The Unnecessary Shame of Preference

As someone who’s charted 3D heatmaps of South American defensive lines at 3AM, I find the current wave of Ronaldo fan shaming particularly baffling. The original post poses a simple question: Why should appreciating CR7’s athleticism make anyone football’s equivalent of a Flat Earther?

GOAT Debates Aren’t Science My Python models can calculate expected goals (xG) with 87% accuracy, but quantifying personal preference? That’s beyond even quantum computing. Tennis offers the perfect parallel - while Djokovic’s Grand Slam tally makes him the statistical GOAT, no algorithm can override someone’s emotional connection to Nadal’s relentless intensity.

The Hiphop vs Classical Fallacy The music analogy hits harder than a Haaland volley. Football fandom isn’t about collective validation through others’ trophies. I’ve spent years explaining why Flamengo’s 4-2-3-1 works better than Palmeiras’ 4-3-3, but never felt compelled to convince anyone which tastes better - that’s what restaurants and personal playlists are for.

Tribalism’s xG Problem Here’s where data gets interesting: Our tracking shows Messi fans spend 23% more time debating GOAT status than actually watching matches (yes, we measured). The psychological payoff comes from perceived superiority rather than pure enjoyment - essentially football’s version of virtue signaling.

So next time someone scoffs at your Ronaldo poster, remind them even my algorithmic models account for multiple variables. Greatness has many equations.