Bandwagon Fans

[WPB Dawg Fan]

We often have trolls come onto this site to pump themselves up about "their" team. It is amazing how NONE of these fist pumpers consider themselves bandwagon fans. So, in an effort to clarify the truth of their fan-dom, I offer this simple explanation of what a bandwagon fan is:

 

1. You did not grow up in (or live in for an extended period) the immediate area of the team you now follow.

 

2. Your family members are not originally FROM the area of the team you now follow.

 

3. Nobody in your immediate family was a fan PRIOR to you becoming a fan of the team you now follow.

 

4. You became a fan during a period where the team you follow was very good/dominant.

 

5. You have never had to go through an extended period of time where the team was not good (over 4 years).

 

By definition, as the Browns have not even had a good team in over a decade, EVERY BROWNS FAN IS A TRUE FAN!!!

 

Teams that are MOST LIKELY to have HIGH NUMBERS of bandwagon fans are:

 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Many joined the ranks in the 70's, but the 90's and recent success are also big

Dallas Cowboys: 70's and 90's are their calling cards

New England Patriots: The true "johnny come lately's"

SF 49ers: They lost their luster lately, but they had the 80's and 90's

Indianapolis Colts: Pretty much post Manning draft

New York Giants: Any time a NY team wins the big one....get on board

 

So, if you are visiting, and find you fit the bill...please own up to it. We don't care.

 

WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!

[Mark O]

4. You became a fan during a period where the team you follow was very good/dominant.

 

 

This is the only one that is acceptable, as long as you stay with the team through the bad years after jumping on the bandwagon. I jumped on the Padres bandwagon after moving to San Diego in 1984 (they went to the WS and lost to the Tigers that year) and I'm still a fan today but the only reason I became a Padres fan back then was because the team was so good.

 

 

[WPB Dawg Fan]

1. I was born in Cleveland but moved to jersey when I was two. I do not consider myself to be "from" Cleveland, really, as I have no recollection of it whatsoever.

 

2. We're all born in Cleveland except for my dad.

 

3. Dad is a Giants fan and mom's a Panthers fan (they live in Charlotte).

 

4. I became a fan in the mid-80's when we were pretty awesome.

 

5. Duh.

 

I am considered a bandwagon fan based on three of the five criteria. But I guarantee that isn't the case.

You can take the boy out of Cleveland....

[WPB Dawg Fan]

This is the only one that is acceptable, as long as you stay with the team through the bad years after jumping on the bandwagon. I jumped on the Padres bandwagon after moving to San Diego in 1984 (they went to the WS and lost to the Tigers that year) and I'm still a fan today but the only reason I became a Padres fan back then was because the team was so good.

I edited the #1 rule to include living in the area for an extended period. Some of us move on to the team we live near later in life. I can't fault that with being called a bandwagoner.

[roach]

We often have trolls come onto this site to pump themselves up about "their" team. It is amazing how NONE of these fist pumpers consider themselves bandwagon fans. So, in an effort to clarify the truth of their fan-dom, I offer this simple explanation of what a bandwagon fan is:

 

1. You did not grow up in the immediate area of the team you now follow.

 

2. Your family members are not originally FROM the area of the team you now follow.

 

3. Nobody in your immediate family was a fan PRIOR to you becoming a fan of the team you now follow.

 

4. You became a fan during a period where the team you follow was very good/dominant.

 

5. You have never had to go through an extended period of time where the team was not good (over 4 years).

 

By definition, as the Browns have not even had a good team in over a decade, EVERY BROWNS FAN IS A TRUE FAN!!!

 

Teams that are MOST LIKELY to have HIGH NUMBERS of bandwagon fans are:

 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Many joined the ranks in the 70's, but the 90's and recent success are also big

Dallas Cowboys: 70's and 90's are their calling cards

New England Patriots: The true "johnny come lately's"

SF 49ers: They lost their luster lately, but they had the 80's and 90's

Indianapolis Colts: Pretty much post Manning draft

New York Giants: Any time a NY team wins the big one....get on board

 

So, if you are visiting, and find you fit the bill...please own up to it. We don't care.

 

WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!

 

WPB, your points, of course, are a generalization. Our friends from England would not seem to qualify- but they are true blue fans.

 

Browns 6

Ravens 0

 

[TheClevelandSound]

Im going to apply this to myself and the Cleveland Browns

 

1. You did not grow up in the immediate area of the team you now follow.

I grew up in Akron...im pretty sure that counts as immediate.

 

2. Your family members are not originally FROM the area of the team you now follow.

My whole family lives in the akron/cleveland area.

 

3. Nobody in your immediate family was a fan PRIOR to you becoming a fan of the team you now follow.

The only reason im a fan is due to my dad.

 

4. You became a fan during a period where the team you follow was very good/dominant.

I became a fan in 1999...enough said.

 

5. You have never had to go through an extended period of time where the team was not good (over 4 years).

well pretty much every year with the exception of 2 have sucked.

 

Awesome. No bandwagon for me!

 

 

[Steeler SChick]

1. You did not grow up in the immediate area of the team you now follow.

I grew up in Pittsburgh, lived there for 35 years.

 

2. Your family members are not originally FROM the area of the team you now follow.

They're still there, originally.

 

3. Nobody in your immediate family was a fan PRIOR to you becoming a fan of the team you now follow.

Hell, they were all fans before I was born.

 

4. You became a fan during a period where the team you follow was very good/dominant.

When I was old enough to really start understanding and following the game, the Steelers started sucking. Early 80's, which is when I started following them regularly.

 

5. You have never had to go through an extended period of time where the team was not good (over 4 years).

See #4.

 

By definition, as the Browns have not even had a good team in over a decade, EVERY BROWNS FAN IS A TRUE FAN!!!

 

Teams that are MOST LIKELY to have HIGH NUMBERS of bandwagon fans are:

 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Many joined the ranks in the 70's, but the 90's and recent success are also big

Dallas Cowboys: 70's and 90's are their calling cards

New England Patriots: The true "johnny come lately's"

SF 49ers: They lost their luster lately, but they had the 80's and 90's

Indianapolis Colts: Pretty much post Manning draft

New York Giants: Any time a NY team wins the big one....get on board

 

So, if you are visiting, and find you fit the bill...please own up to it. We don't care.

 

WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!

 

My dad was always a Steeler fan, he used to go to see them regularly during the 60's.

 

My honest opinion? The fact that Browns fans have stuck with this team during decades of futility is very noteworthy, but suggesting Steeler fans don't have core fans because they were successful during the 70's isn't really fair considering that was practically a generation ago, so I'll throw out that part of the theory if that's what your getting at.

 

The fact that some guy in Arkansas decides to be a Steeler fan because we're the greatest team that ever graced the sport - hell, that's not my problem. Bandwagon, sure - but saying all Steeler fans are bandwagon fans is pretty weak.

 

We continued to sell out games during the lean 80's - you know, that decade that yinz like to rag us about? If our core fans were bandwagon, then wouldn't you think some tix might be available during that period? Still had that 25 year waiting list.

 

While we're on that subject, how many seasons have yinz sold out in the past 40 years? Don't forget that door swings both ways. Once the cromagnon bowl days ended, did the interest in the Browns suddenly thin out?

 

And that's not bandwagon to some degree?

 

Just sayin.

 

Regards

 

 

 

 

 

.... an'at

 

 

 

 

 

.

[grimmreaper3]

When I was a lad, I was a 49ers fan. I admit it. I was from Ohio my entire life and when I started getting to know the league, the Browns had already moved. I knew nothing about the Browns, but Jerry Rice drew me in. From that point on, I wanted to play football and be like Jerry Rice.

 

Then the Browns came back. I don't really remember my feelings on the matter. I think I liked the sport but didn't really follow it, aside from knowing who Mr. Rice was. Then 2002 came. For some reason, I started following football really closely from the beginning of the year - I didn't just jump on the OSU bandwagon as a result of success. Incidentally, the Browns also made the playoffs that year... by that time, the Rice/Young duo had been broken up, so there was no questions where my loyalties lay.

