The difference between the "bandwagon fan" and the "player fan"

[gordontrue]

When it comes to professional sports, I consider myself a "player fan". Having never lived in one place for more than 3 years, I feel no geographic allegiance. I become fans of players and, by extension, fans of their team.

I was a Cavs fan for 7 years. I've been a Heat fan for 4 years. If LeBron were to sign with the Bucks in 2 weeks... Yes, I'll probably become a Bucks fan. I'll always have an affinity to the Heat and feel some allegiance to them, but my loyalty with the player is greater.

Many of you will find this repulsive and identify me as a Bandwagon fan. That's just fine with me, but allow me to offer a few important differences between the "bandwagon fan" and the "player fan".

1) A player fan doesn't need winning to remain loyal. If Lebron stays with the Heat for 10 more years and misses the playoffs every single year.... I'll still be a Heat fan and just as engaged as ever. Just as I was with the Cavs in their struggles. You can't say the same for a bandwagon fan.

2) A player fan is just as knowledgable and engaged as any other fan. Unlike the bandwagon fan, it is not about the social, look-I-like-a-cool-team experience. While the bandwagon fan is busy taking a selfie at the game to share on twitter, the player fan is leaning forward biting his nails screaming at a player for failing to box out.

3) The player fan doesn't care which team is the current fashionable, trendy team to root for. If it happens to coincide, well that kinda sucks, but whatever. I was a Bibby fan throughout his career which had me as a Grizzlies fan and a Kings fan... Not the most popular teams.

I respect fans that stay loyal to a team. To those that are true Heat fans, I'm sure they experience a different level of satisfaction seeing the team reach the pinnacle than I do. They've earned it.

What do you guys think?

 

[trojanfan12]

I hadn't really even heard of a "player fan" until I came across a poster on cbs (whoosh) who was a Tracy McGrady fan. At first, I considered him no different than a bandwagon fan, but when he explained the difference, I kind of understood.

I still don't completely understand because I have always been a team fan and the team is generally always there, while the player will eventually retire and then you have to find a new player to be a fan of.


The biggest difference that I see is in the loyalty. A bandwagon fan has no loyalty. A player fan's loyalty is pretty much no different than someone who is loyal to a team, just that it's to a specific player rather than a team.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

The NBA has always been a players league.
The overwhelming majority of fans root for a high profile player and his team.


The NBA has always marketed and encouraged it that way.
It is just the model that works.


And if Lebron goes to the Cavs, I imagine the Cavs will be the most popular team again.
It is not a bad thing. It works well for the NBA.




Otherwise the entire planet would still be BULLS fans. Chicago had nothing to do with it.
Jordan fans probably accounted for 80% of NBA fans in the 90s.

 

[RobToxin]

That's an interesting thought.

As a Spurs fan, I have been very fortunate that my favorite Spurs from Gervin to David Robinson to Tim Duncan have never played for other teams to where I had to divide my loyalty. But I can see the new generation of sports fans being more drawn to the player than the team. Especially as these teams keep distancing themselves from their cities in favor of corporate dollars.

It starts with the arena names but will one day gravitate to every aspect of the team.

The day the San Antonio Spurs become the AT&T Spurs will be the day I am done.

 

[Malibu]

I get it because you have moved every 3 years but what is every other bandwagon fans excuse?

 

[Heatles84]

That's an interesting thought.

As a Spurs fan, I have been very fortunate that my favorite Spurs from Gervin to David Robinson to Tim Duncan have never played for other teams to where I had to divide my loyalty. But I can see the new generation of sports fans being more drawn to the player than the team. Especially as these teams keep distancing themselves from their cities in favor of corporate dollars.

It starts with the arena names but will one day gravitate to every aspect of the team.

The day the San Antonio Spurs become the AT&T Spurs will be the day I am done.

I must say, RobTox. You're lucky as a fan as you're off to a great start on the Duncan to Leonard transition.

 

[hockey878]

When it comes to professional sports, I consider myself a "player fan". Having never lived in one place for more than 3 years, I feel no geographic allegiance. I become fans of players and, by extension, fans of their team.

I was a Cavs fan for 7 years. I've been a Heat fan for 4 years. If LeBron were to sign with the Bucks in 2 weeks... Yes, I'll probably become a Bucks fan. I'll always have an affinity to the Heat and feel some allegiance to them, but my loyalty with the player is greater.

