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

[Jims_Doors]

LOL I logically explained reality to you and it still baffles you LOL

No.....I don't have a problem with your stance or your fandom, but it's others on here who it matters to. Posters who are keeping track.

 

[ram29jackson]

No.....I don't have a problem with your stance or your fandom, but it's others on here who it matters to. Posters who are keeping track.

oh ok

 

[Arizona_Sting]

I think it's more fun to follow a team for years rather than just follow one player. You get to see multiple players develop, you get to know your team inside and out like no one else, you look forward to the Draft and Free Agency a lot more. Sure, it sucks when your team has a down year/years but it makes it that much sweeter when they start winning again. I don't mind you not picking a team because of moving all over the place, but I feel bad for player fans, I feel like they're missing out on a really fun aspect of the game.

I always say this, but...I hate the NBA, and love the Suns.

 

[gordontrue]

I think it's more fun to follow a team for years rather than just follow one player. You get to see multiple players develop, you get to know your team inside and out like no one else, you look forward to the Draft and Free Agency a lot more. Sure, it sucks when your team has a down year/years but it makes it that much sweeter when they start winning again. I don't mind you not picking a team because of moving all over the place, but I feel bad for player fans, I feel like they're missing out on a really fun aspect of the game.

I always say this, but...I hate the NBA, and love the Suns.

I agree that there is an aspect that gets missed out on. I have been an Arizona Widcat basketball fan for 20 years (and that's NEVER changing), so I also know what that's like, just not at the pro level.

Who knows, at some point when my geographic location settles down I may finally cleave onto a team. I don't plan these things out, they just happen.

 

[ram29jackson]

I agree that there is an aspect that gets missed out on. I have been an Arizona Widcat basketball fan for 20 years (and that's NEVER changing), so I also know what that's like, just not at the pro level.

Who knows, at some point when my geographic location settles down I may finally cleave onto a team. I don't plan these things out, they just happen.

why do you need to live one place for a long time to be a fan of any team ? theres a thing called the internet/the news paper/ personal choice/ espn/ the radio/ sports news/personal freedom of choice.

you can live in Iowa and be a NBA Bucks fan, it doesn't matter

 

[trojanfan12]

why do you need to live one place for a long time to be a fan of any team ? theres a thing called the internet/the news paper/ personal choice/ espn/ the radio/ sports news/personal freedom of choice.

you can live in Iowa and be a NBA Bucks fan, it doesn't matter

I agree. I think many may have a favorite team, but may also have other teams that they pull for when not playing their team.

I've been a die-hard Lakers fan for over 43 years and am the only Lakers fan in a family full of Suns fans. When they aren't playing the Lakers, I pull for the Suns.

What I don't do is talk smack to other fans of other teams as if I were a Suns fan. I think that may be the difference for some folks.

Imo, bandwagon fans and player fans shouldn't be talking smack to fans of other team knowing full well that as soon as that team starts losing or their favorite player goes to another team, they're going to switch.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I think there are differences but there's also a lot of overlap.

 

[Heatles84]

I agree. I think many may have a favorite team, but may also have other teams that they pull for when not playing their team.

I've been a die-hard Lakers fan for over 43 years and am the only Lakers fan in a family full of Suns fans. When they aren't playing the Lakers, I pull for the Suns.

What I don't do is talk smack to other fans of other teams as if I were a Suns fan. I think that may be the difference for some folks.

Imo, bandwagon fans and player fans shouldn't be talking smack to fans of other team knowing full well that as soon as that team starts losing or their favorite player goes to another team, they're going to switch.

I can relate to this. I've always been a big fan, and outside of the big 3 era, the late 90's were the most exciting time for me because of the Heat-Knicks rivalry at its most heated tenure. I still remember the year after Jordan retired, thinking my team had a chance until Alan Houston sank that game winning shot against the Heat in game 5 in the first round. Then seeing the Knicks going to the Finals was salt on the wound, until the Spurs crushed the Knicks. Since that moment, I've always rooted for the Spurs, even though I'm nowhere near a fan of theirs, and as mentioned before, I would never talk trash to other fans on their accomplishments as it wasn't my place.

Although, the last two years had me rooting against them simply because I knew they were the one team that could flat out beat Miami in a 7-game series and crushed the big 3 era before it reached dynasty status.

 

[cwalke3408]

I do wonder about whether some of the "player fans" are really fans of the sport.

I use the example of Tiger Woods. Known fact that if Tiger isn't playing or in contention, even if it is a major, many people won't watch. So, while they can call themselves Tiger fans, can they really call themselves golf fans?

I may be a Spurs fan but I still watched the Finals when the Bulls went during the 90s, Lakers-Celtics during the 80s, etc. I may not have been pulling for one team or another but I watched because I am a basketball fan.

Texans won't be in a Super Bowl any time soon but I'll for sure listen to it at work or, if I ever get a Super Bowl Sunday off again, watch it at home.

Doesn't have to be my favorite team or player in the game for me to watch because I am a fan of the sport. I'm not going to necessarily pick a team and cheer for them but I will watch for the love of the game.

