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Sports loyalty runs deep, and in some families, it’s passed down like an heirloom.

One teen was asked to take her dad’s old friend’s son to the mall while the two men went out for drinks and caught up after years apart.

The drama first started when the boy had his eye on a Pittsburgh Pirates cap. The teen knew the boy’s father was a devoted Boston Red Sox fan, but she didn’t think a kid liking a different team would be that big of a deal.

But it turns out, it was a big deal. So after a dramatic scolding, the teen is left wondering whether she was in the wrong.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for buying a kid another baseball team’s merch?

I (17) have only been to the US once when I was a kid, but my dad studied and made some friends there during his university years. One of them is in our country on holiday.

So soon her dad asked her to do some babysitting.

He asked me to take his son (13) to the mall while he and my dad go drinking and catch up.

When we were at the mall, the kid wanted to look at a New Era store. He really wanted a Pittsburgh Pirates cap.

In her mind, this didn’t raise any red flags.

I knew my dad’s friend support the Boston Red Sox, but I didn’t think the kid supporting a different team would be that big of a deal.

My dad did give me his credit card and told me I can buy some stuff for him, and the price of the cap was less than the spending limit he gave me. So I bought the cap for the kid.

But the kid’s father wasn’t happy about this at all.

My dad’s friend looked frustrated about it and said to the kid, “It’s my team and your grandfather’s team.” He didn’t shout, but told him he should “stop being difficult.”

The kid didn’t say anything.

It made me feel bad since, if I said no to buying him the cap, he wouldn’t have gotten scolded for it.

AITA?

This is all getting blown wayyy out of proportion.

What did Reddit think?

The teen may not have fully understood the cultural implications.

This kid should feel free to support whatever team he wants.

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Some people just get way too attached over inconsequential things.

This commenter shares how they think about the situation.

This teen did exactly what a good babysitter does, which was to keep a kid happy and stay within the budget she was given. Ultimately, she deserves credit for that.

The boy’s father is the one who overreacted, massively. Telling a kid to “stop being difficult” because he likes a different team is a lot of pressure to put on a hat.

Kids pick favorites for all sorts of reasons, and most of them grow out of it anyway.

A baseball cap isn’t a betrayal.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.