False. You read this title and I’m already spewing out lies. I think I am a fan of many teams. However, my well respected colleague, Scoop, believes that I am the “good ole ‘fake fan’.” I respect Scoop’s opinion on this matter so I, like all good Big J Journalists, did some research. Here are some key definitions that I found that may or may not have a big impact on this fiery feud.
Scoop noted that the word fan comes from the word fanatic. I agreed with him but in further pursuit I discovered that they are two different definitions. It seems as if a fanatic is simply a fan that took a bit to much pre workout before the game. Instead of being "enthusiastic" like a normal fan, a fanatic is "extremely enthusiastic." These are essentially the same definitions but the folks over at Merriam Webster are certainly not idiots. Everything is intentional.
So the definition of fan suggests that it is someone who is enthusiastically devoted to a team. And what an odd coincidence we have here. It seems as if a devotee is someone who is an enthusiast. A fan is thus an enthusiastic enthusiast. An enthusiastic enthusiast is certainly a vague way of describing a fan. There are no arbitrary requirements listed such as attending a certain amount of home games, or watching a certain number of games on TV, or listening to a podcast about the team, or memorizing every elementary school that every player on the team went to. None of these acts are required for fandom. But if you are enthusiastic are you automatically a fan?
I believe that fandom is based on loyalty, devotion, passion, and of course enthusiasm. However, the idea of fandom is not binary. I don't believe there is a line that you must cross to be considered a fan. Everyone can be a fan even if that means watching one game a weak and rooting for the team. There are all different level of fandom and that should be respected by all different types of fans. Yes there will be those who buy season tickets, attend every game, scream their heads off, and go home crying. This doesn't mean everyone else isn't a fan.
Now, to the diehard fans out there who have spent years and years sitting on their couches watching their teams and screaming at the players and coaches. I am sorry if all your hard work was meaningless. But if you enjoy being a fan than you should share the glory and let other, less enthusiastic fans join the party. The diehard fans will always be there to support the team. They will be there for the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. And I give my respect to them for this dedication. They are fanatics. And the rest of us average people who cheer for our teams are fans.
Have you ever considered that teams might want to win more for the average fan than the diehard? I don't know if this is necessarily true but that's certainly where the money is at. If a team can get the average fan to become even more enthusiastic than the team is doing its job.
All of this brings up the idea of bandwagoning. Do I think it is okay to bandwagon? No I do not. But lets be very clear here. There is a difference between bandwagoning and what I'm about to describe. We have a casual fan here. He knows the three main stars of the team but struggles to name that fourth guy. He watches the games when he can. He thinks he knows the head coach but in reality he just knows the coach from ten years ago. He's happy when his team wins. And suddenly, his team which has sucked for the past 5 years starts to play really well. They just keep winning. Is it wrong for our friend to start caring more now? Is it wrong that our friend is more passionate because his team is actually fun to root for? I have yet to meet anybody who enjoys watching their team be trash. So can we really blame this guy for not wanting to watch a losing team? My answer is no. We can't blame him. He is a casual sports fan who will watch when its fun to watch. Isn't that what sports is all about in the first place? At the end of the day its about entertainment. Winning is entertaining. Now, I'm not trying to justify little Robby over here suddenly becoming a Lakers Fan after rooting for Minnesota his whole life just because the Lakers are in the finals. But guess what... let Little Robby do whatever he wants to do. Little Robby can root for and be enthusiastic for whoever he wants. If you don't think Robby is a fan then that's fine with me. But don't be mean to Robby cause his team is winning and yours isn't.
So why am I not a diehard fan? Maybe its because my parents were never diehard fans. Maybe its because I have too big of a love for the game to love one team more than the next. I root for the Mets. I root for the Rangers. Am I a fan? I guess that's for the world to decide.
The reason you don’t recall rooting for any specific game in that season is quite possibly because you did not watch any games that season. Maybe a couple, I’m not sure. Even the 2013-2014 season, you weren’t passionate at the beginning of the season. I think you became a Rangers fan because you heard the team from your state was good. Fortunately with the Mets this year, expectations are high and I know you know that so maybe you’ll start watching from the beginning and not just midway through. Personally, I cannot call anybody a fan of a team if they do not support there team for the highs and the lows. I call them “fake fans” but if yo…
I do not particularly recall rooting for a specific game in that season. And most likely once they were eliminated from playoff contention I did not watch. However, if I ever did watch of course I would be rooting for them
See, I disagree. I do not think you cared at all if the Rangers won any given game during the 2018-2019 season when they finished as the 6th worst team in the NHL. I’m not saying you rooted for the opposing team or that you chose another NHL team that year but I think you’d be lying if you said you rooted for them. Correct me if I’m wrong but I seriously do not think you cared about the Rangers one (insert any unit of measurement here) that year.
We need to be careful here Scoop. Of course I root for them when they’re good. And I also root for them when they aren’t good. However I am much less enthusiastic when they aren’t a good team because to put it simply it’s just not as fun.
*You root for the Mets WHEN THEY ARE GOOD. You root for the Rangers WHEN THEY ARE GOOD. I just needed to clarify this because I know you legitimately rooted for the Mets in the 2015 season when they made the World Series and the Rangers in the 2013-2014 season when they made the Stanley Cup. In fact, you even became a huge Giants in 2011-2012 when they won the Super Bowl. I think we both can agree you haven’t cared too much about any of these teams any other year so I just can’t label you a fan of any of these teams. “You root for them when they’re good. I think that is the most accurate way …