Being A (Good) Fan

[eddiehouse5]

I know that being a bandwagon fan is looked down upon, but should it?

I am of the thinking that one shouldn't be loyal to something he pays money to. I think it should it be the other way around. If the team that I support continuously puts out bad product, why am I not allowed to support another team? Why should anyone have to be a Clipper fan, or a Pittsburgh Pirate fan? Why are you paying your hard earned money to see bad product?

I used to always make fun of front running fans, but now I see why they do it. They support teams that win, as opposed to teams that don't. That makes sense to me. Are you a fan of your losing franchise only because of the sliver of hope that eventually they will be good and then you can gloat, just like your front running friends?

Let's go Knicks.

 

[JD617]

Originally Posted by eddiehouse5

I know that being a bandwagon fan is looked down upon, but should it?

I am of the thinking that one shouldn't be loyal to something he pays money to. I think it should it be the other way around. If the team that I support continuously puts out bad product, why am I not allowed to support another team? Why should anyone have to be a Clipper fan, or a Pittsburgh Pirate fan? Why are you paying your hard earned money to see bad product?

I used to always make fun of front running fans, but now I see why they do it. They support teams that win, as opposed to teams that don't. That makes sense to me. Are you a fan of your losing franchise only because of the sliver of hope that eventually they will be good and then you can gloat, just like your front running friends?

Let's go Knicks.

Yes.

 

[cincoseisdos]

Yes it should,

It's stupid.

That's all there is to it.

 

[eddiehouse5]

What is stupid? Liking good product, or supporting bad product?

Which one is it? Seriously.

 

[doublejs07]

You support the bad product in hopes that one day it will all turn around (I'm an O's fan

) EVERYTHING runs in cycles....what's going to happen when the front-running team you like all of a sudden starts to suck? I guess you move on, but you look like a tool. It's call being LOYAL. Loyalty trumps everything else.....

 

[alleniversonfan01]

Its one thing to like a good product and enjoy watching a team because of that. Its another to mouth off about your team is the best when you know damn well you switchin teams seasonally.

For example.

The Rays are nice this year. Its ok to admit that and w/e but if they make the playoffs (Still a big if) and go deep dont be like YOOOOOOOOOO TAMPA RUNS THE AL. I BEEN FOLLOWING THEM SINCE THEY WAS THE DEVIL RAYS (Most bandwagon fans prolly wouldnt even know that but either way) knowing damn well you was rooting for Boston/The Yankees last year. Like when they went to the WS 2 years ago you knew half those fans were bandwagon because Tampa sells out because of Red Sox and Yankees fans going to the games. But once they put something together, all of a sudden everyone had a Rays cap and they was selling out.


But at the end of the day you still look like a douche to others because you only root for a team if they are nice and if they are doing bad you act like you never %!%@#% with them in the past.

 

[RyGuy45]

I say do whatever you want, there are no rules. Especially now with how much money is involved. Society frowns on "bandwagoning" yet some people think that only gives organizations free reign to bend you over for decades. You dont like something, dont follow it. You like it, follow it. Whoever does or does not follow "my teams" when they are good does not cause me to stay awake at night. It's sports.

 

[halftime718]

You stay loyal because after all those years of heartbreak when they finally win it's the best feeling in the world.

 

[fro b giant]

Hey be a fan of whoever you want, but don't try and argue or have conversation with someone who is a loyal fan about something you just began to like last/this year.

For example: I have been married for 25 years I love the woman I am with and know her inside and out. Love everything about her, at times she may disappoint but I still have been with and cherish her and have for 25 years.

You have been "dating" this chick for 1 year, you think you love her but when someone asks you why, you can't think of 3 good reasons. Would you defend her to the death?

 

[lightweight champion]

So if you like Team A but they suck year after year and you've finally had it you switch over to Team B who does well perennially? Fine, do whatever you want. But what happens not only if Team B then starts to suck, but if Team B is still doing well but then Team A starts to become a contender? Are you going to switch back to Team A?

 

[marionthebarberian]

Hometown pride >>>>> *

 

[eddiehouse5]

Like I said, it's silly to be loyal to something you pay money to. That's like being loyal to your barber even though he messes you up every week. Like still buying the same newspaper or magazine even though the writing has declined.