Many of you will find this repulsive and identify me as a Bandwagon fan. That's just fine with me, but allow me to offer a few important differences between the "bandwagon fan" and the "player fan".

1) A player fan doesn't need winning to remain loyal. If Lebron stays with the Heat for 10 more years and misses the playoffs every single year.... I'll still be a Heat fan and just as engaged as ever. Just as I was with the Cavs in their struggles. You can't say the same for a bandwagon fan.

2) A player fan is just as knowledgable and engaged as any other fan. Unlike the bandwagon fan, it is not about the social, look-I-like-a-cool-team experience. While the bandwagon fan is busy taking a selfie at the game to share on twitter, the player fan is leaning forward biting his nails screaming at a player for failing to box out.

3) The player fan doesn't care which team is the current fashionable, trendy team to root for. If it happens to coincide, well that kinda sucks, but whatever. I was a Bibby fan throughout his career which had me as a Grizzlies fan and a Kings fan... Not the most popular teams.

I respect fans that stay loyal to a team. To those that are true Heat fans, I'm sure they experience a different level of satisfaction seeing the team reach the pinnacle than I do. They've earned it.

What do you guys think?

Im in the same boat, so i get it. most people wont. its annoying when people attack your credibility because of your perceived "bandwagonness".

 

[hockey878]

I get it because you have moved every 3 years but what is every other bandwagon fans excuse?

why don't we start with yours?

 

[HizzleRocker]

People chose their own reasons for being part of a fanbase. I honestly could care less. Don't think it's up to me to tell someone else why they should or should not root for a certain team. But since we are discussing:

I myself grew up in Texas. Hence my affiliation with Longhorns. For whatever reason never cared about the professional sports (i.e. Cowboys or Mavs). I was a Lakers fan since I was a little kid and grew up watching Magic play. That support only grew when I once got to meet him, Pat Riley, Worthy, Soctt, etc... I got a ball signed by everyone of them.

That support then only continued to grow when I later in life moved to SoCal - where I lived for about 7 years. I was a fan of them - because, and that only grew once my life brought me closer to that team. While in SoCal I became a huge Chargers fan. I have remained a Chargers fan for the last 13 years and that will not change.

I did not change allegiances once Magic retired, or when Riley left, or when Shaq left, or when Drew Brees left, etc... Those people may have brought me to that team - but my loyalty remains with the team.

My only question is this: What do you do when Lebron retires?

 

[Malibu]

Brewers fan because I live in Wisconsin and enjoy going to Brewers games since I was a kid. I became a Lakers fan when i was young because of showtime. Magic Johnson is my favorite basketball player of all time and that wont change. I become a Broncos fan because of John Elway. I have over 200 John Elway football cards, posters, etc and stayed a Broncos fan. I became a big Syracuse fan due to guys like Sherman Douglass, Otis Hill, John Wallace, Lawerence Moten, and stuck with them. I became a Gators fan due to Spurrier and watching the Gators have past days with Terry Deam, Danny Wuerfell, Shane Matthews light up the scoreboard. I do support teams in Wisconsin like UWGB, Timber Rattlers, etc.. Ive kept these teams as my favorite teams and havent switched or bandwagoned anywhere else.

 

[gordontrue]

My only question is this: What do you do when Lebron retires?

I'll have to see what happens. Like most people, there are always a handful of players that I really like, but there has always been 1 that I choose to support the most and follow his team.

First it was Dr J, then Steve Kerr, then Mike Bibby, now LeBron. Obviously there is some crossover and gradual transition from one to the other, but there's always another player that comes along that catches my appreciation.

 

[Malibu]

I do enjoy watching Melo play since he went to Syracuse. I am no fan of Braun for obvious reasons but I still root for the Brewers. MLB though is 4th out of all the major sports I care about. I did enjoy watching gretzky play but Im no real hockey fan. I do have an Elway Stanford jersey and 3 Broncos Elway jerseys. Hopefully this clear things up sorry for the typos.

 

[Shoveyjoe]

All Miami teams for me .....unfortunately. I was a Bulls fan when Jordan first started out and the Heat didnt exist.

 

[RobToxin]

You knew it had to happen eventually.



fuck

 

[bksballer89]

Started out as a player fan for miami as I used to love Zo and Eddie Jones but became a team fan once I realized how great of an organization this is and could never see myself rooting for another team.