Maybe some but know know a number of Lebron fans who just as much of a basketball as I'm am.

 

[Inimical]

Listen up. If you are a fan of a player thats fine. If you watch basketball and dont have a team, go kill yourself. This is a team sport, if you want to cheer for one person watch golf, or tennis. You cheer for teams, not players. If kobe left LA i would cheer against him everytime. When he retires, hes got all the love from me and LA.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

Listen up. If you are a fan of a player thats fine. If you watch basketball and dont have a team, go kill yourself. This is a team sport, if you want to cheer for one person watch golf, or tennis. You cheer for teams, not players. If kobe left LA i would cheer against him everytime. When he retires, hes got all the love from me and LA.

BOTSLAYER should read this. Well said.

 

[Heatles84]

BOTSLAYER should read this. Well said.

I approve this message. I felt ashamed that I had to associate with him as Lebron was on the Heat. Lebron leaving wasn't the worse thing in the world. I can freely bash him now with Lebron on the Cavs.

 

[gordontrue]

Listen up. If you are a fan of a player thats fine. If you watch basketball and dont have a team, go kill yourself. This is a team sport, if you want to cheer for one person watch golf, or tennis. You cheer for teams, not players. If kobe left LA i would cheer against him everytime. When he retires, hes got all the love from me and LA.

Lol, maybe just a little extreme?

I have a team. The team that my favorite player is on. I,root for the entire team.


Look, when it comes to college sports, it's all about the program. In pro sports, for a lot of people, it's about the players.

 

[trojanfan12]

Lol, maybe just a little extreme?

I have a team. The team that my favorite player is on. I,root for the entire team.


Look, when it comes to college sports, it's all about the program. In pro sports, for a lot of people, it's about the players.

I agree that it's about the players in all sports to an extent, but it is far more prevalent in the NBA. That's why I think there are probably far more "player fans" in the NBA than in other sports.

All professional sports market their stars, but not to the point that the NBA does. I think a lot has to do with the fact that in the NBA, 1 star player added to a team has a much bigger impact on that teams fortunes, than any other sport. In the NFL, if you add a great linebacker to a lousy defense, it's becomes a lousy defense with a great linebacker.

In the NBA, if you add a great player to a lousy team, you get a playoff contender.

 

[gpm1976]

Listen up. If you are a fan of a player thats fine. If you watch basketball and dont have a team, go kill yourself. This is a team sport, if you want to cheer for one person watch golf, or tennis. You cheer for teams, not players. If kobe left LA i would cheer against him everytime. When he retires, hes got all the love from me and LA.

I don't know that I agree with that. I like the cavs, but I'm not die hard over them. Lately I've enjoyed watching Memphis. I first tuned in to see how Conley was doing... then being a small market team, they just sorta grew on me. I tend to pull for a lot of teams just because they are small market and are perennial underdogs. What makes a person an absolute POS of a fan is when they follow the best player/team without having any reason to have allegiance that player/team.

 

[gordontrue]

I agree that it's about the players in all sports to an extent, but it is far more prevalent in the NBA. That's why I think there are probably far more "player fans" in the NBA than in other sports.

All professional sports market their stars, but not to the point that the NBA does. I think a lot has to do with the fact that in the NBA, 1 star player added to a team has a much bigger impact on that teams fortunes, than any other sport. In the NFL, if you add a great linebacker to a lousy defense, it's becomes a lousy defense with a great linebacker.

In the NBA, if you add a great player to a lousy team, you get a playoff contender.

 

[Robotech]

In truth, most people are a mix of both team fans and player fans. I root for the local teams because I want to be able to see my teams play. Also, I want my local community to do well economically and in other ways. However, I will always have my favorite Warrior players and favorite non-Warrior players.

 

[ram29jackson]

Listen up. If you are a fan of a player thats fine. If you watch basketball and dont have a team, go kill yourself. This is a team sport, if you want to cheer for one person watch golf, or tennis. You cheer for teams, not players. If kobe left LA i would cheer against him everytime. When he retires, hes got all the love from me and LA.

you haven't been watching the last few years have you ? it simply isn't a team sport any more

 

[Jims_Doors]

I can relate to this. I've always been a big fan, and outside of the big 3 era, the late 90's were the most exciting time for me because of the Heat-Knicks rivalry at its most heated tenure. I still remember the year after Jordan retired, thinking my team had a chance until Alan Houston sank that game winning shot against the Heat in game 5 in the first round. Then seeing the Knicks going to the Finals was salt on the wound, until the Spurs crushed the Knicks. Since that moment, I've always rooted for the Spurs, even though I'm nowhere near a fan of theirs, and as mentioned before, I would never talk trash to other fans on their accomplishments as it wasn't my place.

Although, the last two years had me rooting against them simply because I knew they were the one team that could flat out beat Miami in a 7-game series and crushed the big 3 era before it reached dynasty status.

I still remember exactly who's party I was at when Houston sank that shot. Sure as hell couldn't tell though what happened later that night (cause I can't remember) except I got really drunk

 

[bksballer89]

The player fan shouldn't be able to talk bad about the history of any team