The Case for the Bandwagon
Fan
By Jay Silver
• Ohio State
• Redskins
• Red Sox
• Patriots
• Cubs
• Arsenal
A WINNING TRADITION!!!
Still, Bandwagon fans are good for sport.
Here’s why:
Given: Success brings more people into a fanbase.
More on Success
Success(sometimes almost literally) breeds fans.
First way this happens:
The Generational/ “Pure” Fanbase
Teams without enduring success
The second way:
The newer, pop-up, “artificial” fanbase
• In areas where a team doesn’t have a presence, and then suddenly
finds success, it drags the region and everyone around them into the
sport
• See: Golden State Warriors
More positive effects
• Brings people together—sports transcend class, race, for the most
part
• More success=more exposure to general population
• More exposure=
• Weekend watchers become casual fans
• Casual fans become hardcore fans
On Drifters
• The stereotypical bandwagon fan.
• He/she drifts to a new team every time said team has/finds success
• Not as significant as people think!
• Time t=0
They are entertainers!
“We’re football players, man. We’re entertainers.”—Deion Sanders
discussing the Norman-Bryant Week 12 feud
How about Hamilton, then?
Exposure causes genuine interest
A lesson:
It’s a good thing!
At most, it’s annoying, but the bandwagon has a greater good.