Bandwagon fans

When a sports team performs well, a lot of fans jump on the bandwagon. I'm among those who don't like people who act like they are big fans but only show an interest when a team near its peak.


I'm in a market that has faced accusations of a fickle fan base (although all markets have serious signs of the fickle fan base). I always felt that was a little misleading. We probably are more fickle than most because Washington is a desirable place to live (No it isn't. Calivermin keep out). A lot of the people who go to our games have roots elsewhere and lack any loyalty. They only show up when they might see an elite team.

When we have had strong teams, Calivermin join the bandwagon. The increased demand for tickets drives up ticket prices. Many loyal fans struggle to afford the higher prices and are forced to stop attending.

Take a look at the Mariners. Yes, they had problems when they were in the Kingdome. Part of those problems is that the Kingdome simply wasn't good enough for major league baseball. They might not have had the biggest fan base, but people still liked the team. Then the Mariners had a nice run for several years. After the team went back down to their previous levels, they seemed to have less support.

This is a big misunderstanding about local sports. The tens of true Washingtonians remaining are actually quite loyal. It's the Calivermin infesting our state that our fickle.

I will admit that I don't follow the Mariners the way I used to. There are a number of reasons for this. Among them is the Steroid era. More than likely, I will never feel the same way that I used to about the sport. I will still support the Mariners. I might not go to their games or watch them on TV, but I want them to win. It's the same with the Seahawks.

Some might still think that I jump on the bandwagon. My support is more likely to be displayed when teams do well. My support doesn't fluctuate based off of success. What does fluctuate is how much people around me talk about sports. I'm not going to bring up the Mariners or Seahawks on my own, but I will let others know that I want them to win if asked.