'I always say I wasn't born with Forest, but I'll die with Forest. That's how I feel.'
Those are the words of Ryan Brandell, better known as Barstool Chief, a podcaster and blogger for the Chicago branch of Barstool Sports - one of the biggest sports podcast networks in the world. Brandell gives his take on Chicago sports on a nearly daily basis as a part of Red Line Radio and the Dog Walk podcasts. If Nottingham is seen as a big sports town, it is dwarfed by the Windy City.
Chicago has the Bears, Cubs, White Sox and Blackhawks covering America's quartet of sporting powerhouses - NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball, as well as Chicago Fire in the MLS. Yet Brandell, 36, felt there was still a void to fill when it came to English football and fortunately for him, his younger brother opened his eyes to Nottingham Forest. Now an ardent Red, he regularly tweets to his 101,000 followers about the team he began following during the Covid pandemic.
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"I'd been looking for a team for a long time. The World Cup was here in 1994. I loved all sports and I've always loved soccer - I appreciate the disconnect calling it that - since I was eight," he said on this week's Garibaldi Red podcast.
"We never had access to English football when I was a kid. It came on NBC 10 years ago and I'm a morning person so I'd put it on and watch a random game. I liked (Alan) Shearer so for a while I liked Newcastle, but I never felt like I did about the Blackhawks or the Bears.
"Landon Donovan played for Everton and (Clint) Dempsey played for Fulham so I'd follow them a bit, then my brother went to school in Nottingham. Covid hits and instead of England being a jumping off point to see Europe he was locked down and fell in love with Nottingham.
"We're very close and he's a big sports fan. He was there for the Forest collapse in 2019/20 and so we would talk about it. My love for Forest was organic because I'd talk to him about them and I've love it all.
"I loved the logo and the history. When I heard they were founded in 1865, that's the time of Abraham Lincoln! I was watching the games last season (2020/21) and they were terrible, but I watch games when they were on ESPN+. When they weren't on there I'd buy the match pass on Forest TV. If they lost I felt genuinely disappointed.
"My love for them came about without me almost knowing. This past year has been unbelievable. I was learning about the team and the songs and then they bring in Steve Cooper and start winning and winning. It became this emotional rollercoaster that ended so brilliantly at Wembley.
"I met up with fans in New York and on the internet and everyone has been so good to me. I love the people. I feel like I'll be friends with some of these people I met forever. It's unlike any club I've come across - it's a special community.
"They have my whole heart. You have to experience real pain as a fan. It can't be sunshine and rainbows. When it comes time for Americans to pick an EPL team, they always pick the equivalent of the LA Lakers or the Dallas Cowboys.
"I never wanted to be a fan of Man City or Man U. It felt like cheating. There's something romantic about Forest and the 23 years outside the Premier League after they had European glory. The story is so compelling. Everything about Forest is perfect for me."
Brandell, who travelled from Chicago to watch the play-off final at Wembley, is not alone as a Red in America - there are supporters groups from New York to Nashville, as well as Toronto across the border. However, Forest are far from the biggest club in North America.
That could change to some degree though as Brandell feels the club will only grow there, especially if Forest help sell themselves, which should be made easier with an American chief executive in Dane Murphy.
"I think Nottingham Forest have the chance to grab a lot of Americans. There's a lot of people like me who watch the EPL religiously without having any rooting interest. If they're marketed and tell the story the right way there will be a lot of interest," he said.
"People here know the Nottingham name because they grew up with the tales of Robin Hood. There's that familiarity, there's a great logo and fans will know some of the songs like You've Lost That Loving Feeling.
"The games are on the Peacock streaming service here so a lot of American fans will gravitate to Forest like I have because it's such a great story. A lot of people who don't want to follow the biggest clubs will follow Forest."
You can watch the full podcast here, or listen here.
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