 

[gpm1976]

When it comes to professional sports, I consider myself a "player fan". Having never lived in one place for more than 3 years, I feel no geographic allegiance. I become fans of players and, by extension, fans of their team.

I was a Cavs fan for 7 years. I've been a Heat fan for 4 years. If LeBron were to sign with the Bucks in 2 weeks... Yes, I'll probably become a Bucks fan. I'll always have an affinity to the Heat and feel some allegiance to them, but my loyalty with the player is greater.

Many of you will find this repulsive and identify me as a Bandwagon fan. That's just fine with me, but allow me to offer a few important differences between the "bandwagon fan" and the "player fan".

1) A player fan doesn't need winning to remain loyal. If Lebron stays with the Heat for 10 more years and misses the playoffs every single year.... I'll still be a Heat fan and just as engaged as ever. Just as I was with the Cavs in their struggles. You can't say the same for a bandwagon fan.

2) A player fan is just as knowledgable and engaged as any other fan. Unlike the bandwagon fan, it is not about the social, look-I-like-a-cool-team experience. While the bandwagon fan is busy taking a selfie at the game to share on twitter, the player fan is leaning forward biting his nails screaming at a player for failing to box out.

3) The player fan doesn't care which team is the current fashionable, trendy team to root for. If it happens to coincide, well that kinda sucks, but whatever. I was a Bibby fan throughout his career which had me as a Grizzlies fan and a Kings fan... Not the most popular teams.

I respect fans that stay loyal to a team. To those that are true Heat fans, I'm sure they experience a different level of satisfaction seeing the team reach the pinnacle than I do. They've earned it.

What do you guys think?

This is fine, but I think what draws criticism is that you choose to follow the best player in the game around. It doesn't take much to follow the best of the best around. But it does take a true fan to continuously follow a team like the Browns around and suffer through losing season after losing season. I don't know that I have too much of an allegiance to any NBA team, but I did find myself tuning in for Memphis Griz. games because they have two former OSU players on the roster and doing well... the other big draw is that they are still a small market team. I usually always root against organizations that have a ton of money and use it to draw away talent from smaller clubs.

 

[Shanemansj13]

I am a Cavs fan first, but have been a Lebron fan since watching him play in high school. So when he went to the Cavs it was a dreqm come true. I want him to come back to his home.

 

[gpm1976]

You knew it had to happen eventually.

View attachment 10579

fuck

Jeez!! Is there a bigger doosh on the planet.

Don't worry man, he's not a spurs fan and you don't have to count him as one. If the heat had won you'd see him wearing their hat around.

 

[RobToxin]

Jeez!! Is there a bigger doosh on the planet.

Don't worry man, he's not a spurs fan and you don't have to count him as one. If the heat had won you'd see him wearing their hat around.

He already has.

 

[hockey878]

Brewers fan because I live in Wisconsin and enjoy going to Brewers games since I was a kid. I became a Lakers fan when i was young because of showtime. Magic Johnson is my favorite basketball player of all time and that wont change. I become a Broncos fan because of John Elway. I have over 200 John Elway football cards, posters, etc and stayed a Broncos fan. I became a big Syracuse fan due to guys like Sherman Douglass, Otis Hill, John Wallace, Lawerence Moten, and stuck with them. I became a Gators fan due to Spurrier and watching the Gators have past days with Terry Deam, Danny Wuerfell, Shane Matthews light up the scoreboard. I do support teams in Wisconsin like UWGB, Timber Rattlers, etc.. Ive kept these teams as my favorite teams and havent switched or bandwagoned anywhere else.

Do you actually live in appleton?

See you have one distinct difference from me, you started as a player fan. And your players started and ended their careers in the same places.

I have always been a player fan as well as supporting the badgers and the bucks (i hated favre and thus the packers). The players I became a fan of were Peyton and LeBron. And it sucks because both of them left their teams for different reasons.

I am still a colts fan, although for the remainder of Peyton's career I think I put him higher than the colts.

As far as LeBron. I think it is more clear cut lebron fandom than anything to do with the cavs at any point. so i left the cavs, especially after gilbert acted like an ass.

As for how I became a fan of those two. Literally the first game I watched from start to finish during the 00's was a bulls cavs game. lebron hit a game tying 3 to put the game to OT. i was impressed by his overall play and started liking him.

The peyton thing started in college when he was throwing darts to peerless price