeper. The experience highlighted a crucial aspect of human life: identity.
The Power of Association
College Football GameDay is a traveling event, setting up on a different college campus every weekend. Its format is simple: a stage in a large open area where a crowd gathers behind the commentators. The energy is electric. The crowd brings creative, sometimes hilarious signs, and people show up early—very early. At Berkeley, the venue was packed by 4:30 AM, filled with students and alumni in their blue and gold, cheering, dancing, and singing. One of my favorite signs was, “I thought this was a protest!”. Of course there were also Miami fans and as has become typical a surprising number of fans from other schools, all there to represent their teams.
But what struck me the most that morning were two Alabama fans. If you don’t follow college football, know this: Alabama is a football powerhouse. They’ve been a top program for decades, and their fans are proud of that dominance. These two fans were draped in Alabama gear—one with a flag, the other carrying a pennant. They walked through the crowd with undeniable pride, clearly identifying with Alabama’s reputation for winning.
As I watched them, I realized how deeply they associated themselves with their team’s success. It wasn’t just about football for them—it was about identity. And it made me reflect on my own reactions. In that brief moment, I felt a subconscious twinge of inferiority, thinking, “Oh, Alabama…they’re the best.”
Identity in Action
That moment was a microcosm of what the entire day was about: people drawing significance from their associations and forming connections around that significance. It was about identity—how we see ourselves and how we relate to others through that lens.
For Alabama fans, their identity stems from their team’s success. For Cal fans, it’s different. Cal’s football history is less illustrious, but the fan base draws pride from the university’s academic reputation and a cautious hope for a successful football season. There’s a unique connection among Cal fans—an understanding that you have to experience being a Cal fan to get it. We live in a world where it’s never over until it’s over. Cal fans will tell you about the heartbreak of watching their team snatch defeat from the jaws of victory time and again.
Fast forward to the game itself. The stadium was buzzing, carrying the momentum from the morning into kickoff. Cal came out strong, building a 21-10 lead by halftime and extending it to 38-10 midway through the third quarter. By early in the fourth quarter, the Golden Bears had a 38-18 lead, and the crowd could practically taste victory.
But something began to change.
As I talked to another fan at the end of the third quarter, we shared cautious optimism: “This is great, I hope we win…but we all know this is Cal.” That familiar sense of doubt hung in the air, and it seemed to infiltrate the team too. The coaching staff, who had brilliantly prepared the team, became sloppy. Play-calling grew conservative. The quarterback, who had been playing freely, became tentative. The defense, which had contained Miami all night, began to make uncharacteristic mistakes.
It was as though, when the possibility of winning became real, doubt crept in. We weren’t playing to win anymore—we were playing not to lose. We weren’t just fighting Miami; we were fighting our own history. We were fighting our identity.
Meanwhile, Miami, with its storied football history and recent success (a stunning last second win the week prior), never stopped believing. Down 25 points in the third quarter, most teams would have folded. But Miami didn’t. They came back—and with 26 seconds left, they took a 1-point lead.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Identity Shapes Outcomes
That painful loss was a stunning reminder of the power of identity. Our identity drives our actions, our decisions, and ultimately, our outcomes. For Alabama fans, their identity is shaped by a legacy of excellence. For Cal fans, our identity is one of resilience and cautious optimism, tempered by years of near-misses. I heard a funny, if not sad, line walking out of the stadium that night, “..and another generation of Cal fans is born”. Identity is generational too.
But this isn’t just about sports. It’s about how we see ourselves in life. Our identity influences everything we do—how we associate with others, what we believe, and how we respond to challenges.
Reflecting on Your Identity
So ask yourself: what defines your identity? Is it something external, like a sports team, or something deeper, like your values and aspirations? If you don’t like it the good news is that we all evolve. Your identity does not have to be set in stone. We all get the chance to make better choices every day. Better choices about who we associate with, what information we consume, how we spend our time, how we treat our bodies and what beliefs we hold.
We do this in all walks of life, sports, politics, religion, sexuality, fashion you name it. Ask yourself though, what is it that you want to drive your identity? Is it an association with a sports team or is it something from deeper inside of yourself?
Nothing wrong with sports or politics or any of those things but were they meant to define us? If we let that happen aren’t we just outsourcing the responsibility we have for our own life to another group? Actually, maybe it is better said that we are outsourcing the privilege.
Our identity drives everything we do. Every decision we make. The more we know who we are, like who we are and believe in who we are the more we can achieve. The more people we can help.
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