Bandwagon fans. If you are at all interested in sports, you know all too well what makes a person a bandwagon fan. What really makes someone a bandwagoner as opposed to a real fan?
Bandwagon fan:
A person who claims to be a fan of a particular sports team, but had zero interest in said team until the team had a winning record or won a championship.
No level of sports is immune to the bandwagon fan. Major league baseball has the NY Yankees bandwagoners who have never stepped foot in the Big Apple. The NBA has a nation of Miami Heat "fans" who couldn't care less about them prior to LeBron James coming to Florida. I actually have a friend who is born and raised in Orlando who is suddenly cheering for the Heat. Really? We have a hometown team to root for. Granted the Orlando Magic has yet to win a national championship, but damn why jump ship to the rival? The NFL has different sets of "I only cheer for winners" each Super Bowl. A Patriots fan who has never step foot in New England? Yep that is a bandwagon fan.
My Florida State Seminoles are currently ranked #2 for the first time in 13 years. The last time they had such a season was back in 1999. I of course remember this vividly since it was my freshman year at FSU when they went undefeated and beat Virginia Tech in the national championship game. It was amazing. Then for the past 12 years they have struggled while the University of Florida had Tebow time going on. All of a sudden Gator fans were coming out of every inch of the state. You couldn't step into a store in Orlando without bumping into some orange and blue t-shirt. It felt like Gator nation had taken over the state.
Now the tide has turned with the Seminoles dominating and looking towards playing in the national championship game. I can't help but notice more and more Seminole flags waving from homes and team shirts adorning people around town. Interesting, where was the love last year? So now my beloved team has bandwagon fans. Guess that must mean we've made it.
My Florida State Seminoles are currently ranked #2 for the first time in 13 years. The last time they had such a season was back in 1999. I of course remember this vividly since it was my freshman year at FSU when they went undefeated and beat Virginia Tech in the national championship game. It was amazing. Then for the past 12 years they have struggled while the University of Florida had Tebow time going on. All of a sudden Gator fans were coming out of every inch of the state. You couldn't step into a store in Orlando without bumping into some orange and blue t-shirt. It felt like Gator nation had taken over the state.
Now the tide has turned with the Seminoles dominating and looking towards playing in the national championship game. I can't help but notice more and more Seminole flags waving from homes and team shirts adorning people around town. Interesting, where was the love last year? So now my beloved team has bandwagon fans. Guess that must mean we've made it.
I'm mixed on my thoughts for bandwagon fans. I get so mad at bandwagon fans for my enemy teams, but I don't mind them cheering for my team. Perhaps that is because there are no bandwagon fans for my teams... because all of my teams are terrible.
ReplyDeleteUgh, the Seahawks have SO many bandwagon fans right now, and it's so annoying! I was a fan long before they were any good, and I'll be a fan long after. But hey, like you said I guess the fact that we're attracting bandwagoners means we've finally made it!
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