8 Signs You Are Nothing But a Bandwagon Fan

Note: Covering the New York Knicks this season has once again brought me into close contact with a lot of bandwagon fans, prompting this piece. 

 

Is there anything more annoying than a bandwagon fan? You know what I'm talking about. Who hasn't encountered the 'fan' who tries to justify supporting Alabama, the Brooklyn Nets, the Houston Astros, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all at the same time? And all of a sudden, you're a New York Knicks fan again, after hating on them for a decade? Please, just stop.

True sports fandom entails sticking with one team through thick and thin, in times of triumph and heartbreak. It's a slippery slope once you start rooting for a different team. Suddenly, you're rooting for one championship team after another, and before you know it, you're a fan of half the league's franchises.

These are some of the most telling signs that you're a bandwagon sports fan. If any of these describe any of your fandom tendencies, it's time to take a hard look in the mirror. And pick a side and stick to it, no matter the emotional cost.

You Have Never Experienced the Pain of a Losing Season

One of the worst characteristics of a bandwagon sports fan is that they will never allow themselves to experience the heartbreak of watching their team come up short. Rather, they simply switch sides at the last minute or claim that they were never a fan of the losing team to begin with. Take a deep breath and accept the loss like a (wo)man. All the defeats are ultimately what makes future victories so sweet.

You 'Support' Two Teams in the Same Sport

No one has the right to claim ownership of both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. And don't try to convince me that you like to support both the National League and the American League. You're simply hedging your bets.

For each sport, pick a single team. Oh, and to the friends of bandwagoners like this: it is entirely up to you to call them out on their bull crap when the bandwagoner's two teams are pitted against one another. They need to learn their lesson.

If Someone Checks Your Insta, the Photographic Evidence of Your Bandwagonry is There

Don't be that fan who walks around wearing a Patriots jersey after they win the Super Bowl, and is then seen donning a Bucs championship T-shirt a year later just because Brady was there. Stop. You're embarrassing yourself.

You Can't Name More Than One or Two Players on the Team

Every true fan understands that a team isn't defined by a single player. So if you can't name the starting five for your favorite NBA team, you haven't been paying attention to them long enough to call yourself a true fan. Know D Rose but don't know who Reggie Bullock is? Don't come claiming to be a Knicks fan in 2021.

You Changed Teams Because You Moved

You were a Royals fan before moving to Boston and switching to the Red Sox? FOH. Arguments like these are merely flimsy justifications for ending a bad relationship. You commit to your team for the rest of your life. Yes, it's always been difficult to root for the Knicks when they haven't won a championship in my lifetime, but our day will come.

You "Like to Root for the Underdog"

March Madness is when these types of fans come out of the woodwork in droves. It's understandable that people gravitate toward the obligatory Cinderella stories. But don't pretend to believe in them simply because you penciled them in on your bracket at the start of the tournament. You chose them by flipping a coin, as we all know.

When your Team is Winning, You Refer to Them as 'We,' but When They are Losing, It's 'Them'

Even if you're a die-hard fan, saying "we" when referring to your favorite team can be difficult. At the end of the day, our emotional investment isn't comparable to the players' actual physical commitment, so we don't have the right to call it "our" Super Bowl victory when they put everything on the line. Bandwagoners, on the other hand, are the worst. Their allegiance can be summed up in just a few words: "We won!" and "They fucking lost!"

You Just Happen to Support All the Most Successful Franchises in the World

You are automatically the worst if you claim to be a fan of the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers, Duke Blue Devils, and Manchester United all at the same time. You're not fooling anyone. You could get "Bandwagon" tattooed on your forehead and no one will be surprised. Get a grip! And may the sports gods have mercy on your soul.