Bandwagon Jumpers should Jump off a Cliff
I hate bandwagon jumpers. Let me say that first.
Despise them. Nobody benefits from them, outside of rich executives who get ticket sales boosts. Everyone else in sports detests them.
To those of you who don't follow sports that much, think of it this way: you discover a band. They're underground and don't have a massive following. They're true to you- they mean something to you. They aren't the "cool" thing, and that makes them unique and special- they haven't been marketed and blanded down to support some corporate image and sell tickets. It's about the music, and they have a special appeal to you.
Now let's suppose this awesome band gets a little more popular. People start buying more tickets. To make more money, they try to get on the radio- but have to start playing more socially "acceptable" music to be allowed. So they change and start moving away from what made them special. Their appeal goes up to mainstream America, and ticket prices start going up. Suddenly, the only people who supported them in the first place, their true fans, get priced out by the "rich exec" or the "family of four", or worst of all, the "cool" guy. The "cool" guy doesn't care whatsoever about what he's following or doing; if it's popular, he's doing it. He likes to be associated with things that are cool because that, in turn, boosts his self esteem because it makes him feel like he's part of their success. What's wrong with that? Simple: no loyalty. As soon as this band starts to cool off, "cool" guy is off to the next big thing, leaving your favorite band in the dust as they drift off towards obscurity. The worst part: when he leeches onto the next thing that makes him feel better about himself, he pretends he's hardcore into it, acts like he cares deeply so people will mistake him for a true fan. He doesn't mean any of it. He is the worst type of person: a liar and deceiver.
The band is a sports team. Your favorite sports team. When you grow up watching a team have losing season after losing season, things start to get a little depressing. Then suddenly, they draft a new quarterback who starts to lead the team into a bright future, or hire that new coach who is an amazing recruiter and boosts talent across the board, or a group of veterans suddenly start to "get" it. The team's going somewhere. And it means something to you. You supported the team through the hard times, so you have a connection to this team when they make something of themselves. Then, like the "in" crowd starting to "like" your favorite band, people who weren't there for the rough times start to pretend to like the team. When people who don't really care about the team start to act like they do, it's bad on multiple fronts:
-They make your fans look like idiots.
So you and your friends, who are Giants fans, visit a local bar and run into a Packers fan. You rib the poor guy about the NFC Championship game good-naturedly, as happens in any sports bar across the country. A guy wearing a "2008 NFL CHAMPION" hat and an Eli Manning SBXLII jersey moseys on over and starts saying things like, "Yeah, Brett Favre SUCKS! He's never gonna win a super bowl! LOL!" The Packers fan smiles and walks away, probably confident in the thought that all Giants fans are stupid. Meanwhile, you and your friends shake your heads disappointedly, wondering whether this moron has a Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady jersey hanging in his closet.
-They drive ticket prices up, pricing out the true fans.
The most famous example of this is obviously the Golden State Warriors. An ESPN article by Bill Simmons described this in detail by way of an email from a true fan:
When the team starts winning, and jacks up prices and builds a new stadium and alienates its true fan base, it'll be banking on the constant winning to keep people coming. Well, when the winning stops, and the true fanbase is sufficiently alienated, good f***ing luck trying to bring your actual fans back.
One day you show up to a team's game in your patchy, faded jersey adorned with the name of one of the few decent players you had when the team was terrible (oh, say, a Garciaparra, Pierce or McGinnest). You walk into the arena, excited by the recent winning streak, only to see many new faces around the crowd, wearing brand new, fresh jerseys (with, maybe, Ortiz, Garnett or Brady). Initially, you're excited. But you soon learn these are front runners, not to be trusted. How can you tell? A few simple questions can be used to out the bandwagon jumper:
1. Ask them the team's offensive linemen/bullpen/bench players/defensemen/ ANY position where there is no superstar. Knowing the role players is key to know a true fan.
"Hey, who's the Patriots kicker?" If he says "Vinatieri", punch him in the face.
2. If they know easy, current questions(which they may: some bandwagon jumpers are crafty) ask them something from when the team wasn't so popular.
"WOW! Fleury makes you forget all about how crappy Jean-Sebastian Aubin was, right?" If he responds, "Who's Jim Seabass Abin?" Push him onto the ice and hope Laraque pummels him into oblivion.
Bandwagon jumpers have been around as long as I can remember. The most glaring example nowadays is the sheer number of alleged Red Sox and Patriot fans- where were you all when the team sucked? I feel bad for true New Englanders who had to suffer through year after year of torment, only to be lumped into a "Masshole" category with these frontrunners when the team finally starts to win. Some payoff. Another one I notice in the present: Penguins fans. Really? You're all Pens fans? Seriously? You know 5 years ago about 80% of Penguins "fans" would tell you they didn't care about or watch hockey. Again, my condolences to the actual Penguins fans who were there before Crosby and Malkin. I may have a distaste for your team, but I have a compassion for all of those who truly care about a team in any case at all.