I used to live in the Tampa Bay area, and everyone liked Devil Rays (because they are the home team), and the Yankees (because they play spring training there, the owner lives there, and the minor league team plays there). Everywhere you go you see Rays merchandise, but the stadium was always empty because the team always sucked, and the stadium sucks.

And I don't compare my team to my spouse so I wouldn't defend them to the death anyway. If my team was paying my bills, that would be a different story.

Seems to me that gloating is more disliked than actual bandwagoning. If someone looks silly for frontrunning, someone should silly for doing the opposite.

 

[jmause3]

Originally Posted by Halftime718

You stay loyal because after all those years of heartbreak when they finally win it's the best feeling in the world.

 

[durden7]

Originally Posted by eddiehouse5

Like I said, it's silly to be loyal to something you pay money to. That's like being loyal to your barber even though he messes you up every week. Like still buying the same newspaper or magazine even though the writing has declined.

Whos paying money to be a front-runner?

Front-runners dont buy merchandise every year for different teams.

Youre saying that because your local team stinks, you wont go to their games but youll travel X distance to watch a better team  in person?

Its fair to say that you wont go to a game because the team stinks, but to swtich teams because of that is stupid.

 

[Retroballer]

I know the astros are terrible and i can admit that. I think thats what makes a good fan. level headed no matter how they good they are. One of the reasons i hate New England sports teams cause they are way too extreme with their emotions.

 

[big j 33]

So you're saying frontrunning and being loyal to a bad fan base are the same? People are loyal to a team for many reasons, family tradition, pride, nostalgia, etc. it's not easy or simple for someone to just give that up and root for the best team.

Why is it so silly? I love the Knicks but I don't pay them money to be a fan. Part of sports is the ups and downs, the good times and the bad. I won't judge how someone else enjoys sports, but frontrunning never makes sense to me, it takes the fun out of it.

 

[trelvis tha thrilla]

Originally Posted by jmause3

Originally Posted by Halftime718

You stay loyal because after all those years of heartbreak when they finally win it's the best feeling in the world.

Co-sign.

Bandwagon fans are clowns in my opinion. How can you not show loyalty to your team?
  

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

No fan looks at their team and thinks of it as a product. Each team is to each fan of that team a very important, unwavering element in their life. A team will always be there, in the best of times and in the worst of times (aside from a team moving away, which is fairly rare). Leaving a team says more about the supposed fan than it does about the team itself.

 

[pauliepeppas]

Originally Posted by Halftime718

You stay loyal because after all those years of heartbreak when they finally win it's the best feeling in the world.

exactly......people like colin cowherd say being loyal to a bad team is stupid, enough said

 

[romedadude]

Originally Posted by marionthebarberian

Hometown pride >>>>> *

Yep. Be with your team through thick and thin. I've seen my Atlanta teams win and lose (horribly), and I'm still with them die hard. I'm guessing Jason Heyward is the next guy these bandwagoners in Atlanta will jump on.

 

[ehh]

Everything changes when you get older.  You have to prioritize things, free time is few and far between and I'm not going to waste my time watching one of my favorite teams if they completely blow.  I have better things to do with my time.  Football is about the only one you can get away with since it's one game a week, 3 hours of your life on a weekend no less.  If you're favorite MLB/NBA team blows and you watch 80+ games a year to prove you're "loyal" then I think you're a fool.  I'm not going to miss a family event or not go out for dinner on a Saturday to watch Knicks/Raptors in January.  

Growing up I was loyal, through thick-n-thin with all my teams.  But it's just not feasible as an adult.  I will never have new favorite teams, the ones I liked growing up are the ones I like now.  But if the team/school blows them I'm not wasting my time watching them.    Especially when you get older and realize sports is all about money, money and money.  

 

[trelvis tha thrilla]

Originally Posted by ehh

   Especially when you get older and realize sports is all about money, money and money.  

What do you think the rest of the world is about?

 

[cincoseisdos]

Originally Posted by marionthebarberian

Hometown pride >>>>> *

 

[airjordan jb23]

Its easy to quit of your team when they do bad... That's not what being a fan is about. Its about being there for the good & bad. Suffer through the bad, but when they do good, it'll be that much better.

I mean, yea, you could say "my money, I'll support who I want". While that's true, you'll be looked down upon by a lot of other loyal fans... Key word: Loyal.

 

[18th letter]

Originally Posted by marionthebarberian

Hometown pride >>>>> *

Not my fault my hometown teams are ill.

Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox