Fan Loyalty and Bandwagoners

Muddy
USA
John Cusack recently got shit at a White Sox playoff game for rooting for both Cubs and White Sox. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGj8w6So…

His explanation was he grew up on the North Side but did star in 8 Men out as one of the Black Sox. Ok I don't if it's a good enough excuse but ok.

My experience where I grew up you have some BIG decisions to make as kid that may affect your mental health down the road severely, there's multiple teams in the sports locally and in hockey there's even three. But you pick wrong (that's what I probably did, edit: make that definitely) you might just be fucked for life and have to hold that down. I understand and accept that. At no point am I thinking to myself alright where can I jump ship to. And your buddies growing up would never let you live it down anyway and bust your balls for eternity. There's was always this notion if you have two teams, you really have none and I tend to agree with that. It cheapens it if one of those teams do end up winning.

As I've gotten older though, there's also a part of me that feels I really don't give a shit anymore. If that's what makes you happy good for you. How do you view this?


18 comments

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shadowcat
3 years ago
All pro sports is just BIG business and they could care less about fans. I could care less about them.
Warrior15
3 years ago
What about when your team moves ? Or they build a new stadium in a different city ? Does your allegiance change ? Do basketball fans in New Jersey still cheer for the Brooklyn Nets ? I know its tough to cheer for the Knicks. I grew up in Texas with the Houston Oilers. Now that team is in Tennessee. Funny, now that I live in Nashville part time, I don't cheer for that team anymore.

I have to admit that I tend to be a bandwagoner. It's just more fun to root for the team that is going to win. Being in Tampa part time has made that easy. Tampa teams seem to win everything these days.
twentyfive
3 years ago
^ the Nets started in Long Island that’s a suburb of NYC and if you’re a stickler the only NY football team is in Buffalo the Giants and the Jets play in New Jersey
Muddy
3 years ago
@shadow the more the years go on the more I move closer to that line thinking

@Warrior yeah that is definitely a legitimate exception no doubt about it. If a teams leaves or moves to you, you have free reign to jump ship. No qualms about it. It’s affected a lot of people too. Like the famous one was when the Dodgers left, something people still bitch about around here. Some took their fandom out to LA or a lot of fans like my uncles said fuck that we’re not rooting for the Yankees (who btw were probably the greatest dynasty in the history of the sports at that point in the 50’s and won it all almost every year), they just won’t have a team and they came back out of hiding once the Mets came about.

Today I don’t know how I’d react but I would probably just give up my fandom it’s already hanging on by a thread anyway in all sports across the board anyway, unless I moved somewhere with a local team I never had any hatred for I could get try to be happy for them
Muddy
3 years ago
@25 I’ve always hated that Buffalo is the only true NY team. I don’t get it. I don’t have like this state pride that would make me want to drive 7 hours vs 40 minutes to “remain loyal”
rickthelion
3 years ago
Muddy ape, have you been to frickin’ Buffalo?

I did because I figured there might be herds of buffalo wandering through the the city. Seemed like good eatin’. But I arrived only to discover that the only redeeming thing about Buffalo is that it is better than frickin’ Rochester! Now there is is city that had like 100 prides of lions team up to go all wildebeest on its ass!

On second thought, move to Buffalo. You seem like the kind of ape that might like sad, cold, and buried under lake effects snow. Hell, move to frickin’ Rochester. ROAR!!!
twentyfive
3 years ago
Yeah Buffalo is terrible in the winter, it was a dirty place as I remember it last time I was there was about 1975, but I've been rooting for the Giants forever, my Dad rooted for the Giants, so did my Grandad and we've followed them all over the place, tThe Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925, and are the only one of that group still existing, as well as the league's longest-established team in the Northeastern United States.
Cashman1234
3 years ago
In the NYC area there are many sports teams to watch/support. Fans seem to live or die by their teams - and that’s all good with me.

I couldn’t love the football Giants as a kid. They were not a good team in the 70’s. I never found love for the Jets either. The Knicks and Yankees were my favorite teams. I went to several Nets games - but they were never my favorite.

I think the biggest choice in NYC is a baseball team. It’s crazy how folks stick with the Mets every year!

Hockey fans can be hardcore as well. I can’t watch hockey playoffs in June - it just doesn’t work for me.

I don’t care if a team plays across the river - or in Brooklyn - or Queens.

I know older guys who are Dodgers fans - as they loved them when they were in Brooklyn - and they will never change.
Studme53
3 years ago
Not a violation- Cubs and White Sox don’t compete and their both from his home city. If he started rooting for the Cardinals it would be a violation.
Huntsman
3 years ago
I live in a place where there is just one team to root for in each sport. I enjoy pro sports as entertainment but don’t find them to be worth an emotional investment.
twentyfive
3 years ago
@Cashman
most of the older guys I knew that rooted for the Dodgers from my hometown of Brooklyn, NY, switched to to the Metsies, the Dodgers became dem bums in 1957 and we all booed them cause they ran out to lalaland.
bang69
3 years ago
I agree with shadow 100%
rattdog
3 years ago
i didn't bother to check out the cusack clip above, as i just don't couldn't give two shits what any entertainer says about anything at this point.

i'll just assume that cusack is just another average casual sports fan. like many others he'll defend rooting for both teams because they are both representing the city. any diehard fan of either team would think that this guy has no loyalty at all and is just talking out of his ass.

so yeah cusack's offense would be considered an old school violation.

Icee Loco (asshole)
3 years ago
Pro sport loyalty is dumb. Athletes themselves have zero loyalty and just follow the cash flow. Fans loyalty is rewarded with price gouging. Loyalty is just a marketing gimmick people fall for.

Although it shouldn't be like that. But in this fucked up country everything is just a business
Icee Loco (asshole)
3 years ago
But go Dodgers lulz
rickthelion
3 years ago
I’m confused about whether ratdog is a rat or a tog, but since neither of those creatures are as badass as a big cat or a vulture Imma ricksplain something to him: you shouldn’t have ever listened to celebrities.

For example, I’ve partied with mikethetiger a few times. You know, drinking beer, bangin’ sexy LSU coeds. Fun shit. But it give me great pain to let you know that ol’ mike is a frickin’ idiot. He’s almost as stupid as Skifredo on here.

So you should focus on listening to ricks. My advice: buy s stylish suit, get a bottle of good drivin’ whiskey, and go have fun. Doesn’t matter whether your a dog that identifies as a rat or a rat that identifies as a dog I think you’ll have fun. ROAR!!!
motorhead
3 years ago
I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Chicago on business and have always enjoyed the great museums there. And I’ve been to both Cubs and White Sox games.

I can understand why Cusack was getting a hard time. In Chicago you’re either a Sox fan or a Cubs fan. Can’t be both. And it goes beyond just rooting for the teams. It’s really a cultural thing. The south side (White Sox) is lower working class people. Historically it’s the area of the old meat packing plants and heavy industry. It’s home to immigrants from Poland, Slavic countries, Italy and Ireland.

The north side (Cubs) is more affluent. Everything is different - architecture, restaurants, jobs.

It’s not a simple as just Cubs vs Sox
mark94
3 years ago
I think it was George Carlin who said, now that we have free agency with players going from team to team, all we are supporting are the uniforms. Players and coaches aren’t loyal to the team, so why should fans be ?
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