The things we do for sports. Did you know we plow $25.4 billion dollars, as Americans, into sports goodies every year? Tickets, merchandise, the food for that super bowl party, it's all a part of our culture. We buy jerseys, socks and hats. Cell phone covers, blankets and other decorations declare our loyalties. Heck, I've seen a Darth Vader converted with a Washington Red Skins paint job in somebody's yard. And if it's not our team, it's wrong.

Google 'New York Jets jokes.' There are a lot. And that is what my friend suffers through every day. Mostly from me. How else would I know about all those jokes? But he suffers through and still pledges his allegiance to them every game. He is by far one of the craziest fans I know. He completely changes when the game is on. My innocent seeming buddy turns into a foul mouthed buzzard of a fan when the game is on. I would not suggest watching it with him, especially if you're like me and enjoy peace and quiet.

So I'm out with three of my closest friends and we're searching for a Philadelphia Flyers gift for our one buddy's girlfriend. It pains him to do so. He is a New Jersey Devils fan, whom I understand have some sort of rivalry with the Flyers. We're helping him pick out this gift, goofing around like college students will do. And being college students, we're also looking for a deal. And let me tell you something you may already know, you aren't going to find it buying sports merchandise. A Flyer's banner? $40. That's a body shot right to the wallet. But my buddy took it on the cheek and kept going. My mind was boggled because it appeared to be made of the same felt I used in elementary school projects.

For a small town boy like myself, the mall in Syracuse, New York was huge. I still don't think we saw everything it has to offer. But in one store, whose name I can't remember, my best friend and I stood there considering a Kevin Durant jersey. It was a special one, I guess. A reproduction of the one he wore in some Olympics.

"How much?" I asked. He considered the blue one versus the white one.

"$100." He replied. If I had some sort of drink in my mouth, I think I would have spit it out in surprise all over that pristine white jersey.

He did buy that jersey. I've even seen him wear it once. But for the life of me, I could not comprehend the desire for such a thing. My best friend had always been a sporty guy. He played high school football and is a basketball fanatic. He's got Golden State Warrior merchandise on his car and in his room. I can't imagine what some of that stuff cost. I swore I wouldn't fall into that, buying sports stuff. It didn't appeal to me.

I didn't grow up an athletic kid but I did pick up boxing later on. Spinach salads, exercise and training all go into it. I do have to keep that welterweight figure, after all. I tie up my hands with boxing wraps and pound on a punching bag until my hands bleed. I sweat out pounds of water. I get punched in the face for fun. And I wasn't buying into sports merchandise. But I really admired guys like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. Then I got a Muhammad Ali shirt and a poster. I had already purchased them when I thought, "Ah, crap. I just bought into the corporate sports machine." I had done the thing I swore I wouldn't do. Was it so bad? Maybe not. I was part of that $25.4 billion now, one the many who put money into sports merchandise. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.