USA TODAY Sports in search of the Best Fan Ever – USA TODAY

Tim McKernan wore nothing but a hat, boots and a painted orange barrel suspended around his waist in winning a $10 bet with his brother.

McKernan wagered he could appear on national TV while at a Denver Broncos game in 1977.

So began a string of 33 seasons of a working-class man at United Airlines, becoming a franchise icon known as Barrel Man.

Jimmy Goldstein realized what sports meant to him at age 15 during the early 1950s, when he kept statistics while sitting courtside at Milwaukee Hawks games. This prompted a lifetime urge to surround himself by all things NBA. A real estate and fashion mogul who became a self-made millionaire, also became a season ticketholder to Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers games. He embarked upon a 20-year streak of attending all but one game of the NBA Finals. He missed Game 5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors series this year because of a delayed flight.

Whether you are rich or poor or anywhere in between, when did it happen to you? When did you feel the epiphany that transformed you into a diehard fan of your favorite team or athlete?

The feelings generated by sports fill the emotional spectrum. At their worst, they bring frustration, anger, sometimes even heartbreak. Just ask any Cleveland Browns, Chicago Cubs or, prior to 2004, Boston Red Sox fan.

At their best, sports provide solace and satisfaction, high-fiving and chest-bumping, joy and elation.

USA TODAY

Secrets of NBA super-fan Jimmy Goldstein

With this in mind, the time has arrived to kickoff, tip-off, faceoff and throw the first pitch of the Best Fan Ever contest.

USA TODAY Sports wants to find the best sports fan in the nation and reward him or her with $4,000 to spend on a fantasy sports vacation.

Over the next three months, the nominating and voting process will unfold across the country. A random voter will receive a $1,000 cash prize for his or her own fantasy sports trip.

You don’t have to be a multimillionaire like Goldstein to nominate yourself. You don’t have to dance, paint your face, have a consecutive games streak, camp out at arenas or have retired New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter on your smartphone contacts list. Though any or all of those might help, you really just have to be your most passionate self.

I would nominate myself, except company employees aren’t eligible to win.

My sports epiphany happened in 1991, my freshman year in college. The Kansas Jayhawks were losing to the Arkansas Razorbacks by 12 at halftime in a regional final of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The Jayhawks rallied and won by 12.

Hundreds of students flooded campus in Lawrence, Kan., as I sprinted from my dormitory among dozens of lifelong friends. We joined the crowd of body-surfing, beer-chugging, mass-hugging maniacs, reveling in the glory of a berth in the Final Four. It prompted a deep desire for me to be around these wonderful, fascinating sensations, later realizing a dream career as a sports writer, 23 years and counting.

But what about you? How big of a sports fan are you and why? When did the moment hit you?

​To win, you first need to enter. Log on to usatodaynetwork.secondstreetapp.com to submit your photo and Best fan Ever profile today.

Dorsey writes for The News-Press of Fort Myers, Fla.

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