Keeping It Real
As we all know training camp is preparing to start all around the league. Once this happens, I imagine blogs league wide will be in-depthly scrutinizing every aspect of what goes on day to day. We will be reading lines like, ‘Seahawks rookie John Carlson made a diving one handed catch against the first team defense during 7 on 7 today.” Trust me; I understand that this will have no ramifications on the season. But like all true fans, every piece of good news will add a little pep in your step. That’s what is so great about being a fan. It lasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
This brings me to the purpose of this piece. I want to finally lay down the law on what constitutes a true fan. Nothing pisses me off more than meeting someone who tells me that they are Cowboy fan, “Because I’ve always just liked them.” What the hell is that all about? What they mean to say is that, “During the 90’s when they were really good, I decided to hitch my wagon to a winner and it felt so good rooting for all of those Super Bowls that I decided to stick around.” I know, total crap right? As we all know, it was easy rooting for the Cowboys when they were running rough shot through the league. Who didn’t enjoy the show when the triplets dominated the NFC? But “fans” like this are missing the essence of being a fan. Bottom line, the best part of being a fan is being able to celebrate when success finally shines upon your squad. When you were in the stands watching that 2-14 season, that Super Bowl victory is so much sweeter (I image…remember this is a Seahawks blog.) When you jump from team to team because it just happens to be their turn in the winners circle defeats the entire purpose of being a fan. It isn’t rocket science to determine which team you should root for. As a matter of fact it can be determined this easily. Either your ass lives in the state, has lived in the state, or one of your immediate relatives are from the state. Case closed.
If we all grabbed a hold of this reasoning, we all would be better for it. Sports in general would be better for it. If my rationale were widely accepted, this would effectively eliminate the despised “fair-weather” fan, arguably the worst part of sports. I know some of you are thinking that perhaps drugs, gambling, or crime in general is what is hurting sports. Nope, it’s half-ass fans that are hurting sports. They are the reason die-hards can’t buy tickets after a good season. They are the reason your favorite watering hole is now jammed packed with fake fans, slowing down your booze consumption. If fandom was viewed as a birthright, based on circumstances out of our control, instead of a fraternity mixer were you jump from girl to girl hoping to snag a winner, than sports would be better for it. If state, and or familial allegiances, were the basis for the teams you rooted for, than fans would settle in for a lifetime of the inevitable ebbs and flows that come with root, root, rooting for the home team. This is how it should be. So 12th Man make some noise, and holler if you hear me.
well said, but not sure how you can obtain a record of 2-15. Did they lose in the wild card round?
July 21st, 2008 at 5:01 pmDamn you Rabeless, always with the correct observation. Thanks for the catch, and thanks for reading.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:54 pmSo let me get this straight, because I could have misread it: Are you saying the only real fans of a team are the ones who actually live in the state, have lived in the state or have relative in the state in which the team plays?
You didn’t just really say that did you? If so, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
You mention the Dallas Cowboys and their fans, and make the claim that everyone started liking the Cowboys during their run in the 1990s. What you fail to comprehend is the moniker “America’s Team” came well before the 1990s. The Dallas Cowboys become the NFLs most popular team well before the COwboys, and during an era when the Pittsburgh Steelers ran the ship. The term was created in the late 70s, during a time when the Cowboys likely had more fans than they do now.
A fairweather fan is not one who doesn’t live in the same state or whatever your argument is. A fairweather fan is actually a fan who decides to change his team based on where he lives. Quite the opposite of your argument.
Just food for thought.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:13 pmI should augment my statement to state that if you live in a state where there is no team, then you can effectively be a free agent, and choose your allegiance.
What I am saying is that if you live in a state where there is a franchise, (unless for other already stated reasons) that is where your loyalty should be. If you lived somewhere that had a team, and you move and choose to continue to root for that original team than that’s ok. If you used to visit your grandfather, and he used to take you to Raiders games, and that’s who you choose to root for, you guessed it, that’s ok too. What is not ok, is rooting for a team just because. Because coincidently enough, it’s usually a team that is doing well at the time. People should root for their backyard, not pick and choose which backyard is the nicest.
In response to your claim that the Cowboys forged their way to being “America’s Team” during an era where they were overshadowed by the Steelers, I have added an excerpt for Wikipedia, clearly pointing out, in my opinion, why they are “America’s Team.” Like I said, it’s easy to root for a winner.
