Who is Merrianne the Chargers fan? Mom behind viral 'Monday Night Football' meme insists LA fandom isn't fake

Joe Rivera

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Who is Merrianne the Chargers fan? Mom behind viral 'Monday Night Football' meme insists LA fandom isn't fake image

She may not be a plant, but she's also not homegrown.

NFL fans have a tendency of being the most colorful, boisterous and entertaining group of supporters of the four major sports in the U.S. The latest example of that came during the Week 6 "Monday Night Football" matchup between the Chargers and the Cowboys.

Late in the game, cameras panned to a seeming Chargers superfan, who quickly caught the attention and admiration of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman for her 

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In the day that followed, said fan — Merrianne Do — made the media rounds where she explained her passion for the Chargers. As with most things that go viral, though, there was a bit of skepticism surrounding Do.

But for however passionate that fan was, in the days that followed, some were more than a bit skeptical of her authenticity. Here's why:

Who is Merrianne the Chargers fan?

Merrianne Do is the Chargers superfan who cameras panned to during the Week 6 "MNF" matchup between the Cowboys and the Chargers. While LA would lose the game 20-17, Do was totally invested and never stopped believing in her squad.

Do would go viral for her reactions in the day that followed, and that led to media appearances on ESPN and NFL Network where she would explain her fandom.

Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Oct. 17, Merrianne explained that she's been a Chargers fan since she moved to California 20 years ago.

The Chargers, for their part, embraced Do right back, making a photo of her their profile picture on X (formerly Twitter) the day after the game. 

Is Merrianne Do a fake fan? 

Given the way the world works, plenty questioned her sudden rise to viral fame, but Do insisted to McAfee her fandom is authentic. 

"I wish I was getting paid, I wish I could make myself AI and make myself as beautiful as I want, but at the end of the day, this is me, guys," she said on the show. "This is me. Crazy mom of four, crazy Chargers fan, crazy freaking football fan, and it is what it is."

Do has at least one high-profile character reference in former NFL quarterback Matt Leinart, who vouched for his "best friend's cousin's wife" on social media as a "die hard" fan from Orange County. 

Is Merrianne Do a Vikings fan?

The next biggest conspiracy surrounding Do is her team loyalty. In the aftermath of her viral popularity, images of Merrianne in a Vikings jersey and face paint surfaced. That led to questions about her NFL loyalty. 

There was some confusion as to whether or not Do actually was dressed for one of her children's football games, but that turned out not to be the case. Do explained in an interview with TMZ that she comes from Minnesota, and that she just can't quit the Purple and Gold.

"I grew up in Minnesota before moving to California almost 20 years ago," she told TMZ. "I don't think you have to be a single-team fan. I love my Chargers and I'm not gonna deny my Vikings.

"At the end of the day, yes, I've been a Vikings fan, I've been through that journey as a Vikings fan and still am, but I'm here in LA for the past 20 years."

With her star on the rise, don't expect Merrianne to be on her merry way anytime soon.

Joe Rivera

Joe Rivera Photo

Joe Rivera is in his seventh year with The Sporting News, handling NFL, MLB and some things pro wrestling. A proud-ish Rutgers University graduate, Rivera combines a new-school flair with an old-school soul. He loves dingers, wrestling, comic books, movies, music and really bad puns. He is also a card-carrying BBWAA member and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater.

You can find him and tweet him @JoeRiveraSN, if you're into that sort of thing.