Matthew Taylor: Everywhere you look, O's fandom endures

I arrived for our family vacation in Florida this week with a suitcase stuffed to the feathers with five Orioles hats, seven Orioles T-shirts and an Orioles sweatshirt - and that was after whittling down my baseball clothing options. I'm not ashamed to say that I've become a billboard for Orioles pride of late; I'm absolutely basking in the reflected glory of this American League East title and this postseason run. My dedication won't carry me so far as to get an O's tattoo, although as a Panama City Beach, Fla., visitor I do have plenty of options in that regard.

My O's hat drew a response from the very outset of our trip as a passerby on the beach pointed my way, raised his fist triumphantly, and stated with great enthusiasm, "Friday." I won't hold the fact that he was wearing a Florida State Seminoles hat against him. The American League Championship Series matters to him, too.

A day later, I spoke with Dave the scopes guy, a Baltimore native who stopped on his journey down the beach to talk O's baseball. Dave demonstrated his bona fides in multiple ways, not the least of which was that he never actually tried to make a sale with me. He noted, "You don't see too many O's hats around here."

The rare oriole bird sighting outside of Baltimore doesn't mean that there aren't fans beyond the nest. An Orioles loyalist on Twitter who goes by Bohemian Girl started mapping Orioles fans on Thursday. Her effort came in response to an ESPN graphic that suggested most of America will be cheering for the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS. By night's end, she had plenty of orange dots on her U.S. map, including Alaska. Ain't the beer frigid.

It's fun connecting with energized fans and rooting for a team that matters; however, there was also a certain charm in the relative anonymity of our O's loyalties.

It was around this time several years ago when my wife and I took an anniversary trip to North Carolina's Outer Banks. Seated on the lawn at the Duck Jazz Festival, I spotted a fellow suffering soul wearing a Brooks Robinson shirsey. These infrequent encounters - a quick smile, a casual nod - acknowledged an enduring dedication. In a tragic baseball life, misery loved company.

I've seen photos during these playoffs of fans wearing old promotional T-shirts at Camden Yards. A Cesar Izturis here, a Brad Bergesen there. I call them the dark days giveaways. It was more gory than glory, but it was fun in its own right. Just not nearly as much fun as it is now.

One of the great joys of being a longtime fan of any team is the connection it provides to family, to friends, and in the aforementioned examples, even to strangers. There's a shared history of highs and lows that produces a common bond. We hear all too often about the unfortunate consequences that result when someone reacts negatively to another person expressing their team loyalties. Thankfully, there are moments of positive connection, even in passing, that remind you why it's fun to be a fan.

Matthew Taylor blogs about the Orioles at Roar from 34. Follow him on Twitter: @RoarFrom34. His ruminations about the Birds appear as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our site. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.