What's wrong with being a fanatic?

I love wrestling. I guess that's kind of obvious because I have a wrestling blog, but I REALLY love wrestling!
I would consider myself a fanatic. Not only do I like to watch wrestling and read about it, but I also love to read about what goes on behind the scenes.

Is it wrong to want to know about the goings-on outside of the ring? Some would say yes.
Some would question why a fan would ask questions about a certain wrestler or feud and the need to know more details then what is being presented.
Some would even go as far as to say that is being negative.

As the Miz would say: Really? Really?

There are some fans that are content with just watching the shows and going on for the ride.
I have no problem with that, I was like that once.
But others, like me, want to know more. Thirst for more information.

What are the reasons for certain story-lines and why did they change.

Heck some go even farther than I would and question why a wrestler cut his hair, if in fact he did.

But is that any different than the coverage of celebrities? Some want to know who is going out with who, why did they break up, what side of the political spectrum are they on?

Why are wrestling fans treated differently? Why are they, at times, treated with disdain, EVEN from the ones who cover wrestling and even worse, from those who are directly involved with it?

Is it wrong to be a fanatic? To love something so much that you want to know everything about it?

Why? I just don't get it.

And what's even worse is that wresting is still very much a taboo subject for some.

Tell someone you are a wrestling fan and you just might get "The look."
Wrestling has been around since the turn of the century, yet, when one mentions it, you might be inundated with "redneck" and homo-erotic jokes.

Yet we as wrestling fans are proud, damn proud to be fans.
We gladly put up with the misconceptions and intolerance.

And what do we get for this? We get labeled as negative?

When you do this you are no better than those who simplistically view wrestling as a poor mans sport.
Those that see wrestling fans as yokels.

It seems at times that to discuss wrestling, your have to be in some sort of "club."

Celebrities can discuss wrestling with no fear of reprisal. But dare a "regular" fan to engage those in the know, and they will be turned away, sent to the "children's table."

But it is the very same that have brought wrestling to it's current level of prominence.

We are the one's that have spent our hard earned money to attend shows and buy the Tee shirts that proudly show our allegiance.

It's now common to hear ESPN anchors reference wrestlers such as CM Punk, but where were they a year ago, five years ago?
Then, they dared not such as utter a single word about wrestling.

But we as wrestling fans welcome them aboard the bandwagon.

But let's not forget who was behind wrestling from the very beginning:

The common fan, the Fanatic.