 

And then the last 7 years of Browns History Happened. In this time, I learned what it is like to cheer for this team. Being a Browns fan is tumultuous and trying, but I am secure in the knowledge that, perhaps not this year, not next perhaps, and maybe not within the decade, but eventually, the Browns will win a Super Bowl. When that happens, what we have known will be made manifest to those simply along for the ride with the other teams: that sticking with a single team, through perennial disappointment, heartbreak, and even transformation and betrayal, is not pathetic, as has been accused, but a sign of strength. We will win, and when we do, we will experience a feeling made so much sweeter by its rarity in Cleveland, not merely for the Browns: vindication. Every passing year from which we are removed makes it all the more satisfying when it arrives. This is why I am a Browns fan.

 

Jerry Rice has come and gone from the NFL. Due to an inherent lack of physical talent, my wish to be like him has similarly passed. Yet I have found Browns fandom, and while the Browns remain, so too will I remain behind them.

[FairHooker11]

anyone who lived through the 70s as a Browns fan knows exactly how bad things were. The Kardiac Kids changed all that, albeit for a few short but exciting years! Just one space in time, but one of many periods the doldrums of losing seasons brought, then some bright spots of success the Browns teams & fans are SO used to.

 

We are DUE! and so tomorrow, Ratbirds being favored, I am waiting for a bright spot, a few signs of life this team I know will have, to show us that our time is coming soon.. screw the bandwagon... The Browns are favored in my book regardless...

[Kennel Club]

WPB, your points, of course, are a generalization. Our friends from England would not seem to qualify- but they are true blue fans.

 

Browns 6

Ravens 0

 

I'm a bandwagoner in reverse. Coming from the other side of the pond most people I know in England support the usual suspects (Cowboys, Giants, Stoolers, Dolphins and in recent years the Patriots).

 

I've been following the NFL since 1984 and didn't really have a team. I followed the 49ers, Patriots and Browns (I just loved the Browns uniform and the old Municipal). When I finally decided to follow just one of these teams I choose the Browns. I'm a glutton for punishment!

[SoCalBrownsFan]

Speaking of bandwagoners....

 

[Riffer X]

Chubby Chucker, again with the goofy correlation between 55,000 fans and 80,000.

 

Try going slow and doing the math.

[WPB Dawg Fan]

My honest opinion? The fact that Browns fans have stuck with this team during decades of futility is very noteworthy, but suggesting Steeler fans don't have core fans because they were successful during the 70's isn't really fair considering that was practically a generation ago, so I'll throw out that part of the theory if that's what your getting at.

dude, I think you missed the point. If the points I outlined don't apply to you, then you are a core fan. All teams have them (even the Steelers). My point was that the Steelers are among those with the MOST bandwagon fans...and amazingly none of them will admit it.

 

If you are a core fan, I commend you for your loyalty (although it has hardly been tested).

[ballpeen]

I edited the #1 rule to include living in the area for an extended period. Some of us move on to the team we live near later in life. I can't fault that with being called a bandwagoner.

 

 

OK...that's better, but I still don't agree with the premise. I am a Braves fan and don't really consider it being a bandwagon fan having been here watching them 3-4 times a week for the last 33 years.

 

My attitude on bandwagoners is you don't really know who they are until they jump off.

 

Who am I to say you can't root for this team or that team because you didn't live here or there, your folks weren't born here or there, you didn't go to school here or there, or you haven't rooted for the team X number of years? That's silly IMO.

 

You can jump on at any point. It's the jumping off part that tells the tale.

[WPB Dawg Fan]

Who am I to say you can't root for this team or that team because you didn't live here or there, your folks weren't born here or there, you didn't go to school here or there, or you haven't rooted for the team X number of years? That's silly IMO.

 

You can jump on at any point. It's the jumping off part that tells the tale.

How many fans do you know who root for a team that they don't live nearby that chose to root for a BAD team??? The point is, they were ORIGINALLY a bandwagon fan. They may have developed a love for the team, but that doesn't change the fact that they jumped on board because the team is a success.

 

Atlanta Braves? Sure, you may love them now after 33 years, but if I remember right, they were pretty darn good back then...and really haven't had many down years. So...you are now a great fan...but originally....???

[Earl34]

I think that your observations may hold true for most bandwagoners but I would offer that my best friend is a die-hard Dolphins fan with no connection in any way to the Miami area or their glory years. Now granted, they spent a lot of years being competitive but he still watches week in and week out even when they stunk.

