Is bandwagoning bad?

[adrock]

I may get flamed for this, but I seriously want to have an intelligent discussion about why fans often think it's a character flaw to be a bandwagon fan.

In every other aspect of our lives we need positive results to give us a reason to believe in something. We don't buy stock of a company that has all the signs of failing. It would be foolish to do so, and I bet if we told our friends that we did, they would make fun of us.

But in the world of sports fandom, it is different. You're expected to invest emotionally and financially in a team that may never get better. If you don't, you are a bandwagon fan and will be ridiculed/belittled/marginalized by all other fans.

In light of that, I ask you, who's the idiot? The person that stays on a sinking ship saying, "It will get better, I just know it!" Or the person that gets in a lifeboat and says, "I'll just wait to see what happens. Maybe I'll get back on later."

 

[DontMissHim]

I may get flamed for this, but I seriously want to have an intelligent discussion about why fans often think it's a character flaw to be a bandwagon fan.

In every other aspect of our lives we need positive results to give us a reason to believe in something. We don't buy stock of a company that has all the signs of failing. It would be foolish to do so, and I bet if we told our friends that we did, they would make fun of us.

But in the world of sports fandom, it is different. You're expected to invest emotionally and financially in a team that may never get better. If you don't, you are a bandwagon fan and will be ridiculed/belittled/marginalized by all other fans.

In light of that, I ask you, who's the idiot? The person that stays on a sinking ship saying, "It will get better, I just know it!" Or the person that gets in a lifeboat and says, "I'll just wait to see what happens. Maybe I'll get back on later."

Well, I think the person that stays on the sinking ship will have more gratification when the team finally turns it around and makes it to the NCAA. They will feel like they were with the team the whole time and it means more to them when they see the name called on selection sunday.

Having said that, I think having bandwagon fans is nice--simply because once bandwagon fans jump on board you know you are headed in the right direction..

 

[adrock]

To clarify, I am one of those dedicated fans. My post was simply meant to get some discussion going on how illogical being a sports team fan (aka fanatic) is.

 

[Kingsley Court]

I'm not really following the point of how illogical it is. I guess it depends on how much financially your really putting into it. I think the problem is, no matter if the team is winning or losing, you don't get anything back finacnially any way.

Take the stocks example, your losing money and can't gain anything from it. At least with the team your following, you never would get anything from it. I suppose enjoyment, but if you don't enjoy going to games and supporting a team when they are losing, then don't support them financially. You can still be a fanatic and not support the team financially.

The only bandwagon fans that I don't like, are the ones who hop back on the bandwagon, and act as if they have suffered as a fan as much as you had. I dont know, I just think it's annoying to see bandwagon fans, even though every team has them. I think it's annoying to see, but it is needed IMO. These fans hop on to the bandwagon, creating more and more support for the team. People buy more merchandise and all that good stuff as well. I don't like them, but I think they are needed so I accept them.

 

[swg]

The more UC wins, the more effort at 'being a fan' there shall be.

 

[adrock]

I'm not really following the point of how illogical it is. I guess it depends on how much financially your really putting into it. I think the problem is, no matter if the team is winning or losing, you don't get anything back finacnially any way.

Right. The only thing a fan gets from the experience is the emotional exhilaration of winning. Assuming an equal emotional agony occurs after a loss (and for me, it does), rooting for a sub-.500 team is more pain than pleasure. Yet the fans that are logical enough to realize this and detach themselves emotionally from the situation until it improves are scolded and labeled as bad fans.

My point, I guess, is that the bandwagon fans are the winners here. They get the exhilaration of winning with none of the agony. They may be bad fans (whatever that means), but at least they're not needlessly wallowing in misery after every loss like us idiots.

 

[ImmortalIconForever]

I don't take bandwagon fans seriously. I try not to talk to bandwagon fans at all, for my teams or against them. I know a guy who was a LSU fan, of course when they won the BCS, then jumped to Florida after that. I blocked his calls after this year's bowl game, and tries to tell us he's always been a Florida fan, he's gone so far to get a Florida key chain.

 

[adrock]

I don't take bandwagon fans seriously. I try not to talk to bandwagon fans at all, for my teams or against them. I know a guy who was a LSU fan, of course when they won the BCS, then jumped to Florida after that. I blocked his calls after this year's bowl game, and tries to tell us he's always been a Florida fan, he's gone so far to get a Florida key chain.

That's fair, but the question is "Is bandwagoning bad?"

If so, explain why.

 

[CoolCat]

If there is a bandwagon to get on, why not. UC basketball has sucked the life out of its fans since Huggs n kennedy b.s.. The last four years have been rough. They seriously got to earn some fans back.