Front running is why we have a generation of teens and 20-something Cowboys, Bulls, Red Wings and Yankees fans, who grew up with their dominance in the 90's. When the socially challenged youth of America needed something to hang onto and boost their self-esteem, they picked out whoever they watched in the championship and said, "That's my team!" From Philly, and don't want to sit through some losing years, and want to be associated with a winner for your own sick pleasure? Hey, why not root for a team thousands of miles away who wins a lot and draw attention to yourself WOOO GOO COWBOYS! From Dallas, but don't want to watch those Mavs lose and lose again? Well, I just saw another MJ ad, why not become a Bulls fan! Their parents should have been ashamed.
But one strange side effect out of this that I noticed: if the team was very good for a long period of time, i.e. the 96-2000 Yankees, the front runner would be on the bandwagon for an extended period. After awhile, they actually grew attached to the team and became true fans. Which is why you see plenty of Cowboy fans nowadays who are 22 and will die for their team, even though they're from Nebraska and the Boys haven't won anything in a decade. Mock them if you will, at least they're sticking to their guns. But this is a rare case. Most front runners are gone by the time your team misses the playoffs for the first time after the championship.
The key thing to remember is that bandwagon jumpers are like sheep. They follow whatever they think they should follow, regardless of honor or loyalty. But they'll be gone. As soon as your team has a losing season. But then you'll have a whole new set of problems to worry about.
"Hey, this stadiums kinda empty... where'd everyone go?"
Despise them. Nobody benefits from them, outside of rich executives who get ticket sales boosts. Everyone else in sports detests them.
To those of you who don't follow sports that much, think of it this way: you discover a band. They're underground and don't have a massive following. They're true to you- they mean something to you. They aren't the "cool" thing, and that makes them unique and special- they haven't been marketed and blanded down to support some corporate image and sell tickets. It's about the music, and they have a special appeal to you.
Now let's suppose this awesome band gets a little more popular. People start buying more tickets. To make more money, they try to get on the radio- but have to start playing more socially "acceptable" music to be allowed. So they change and start moving away from what made them special. Their appeal goes up to mainstream America, and ticket prices start going up. Suddenly, the only people who supported them in the first place, their true fans, get priced out by the "rich exec" or the "family of four", or worst of all, the "cool" guy. The "cool" guy doesn't care whatsoever about what he's following or doing; if it's popular, he's doing it. He likes to be associated with things that are cool because that, in turn, boosts his self esteem because it makes him feel like he's part of their success. What's wrong with that? Simple: no loyalty. As soon as this band starts to cool off, "cool" guy is off to the next big thing, leaving your favorite band in the dust as they drift off towards obscurity. The worst part: when he leeches onto the next thing that makes him feel better about himself, he pretends he's hardcore into it, acts like he cares deeply so people will mistake him for a true fan. He doesn't mean any of it. He is the worst type of person: a liar and deceiver.
The band is a sports team. Your favorite sports team. When you grow up watching a team have losing season after losing season, things start to get a little depressing. Then suddenly, they draft a new quarterback who starts to lead the team into a bright future, or hire that new coach who is an amazing recruiter and boosts talent across the board, or a group of veterans suddenly start to "get" it. The team's going somewhere. And it means something to you. You supported the team through the hard times, so you have a connection to this team when they make something of themselves. Then, like the "in" crowd starting to "like" your favorite band, people who weren't there for the rough times start to pretend to like the team. When people who don't really care about the team start to act like they do, it's bad on multiple fronts:
-They make your fans look like idiots.
So you and your friends, who are Giants fans, visit a local bar and run into a Packers fan. You rib the poor guy about the NFC Championship game good-naturedly, as happens in any sports bar across the country. A guy wearing a "2008 NFL CHAMPION" hat and an Eli Manning SBXLII jersey moseys on over and starts saying things like, "Yeah, Brett Favre SUCKS! He's never gonna win a super bowl! LOL!" The Packers fan smiles and walks away, probably confident in the thought that all Giants fans are stupid. Meanwhile, you and your friends shake your heads disappointedly, wondering whether this moron has a Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady jersey hanging in his closet.
-They drive ticket prices up, pricing out the true fans.
The most famous example of this is obviously the Golden State Warriors. An ESPN article by Bill Simmons described this in detail by way of an email from a true fan:
"I have been a Warriors fan since age 3 and attended every home playoff game this year at different locations -- Warrior fans in the first round were worthy of the praise bestowed upon them by the media (you included). Last night, I was disgusted to be at the Oracle. The Dallas series was packed with REAL fans, a raucous arena full of people who had really been waiting 15 years. Once we upset the Mavericks though, we became obscenely trendy. Now, rich suburban families who couldn't name half our roster decided it would be fun to take the family to a game, and prices went up to $250 a seat for the lower bowl. Goodbye real fans, hello normal NBA crowd. The arena was subpar in the Game 3 win, but was absolutely SILENT in Game 4. I got in fights with fans around me after screaming at them to make noise. It's a sad day for Bay Area basketball. The fans get credit for the wins, we deserve the blame for this loss."
