It just so happened that this year, the Buffalo Bills were in a massive stretch of destroying every team they touched and travelling to the Super Bowl in what seemed like every season (Yes, my friend is very aware that they have never one a championship). My friend did not know this entirely, but decided to pretend that he was a HUGE Buffalo Bills fan to sacrifice his mother's feelings. To keep the facade going, he started to do his research, watched more football, and even had his father take him to games when the Bills came to town. The unexpected result? He absolutely fell in love with the team and could create 10 man caves the size of Ralph Wilson Stadium with the memorabilia that he has acquired. He even has a picture with Jim Kelly front and center on his work desk.
How often does this happen? How often does someone kinda stumble onto being a fan? RARELY. These stories are few and far between. I never knew a Dallas Cowboys fan existed until their awesome stretch in the 1990's. I grew up in Indiana and I couldn't have told you 5 people that liked the Colts through the Eric Dickerson days, the Jeff George era, or before Marshall Faulk became a household name. Hell, most of my friends couldn't even tell you that Andre "Bad Moon" Rison even played for Indianapolis. BUT, you bring in a quarterback with a down home, wholesome attitude and a "laser, rocket arm" (plus a championship) and eventually you can't even walk through a Marsh grocery store without seeing the number 18 on a housewife's back while she picks up chips and dip for Sunday's game against New England.
The moral of all this? The lesson here is that IT'S OK. It's perfectly fine. I, myself, am incredible guilty of giving the "bandwagoners" a hard time. Probably because I, er "my friend," came from humble beginnings with an atypical story of why they like a team. Think about it... just a little... for those of you in your mid-twenties to early thirties. Were you fans of the Pacers before the "Reggie Miller era?" You can tell me you were ALL YOU WANT... but that group is a very elite one.
Typically, people become fans of a team because of their success. People just don't wake up one day and say, "You know what, I LOVE the Kansas City Chiefs..." Well, I guess Cubs fans don't fall into that category... What's important is that they get on the bandwagon and STAY ON. They ride that bumpy son-of-a-bitch through brawls (Pacers), drugs (Cowboys), shooting incidents (Plaxico), and winless seasons. Indiana has those fans... those that can relate... those that fell in love with a team and are helping others onto that bandwagon as it rolls toward the NBA Finals. Don't hate it, embrace it. We all love the Pacers for the same reason: It's our city, it's our home, and they are DAMN good - the players feel like our neighbors and family. The FAMbase is getting stronger.
Well written. I, too was guilty of this. Im nearing my mid-thirties and when I started getting into football I didn't know which team to like, so I found a player to like. Barry Sanders. I think my love affair started on a Thanksgiving because I don't see how I could have watched a Lions game other-wise. My family wasn't well off either so discounted gear was what we got. I had White Sox shirts having never seen them play a game, Bulls hats because of the Jordan era and even an Aikman jersey because...well because the Cowboys where AMERICA'S tea. Though my family were always big Colts fans since the Mayflower trucks rolled in, they weren't good back then so good luck finding them on TV. BUT, I quickly outgrew this. I realized good or bad the Colts and Pacers were OUR teams. Now I'm a total homer. If it's local I try to support it. My brother and I are in our first season cheering in The G2 Zone. My wife and I buy a 10 ticket pack for the Fever every year. I try to get to a Colts and Indians game when I can. My point being that after a certain age this should be considered unacceptable. Your point is valid UNTIL you see that its only the "good" teams that have these bandwagon fans. Once that team isn't considered "good" any longer, those fans are gone. You see a few, but most have moved on to the next highlight film. If you are in your late teens and you don't know what it's like to support a team that EVERY one gives you hell for, then you are truly a bandwagon fan.
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