Monday, October 05, 2009
What's the Point of Being Loyal?
At my work, there's a person I know who's a big Toronto Blue Jays fan. She always refers to them as "My Jays" and is always the optimist about the future of the franchise.
So of course, we give her the gears any chance we get. We talk about blowing up the team, how management is incompetent, how the squad is ripe with overpaid bums, how the Yankees and Red Sox give them no chance to win, etc. We're sort of enjoying their failure while rubbing her face in it.
In the early 90's, I don't recall one CANADIAN that wasn't cheering on the Jays as they won back-to-back World Series titles. Everyone loved the guys like Joe Carter, Kelly Gruber, Tony Fernandez and Tom Henke. It was indeed good times!
But what's the reward for sticking around not just for those glory years, but for the consistent failures ever since? Grief. No one applauds being loyal and sticking with your favourite team through the bad times. Instead, they mock you for wasting your time with a loser. And at the same time, no one will admit they're a bandwagon fan, but how many admit to being a fan of the San Francisco 49ers these days?
My point is, I no longer blame people for being a bandwagon rider. There's nothing but misery being one of the standout fans for a crappy sports team. And after seeing the grief some people get, perhaps it's just common sense to support a team only once they start winning.
# posted by SBP : 10:21 PM
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Ugh. I mean, we're all just rooting for laundry after a couple years since the turnover in pro sports is so high, but I applaud your Jays fan coworker. Bandwagon jumpers may keep the jersey business afloat, but it doesn't say much for their loyalty.
Since the Sens have crapped the bed in the past few years, are you going to become a Pens or Wings fan now?
Since the Sens have crapped the bed in the past few years, are you going to become a Pens or Wings fan now?
# posted by 
: 7:16 AM, October 06, 2009
: 7:16 AM, October 06, 2009
Can't do it. I need a reason, other than "this team wins", to get me emotionally attached and support a team. My Sens have struggled, but their my boys. I have followed them for 13 years now and seend guys like Fisher, Alfredsson, Phillips, Neil, Volchenkov represent my city for awhile now, and I want to seem them do well. I'll be one of those stupid fans I talked about that everyone points and laughs at when I suggest going to see a Sens game.
Have to agree with Stan... where's the loyalty? We've lost something in this pick-an-identity world, something akin to civic pride or community. Your team doesn't win? Pick a new one. Your wife begins to age? Get a new, younger one... to hell with that. Your team is YOUR TEAM. To illustrate, I've been a New Orleans Saints fan for 20+ years. Yeah, they're 4-0 now, but there have been some very, very lean years. Did I waver? Not once.
Go Jays.
Go Jays.
I have a few life rules I live by. The relevant one here is you don't boo your team. It implies you have a team, you stick with your team and you do so in the good and the bad times.
Now... I'm not a guy and I don't know if being a guy has anything to do with the ribbing of the downed fan... I just don't do it. On the other hand I'm ok with people bugging me when my teams down. It makes the good times that much better!
Now... I'm not a guy and I don't know if being a guy has anything to do with the ribbing of the downed fan... I just don't do it. On the other hand I'm ok with people bugging me when my teams down. It makes the good times that much better!
I'm fairly certain I've taken some shots from KM during the height of the Sens/Leafs rivalry, so I'm not sure she can claim complete moreal highground here...
20+ years as a Saints fan? Bravo, LD. I've been a fan since they signed Drew Brees. And their D has show greatness at times this season. With Manning and Mcnabb hurt (again), times look good. They're winning games on something other than DB's arm for the last two weeks... another worst-to-first for the NFC South?
(full disclosure: I'm a Steelers fan, but I have had Brees on my fantasy football team for the past three seasons.)
20+ years as a Saints fan? Bravo, LD. I've been a fan since they signed Drew Brees. And their D has show greatness at times this season. With Manning and Mcnabb hurt (again), times look good. They're winning games on something other than DB's arm for the last two weeks... another worst-to-first for the NFC South?
(full disclosure: I'm a Steelers fan, but I have had Brees on my fantasy football team for the past three seasons.)
# posted by : 8:55 PM, October 10, 2009
: 8:55 PM, October 10, 2009
Stan,
To be precise, I've been a Saints fan since 1987, the first year they made the playoffs, when their star RB was a guy named Rueben Mayes, the pride of North Battleford, SK.
They've never been as exciting to watch as they are now, though, with Brees putting up Marino-like numbers. And yeah, Brees was my first pick in this year's fantasy draft. Too bad he hasn't thrown a TD pass for three weeks...
To be precise, I've been a Saints fan since 1987, the first year they made the playoffs, when their star RB was a guy named Rueben Mayes, the pride of North Battleford, SK.
They've never been as exciting to watch as they are now, though, with Brees putting up Marino-like numbers. And yeah, Brees was my first pick in this year's fantasy draft. Too bad he hasn't thrown a TD pass for three weeks...
Heh, don't remind me. It's well reflected in my Win-loss-loss-loss record.
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# posted by : 7:43 AM, October 12, 2009
: 7:43 AM, October 12, 2009Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
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