I have three sports teams I am extremely passionate about, Nebraska football, Duke basketball and the Boston Red Sox. I am loyal to these teams, I hate it when they lose and love when they win. I am also for a strange reason extremely protective. I do not like when people jump on the bandwagon of any of these teams. I hate it because they have not gone through the painful defeats or the years of losing that made winning a title so special. All they know is the team is successful and they want to root for a winner because it is easier.
College football and basketball are usually immune to bandwagon fans because one team does not usually dominate every year. I know there were a lot of bandwagon Miami football fans in the ’80s and the same for USC football in the early part of this decade. When Duke won back-to-back basketball titles there was a number of new fans. Those are the only three schools I can think of, bandwagon jumping is much more common in pro sports.
When a pro team starts winning you start seeing people come out of the woodwork as fans. It happened in Atlanta in 1991 when they went to the World Series. It has been happening in Boston since they won the World Series in 2004 and again last season. I do not know how many long time Sox fans feel about these pseudo-fans but part of me is upset. They became fans after the Red Sox finally won after 86 years.
They never experienced the lows of ‘46, ‘48, ‘49, the 50s, Tony Conigliaro’s injury, ‘67, ‘75, ‘78, ‘86, the Oakland As, and ‘03 those moments are what made 2004 so special to Red Sox fans. It was a family event for many, I called my brother and then called my Dad, unfortunately my Grandfather had passed away never seeing the Red Sox win a World Series but I know he was up there with all the Red Sox fans celebrating.
Going to a game at Fenway has never been a cheap ticket but with pseudo-fan coming out of nowhere the ticket prices have been jacked up. This prices out the long time fan, instead of the die-hards you get the rich guy who doesn’t know Manny Ramirez from JD Drew. A friend told me one good thing about bandwagon fans is their desire to spend money to prove they are fans. They buy anything, hats, jerseys, pennants, if it has the Red Sox logo they will snatch it up. All of this money eventually finds its way back to the team and it is used to pay for guys like Manny, Papi, Josh Beckett, etc.
I am glad they are doing their part for the team but every time I see a guy in a brand new Red Sox hat I am always going to question his loyalty. This new fan is spoiled and expects championships, if the Red Sox lose in the play-offs will he still be a fan? To me that is the mark of a true fan how do they handle adversity. These new Red Sox fans have never faced any, what happens when they do?
You have smart Friends
I must say you Duke fans are committed! Just last night I was sharing with a friend the clip that ESPN ran during March Madness. They highlighted the Cameron Crazy Blue Speedo Guy (the original “blooming flower”, I believe it was, in 2003). Now that is a fan.
That is not even something to joke about Polly.
As the father of the king of all “bandwagon fans”, I totally agree. I do think he will cheer “Ocho-Cinco” all the way into retirement though.
without qualifiers, you are a fan…question..your a Johnny Dawkins fan, how will Stanford fit into your emotional budget when it comes to “fan” adoration?
so, tell me what you REALLY think!
I use to live in Nebraska, I think there is only one group of fans that are more devoted to there team and that is Alabama. As far as band wagons go….when I crossed the state line into Alabama I had to choose, either Alabama or Auburn. Before that I was a Sooners fan. I hated the Huskers.
I am so with you on this… IU, Big D, and the Redbirds of St. Loui… Even though I don’t follow the Cards as much, I’ve been true since childhood. I’ve been a Cowboys fan since I can remember, and you don’t grow up in Indiana without a love for the Hoosiers unless you perfer a lesser brand of BB then you pull for that other team (Purdon’t)
Stay Classy!