-They leave when the team stops winning, and it may mean trouble for your team's financial situation.When the team starts winning, and jacks up prices and builds a new stadium and alienates its true fan base, it'll be banking on the constant winning to keep people coming. Well, when the winning stops, and the true fanbase is sufficiently alienated, good f***ing luck trying to bring your actual fans back.
One day you show up to a team's game in your patchy, faded jersey adorned with the name of one of the few decent players you had when the team was terrible (oh, say, a Garciaparra, Pierce or McGinnest). You walk into the arena, excited by the recent winning streak, only to see many new faces around the crowd, wearing brand new, fresh jerseys (with, maybe, Ortiz, Garnett or Brady). Initially, you're excited. But you soon learn these are front runners, not to be trusted. How can you tell? A few simple questions can be used to out the bandwagon jumper:
1. Ask them the team's offensive linemen/bullpen/bench players/defensemen/ ANY position where there is no superstar. Knowing the role players is key to know a true fan.
"Hey, who's the Patriots kicker?" If he says "Vinatieri", punch him in the face.
2. If they know easy, current questions(which they may: some bandwagon jumpers are crafty) ask them something from when the team wasn't so popular.
"WOW! Fleury makes you forget all about how crappy Jean-Sebastian Aubin was, right?" If he responds, "Who's Jim Seabass Abin?" Push him onto the ice and hope Laraque pummels him into oblivion.
Bandwagon jumpers have been around as long as I can remember. The most glaring example nowadays is the sheer number of alleged Red Sox and Patriot fans- where were you all when the team sucked? I feel bad for true New Englanders who had to suffer through year after year of torment, only to be lumped into a "Masshole" category with these frontrunners when the team finally starts to win. Some payoff. Another one I notice in the present: Penguins fans. Really? You're all Pens fans? Seriously? You know 5 years ago about 80% of Penguins "fans" would tell you they didn't care about or watch hockey. Again, my condolences to the actual Penguins fans who were there before Crosby and Malkin. I may have a distaste for your team, but I have a compassion for all of those who truly care about a team in any case at all.
Front running is why we have a generation of teens and 20-something Cowboys, Bulls, Red Wings and Yankees fans, who grew up with their dominance in the 90's. When the socially challenged youth of America needed something to hang onto and boost their self-esteem, they picked out whoever they watched in the championship and said, "That's my team!" From Philly, and don't want to sit through some losing years, and want to be associated with a winner for your own sick pleasure? Hey, why not root for a team thousands of miles away who wins a lot and draw attention to yourself WOOO GOO COWBOYS! From Dallas, but don't want to watch those Mavs lose and lose again? Well, I just saw another MJ ad, why not become a Bulls fan! Their parents should have been ashamed.
But one strange side effect out of this that I noticed: if the team was very good for a long period of time, i.e. the 96-2000 Yankees, the front runner would be on the bandwagon for an extended period. After awhile, they actually grew attached to the team and became true fans. Which is why you see plenty of Cowboy fans nowadays who are 22 and will die for their team, even though they're from Nebraska and the Boys haven't won anything in a decade. Mock them if you will, at least they're sticking to their guns. But this is a rare case. Most front runners are gone by the time your team misses the playoffs for the first time after the championship.
The key thing to remember is that bandwagon jumpers are like sheep. They follow whatever they think they should follow, regardless of honor or loyalty. But they'll be gone. As soon as your team has a losing season. But then you'll have a whole new set of problems to worry about.
"Hey, this stadiums kinda empty... where'd everyone go?"
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okay man, there are bandwagoners, agreed. but how do you think people become a fan of a team, yes there is parental influence. but your gonna like a team more if they do well and like you said if they continue to win, itll stick. dont go making ignorant statements like 80% and asking about seabass. cuz the real fans, which i really dont think youve been to pittsburgh, will know that stuff. your from a philly area, i have half my family in pittsburgh its the same thing out there as it is here, everyone loves their pens/steelers/pirates...they'll bleed for their team. you see the bandwagoners in this area, but they will show up everywhere but home towns. saying they drive up prices is retarted, its called a inflation and economics. if a team starts stacking up wins, more of their fans will say hey, im taking my kids to see my team while they're winning. cuz when your young, it sucks to be in the stands seeing your team lose (i know you've probably seen it with your teams numerous times), so pops takes his kids to see the team and so they can appreciate that, and when they are older that stuff sticks with them so they'll be there when they suck again. you see where im coming from?
Posted by: andru germanoski | May 30, 2008 at 12:05 PM