 

As for me, I was a true blue Oilers fan and they moved and ripped my heart out. I still havent recovered. The city didn't have the foresight to keep the name, colors and record books. For me the NFL is simply something I love to watch and follow many teams, players and coaches. I don't know if that makes me LESS of a fan...but I'll probably need therapy until Bud Adams is six feet under and I can personally visit and confirm that I (blanked) on his grave. I think I'm not so much a bandwagoner since I don't really pull for the winning teams but maybe I like the underdog so much that I'm drawn to them.

 

I've been an underdog for much of my life and I guess it's just what I know.

[ballpeen]

I started following them back when guys like Murphy played....before the playoff run..years where 90 losses were pretty normal.

 

 

Bottom line is this....nobody is born a fan. You become a fan, which means we all jumped on the wagon at one point or another. The reasons don't matter why.

 

I understand there is usually a connection of some sort, but it still doesn't matter how, when, or why a person becomes a fan.

 

 

 

 

[Zombo]

A bandwagon fan is a kid that lives in Mentor but wears a Raider Cowboy hat.

 

Zombo

[WPB Dawg Fan]

I started following them back when guys like Murphy played....before the playoff run..years where 90 losses were pretty normal.

 

 

Bottom line is this....nobody is born a fan. You become a fan, which means we all jumped on the wagon at one point or another. The reasons don't matter why.

 

I understand there is usually a connection of some sort, but it still doesn't matter how, when, or why a person becomes a fan.

If they weren't good at the time, then you don't qualify as bandwagon....see #5 disqualifies you. They have to be GOOD when you jumped on board.

 

As for jumping on...most are brought up with a team that their family roots for...or root for the 'home' team. The bandwagoners are the ones that look around and find the BEST team and then root for them. Just because they get in the habit and forget to jump off (or the team never really stinks for years on end to test their loyalty) doesn't make them less of a bandwagoner.

 

Sorry, but under your description...all Steeler fans are LEGIT.

[ballpeen]

Sorry, but under your description...all Steeler fans are LEGIT.

 

I don't know that....nor really care. I don't worry about other fans.

 

Seems to me we need all the fans we can get.

 

Is there a point in all of this or is this just a rant about other teams fans??

 

 

[Bob806]

Bandwagon Fans= Harpo's Sports Bar & Grill in Brook Park, OH.

 

I went there only once, during the "dark" period in which there was no Cleveland Browns, after one of my boys' football games. I had to leave, there were so many Steeler fans. I know that one bad apple can ruin a whole bushel, but some of these "fans" never heard of LC Greenwood , Jack Ham, or Roy Gerela(sp). It truly made me pissed off.

 

Jealous of Steeler success, yes, I am guilty. Just can't tolerate stupidity.

[ballpeen]

I do understand some of the dislike for Steeler wannbe's...at my local spot, there are a couple of gay women who always wear their Steelers Jerseys. I sat next to them at the bar one game a couple of years ago and asked them if they were from Pittsburgh...neither was. Just a couple who decided they wanted Steelers jerseys.

[youtubeking1111]

We often have trolls come onto this site to pump themselves up about "their" team. It is amazing how NONE of these fist pumpers consider themselves bandwagon fans. So, in an effort to clarify the truth of their fan-dom, I offer this simple explanation of what a bandwagon fan is:

 

1. You did not grow up in (or live in for an extended period) the immediate area of the team you now follow.

 

2. Your family members are not originally FROM the area of the team you now follow.

 

3. Nobody in your immediate family was a fan PRIOR to you becoming a fan of the team you now follow.

 

4. You became a fan during a period where the team you follow was very good/dominant.

 

5. You have never had to go through an extended period of time where the team was not good (over 4 years).

 

By definition, as the Browns have not even had a good team in over a decade, EVERY BROWNS FAN IS A TRUE FAN!!!

 

Teams that are MOST LIKELY to have HIGH NUMBERS of bandwagon fans are:

 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Many joined the ranks in the 70's, but the 90's and recent success are also big

Dallas Cowboys: 70's and 90's are their calling cards

New England Patriots: The true "johnny come lately's"

SF 49ers: They lost their luster lately, but they had the 80's and 90's

Indianapolis Colts: Pretty much post Manning draft

New York Giants: Any time a NY team wins the big one....get on board

 

So, if you are visiting, and find you fit the bill...please own up to it. We don't care.