“The Cowboys are the most successful team of the modern era (since 1960). They have won 5 Super Bowls and 8 Conference Championships. The Cowboys have more victories (40) on Monday Night Football than any other NFL team. They hold NFL records for the most consecutive winning seasons (20, from 1966 to 1985) and most seasons with at least 10 wins (25). The team has earned the most postseason appearances (29, which includes another league record of 56 postseason games, winning 32 of them), the most appearances in the NFC Championship Game (14), and the most Super Bowl appearances (8), two more than any other NFL team. The Cowboys also played in 2 NFL championship games before the NFL’s 1970 merger with the American Football League. The Cowboys became the first team in NFL history to win 3 Super Bowls in just 4 years (a feat that has been matched only once since, by the New England Patriots
And finally, in regards to your definition of what a fairweather fan is, my entire point was that I don’t understand how people can jump from team to team based on thier current success, and that geography should play a role in initial loyalties. Rooting for a team here or there is inconsequntial as long as your true allegiances stay the same. Even Dictionary.com gives the definition of fairweather as “weakening or failing in time of trouble.” That’s the problem, people jumping ship if the boat is sinking, and trying to come aboard when we’re heading to the Caribbean.
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:55 pmI’ve lived in New York, Colorado and Virginia. I have been a Cowboys fan for my entire life. No one is going to tell me I should have been a Giants fan and that I am a fake Cowboys fan because I never lived in Dallas.
Secondly, just to be 100 percent clear, the term America’s Team was created by the NFL Network in 1978. That era was dominated by the Steelers. It doesn’t mean the Cowboys didn’t have wins during those years. Does Dallas have more fairweather fans than say, the Seahawks? Sure. That comes with the territory. Win a few super bowls and become a dynasty and watch how many new fans you get.
But I would criticize life long fans of any team just because they don’t live in the same state as that team. It doesn’t work.
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:17 pmNot NFL network. I meant NFL FILMS. sorry bro
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:18 pmYour devotion to the Cowboys is clear through the insightful coverage of them through your blog. I would reason however, that you are the exception to the rule and not the constant, in regards to why non Texas residents are fans of the Cowboys. But I wonder…what made you a Cowboys fan to begin with? Just curious, once again, I felt that your retorts were sound, and have given me something to ponder….Also, do you think this would be a good topic for discussion with the rest of the league?
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:46 pmHere is a classic example of what Mr. Sanders is talking about. I found this in the comments of Geoff Baker’s Blog on the Seattle Times website.
Here is a prime example of how terrible bandwagon Red Sox fans in Seattle truly are:
Last night I happened to be sitting right near Theo Epstein, about 1/3 of the way up the first level behind home plate. Now even I, as an M’s fan, was able to recognize him sitting there. He got up an left his seat around the 6th inning.
Despite the hundreds of shiny new Sox jerseys and hats, not ONE person I could see even slightly acknowledged him as he slowly walked up the iasle. For a guy who is so visable as a GM, who has done so much for the success of that franchise, not one “fan” could distinguish him from any other casual observer of the game.
Well, except for Bill Gates, who happened to be sitting very near to him. Of course, all of “Red Sox Nation” could obviously pick him out of a crowd quite easily.
Bottom line, we’re talking bout Bandwagon fans who get under our skin like the guy who double dips his chip. Its ri-goddamn-diculous that you are from Tacoma, Mill Creek, etc. and are all of a sudden the biggest Patriots fan ever, yet if I asked you who Andre Tippett is you’ll look at me with a blank face and say he won American Idol two season ago. Fuck you all you fake Boston fans, you’re a bunch of frauds.
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:41 pmI don’t think bandwagon fans has any parallel connection to where you live though.
I became a Cowboys fan because my dad always watched them on Sunday. Oddly, around the mid 80s, my dad stopped watching football because he said the money was making the game hard to watch. Not sure exactly what spurred his anger. But I continued on with the Cowboys and went through some pretty horrific years before things actually cleared up.
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:22 amI am from Washington.
I became a Packers fan on Nov. 24th, 1994 when Brett Favre threw 4 touchdown passes to Sterling Sharpe in a 42-31 loss to the Cowboys.
You want to know who the Seahawks QB was in 1994? Rick fucking Mirer. His backup (who started 3 games) Dan fucking McGuire. You want me, as a 9 year old, to root for that garbage?
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:13 pmI’ve been going to Husky games since I was 5. They have been going through rough times. But there is no option to jump ship, it is not possible for me to do that. They could go 0-12 for the next 25 years and I would still be a fan, hoping that the next year they get to the Rose Bowl. It’s a matter of what kind of person you are. If you are a real fan, you can’t just quit liking your team because they lose…it’s an impossibility
The Red Sox thing will pass. It won’t be cool after awhile. Being from Boston is the cool thing right now. It won’t last, and after Manny and Papi retire and the Rays become the power of the AL East, most of these assholes will have found another team.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pmWe dont want a piece of shit like you rooting for the Hawks anyways.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:17 am