 

WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!

 

 

Just GOT to love guys like you. Ahh, the typical "die hard" who looks down on anyone who isn't a "pureblood." Who are you to come up with these qualificationS? Can you honestly fault anyone in Cleveland for rooting for another team? ITS JUST A SPORT. Sure, I enjoy it, but hell, who are you to say I can't root for team A this year and Team B the year after that? This isn't the WAR ON TERROR, dude. THIS POST JUST SERVES TO PROOVE THAT WHEN YOUR TEAM BLOWS (I.E. CLEVELAND) YOU START TO POST ABOUT SOME STUPID SHIT.

 

[youtubeking1111]

Nobody said you cant root for whatever team you want but when it comes to the Browns we all have some sort of connection with the team in one of the numbers on the OP post and The OP is a moderator here so STFU.

 

 

So that is what it has come to now? Being told that if we disagree with the moderator we should STFU? Its guys like you that make it embarassing to admit that you are a browns fan. All Im trying to say is that we sound lame when we start putting geographical qualifications on being a true fan. It just feeds into the stereotype that Browns fans are all delusional. I would rather us be humble, and when our teams start to win, we can gloat.

 

Ive been to NFL games in about 5 cities in addition to Cleveland. The big difference is that the fans in these cities are much "cooler" than Browns fans. This is because pretty much every team in the league can look forward to being competitors every few years. If you are with them, great...if you are against them, well then thats up to you. What do we get in Cleveland? Douchebags try and require Joe Blow from Westlake and Jim Bob from Mentor to bleed Orange and Brown every single week for their entire lives, or they aren't considered good enough. Its kind of like a dieing religion. We must all be 100% pure or we aren't dedicated enough. We should let the Browns rise and fall like a religion...if they do a good job at what they are doing, they will grow and be widely accepted...if they don't, they lose support.

 

Finally, its guys like those posting here that have made actually going to Browns games unbearable. Tailgating for the Browns is like going to a bad Irish Wake. Its so cliche: first couple beers everyone is having a good time. After about beer 4, some guy starts playing "Pittsburgh sucks" (even though we are playing Cincinnatti), after about 6 beers someone starts talking about Bernie, after about 10 beers everyone realizes that the team is actually dead. You then get to go sit in direct sunlight (thanks to our wonderful stadium design) for 3 hours.

 

All Im trying to say is, the Browns suck. You can't start getting to nit-picky about who "true fans" are.

[Bob806]

Thanks for the insult danamal, I guess my post was worthless.

[WPB Dawg Fan]

So that is what it has come to now? Being told that if we disagree with the moderator we should STFU?

wow, talk about taking this out of context. the point of the thread was about all the johnny come lately Stooler, Ravens, Cowboys, Patriots, etc... bandwagon fans who have the audacity to come on here and give us crap over showing loyalty to a team that has struggled since rejoining the league, when they in fact have no clue what loyalty is.

 

People can root for whatever team they want. Go ahead. But don't get all crybaby about it when we call you a bandwagon fan because you "decided" to root for a team that was on top instead of your local team or the one your family has historically cheered for.

 

Get it. Cheer for who you want...but don't blather at US unless you are a bonafide, diehard, even if we suck fan of the other team.

[WPB Dawg Fan]

Just for some clarification on what it takes to be a bandwagon fan....the first and foremost requirement is that you had to START cheering for that team WHILE THEY WERE ON TOP!!!

 

A little history will tell you that the term came from politics. When an election was over, the winner would have a parade to announce himself to the public. In that parade, they would have a band....and it would be on a wagon (bandwagon). The newly elected official would ride ON that bandwagon. And all the people who wanted to be identified with the WINNER would clamor to be on the bandwagon so they could gloat that their man won.

 

Hence, if you like a team not of your home area (or not from a family history) that you started liking while they WERE NOT the best or one of the best...then you by default ARE NOT a bandwagon fan. That is why I listed the teams most likely to HAVE bandwagon fans...to point out the ones that have had an extended period of WINNING without losing periods that would appeal to the bandwagon fan.