Bandwagon Fans

[Nigel87]

So yesterday I was at the mall shopping for tennis shoes. First store I go to is Foot Locker, I notice they have a rack of college shirts, so going through the assortment they had: USC, UT, NC, and OU. All in an assortment of colors and styles (eg. they had a white Texas shirt with the female anatomy logo in camouflage) to match the bandwagon fan’s outfit. So I figured I’d ask the sales clerk if they had any Huskers stuff; nope, none.

 

So I go to a few other stores the Champs only had Michigan and Michigan State hats for their college stuff. The next store I went to; Sport Check (a behemoth sporting goods store) I was looking at the tennis shoes, when I hear a sales clerk go “Bah, Cornhuskers.” (I was wearing my Huskers National Champs winter coat) His comment fell on deaf ears. Then the same :asshat says to someone else working there, “All about the Longwhorns baby.” When I went to turn around to ask him the score to the Texas/A&M game, he was gone. At that store they work on commissions, so needless to say, they lost a sale (and tennis shoes aren’t that cheap either).

 

Which makes me think, when I was in grade school, I remember everybody wore Chicago Bulls stuff because it was cool and they all loved Michael Jordan. I think I was the only kid in the whole school that wore a Nebraska shirt, but that wasn’t because it was the cool thing to do, it was because I showed support for my favorite team. Sure we haven’t won every single game, but after a loss, I won’t burn all my stuff and swich teams because some other team is winning or because it’s the cool thing to do. Real fans are those who stick through the thick and thin, and won’t hop on/off the bandwagon as a result of a win/loss.

 

Case and point, in Alberta there are two major cities: Calgary (where I live right next to) and Edmonton. Both have hockey teams: Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Last year during hockey season, everybody is wearing a Calgary jersey, and talk about their precious Flames, and how much they love them, and have about ½ a dozen Calgary car flags on their cars. They also talk about how much they hate Edmonton, how much Edmonton sucks, and how great Calgary is (they’re about the same as Sooner fans).

 

So Calgary loses a game and they’re kicked out of they playoffs (or something like that, I don’t follow hockey) and then overnight everyone becomes Edmonton fans. We sold out of Edmonton car flags in 1 day (prior to that they were collecting dust), and every other person that came in was asking if we had any Edmonton crap, and what little we initially had was gone.

 

So you know what? I’m glad we have a loyal fan base, and are considered the underdog. I’d rather someone be a Sooner (or any other 'cool' school) bandwagon fan then a Husker bandwagon fan, because at this moment they might love the team, and as quickly can turn around and say how much they hate the same team they had just loved. I've got a tshirt that says Real Fans Wear Red, and if we were a team that was popular with bandwagon fans, I'm sure we'd see all kinds of variations to match outfits (shirts in blue or green or even rat nasty purple; anything other than our true colors). Of course it is inevitable to not have any bandwagon fans at all, but at least its not as bad as some of the other teams.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

It happens every year in college and pro ball. It's amazing how many Packers fans there were when they won the Super Bowl. Then how many Patriot fans there were when they won. Then Steelers fans. And Dallas fans. Or Notre Dame fans. Or Trojan fans. Or Longhorn fans, etc. It changes from year to year. I imagine whoever wins the MNC will see an insurgence of "lifelong" fans. Back in the mid 90's when OU was struggling there weren't many fans who would admit to being a Sooner fan. Paraphenalia was no where to be found. But as soon as they won the NC in 2000, everyone all of a sudden became a fan and there was more OU stuff to find than ever before.

 

Most are fans out of convenience. Example: I work with a guy who was born and raised in Colorado and growing up was a Buffalo's fan. The military brought him to Oklahoma where he lives in Norman. All of a sudden he's an OU fan. Know why? Because he LIVES in Norman. He claims to be a student at OU but I'm quick to remind him registering for classes at OU doesn't make him a student until he takes classes. He claims he's a diehard fan but couldn't really tell you the first thing about the team.

 

These are the people I normally try to avoid because they have blind allegiance. Most couldn't tell you the first thing about their team but they'll admit to being a lifelong fan and being one of their biggest fans.

[gamecocks]

One can't really blame the store for putting the hot items out there. They would be stupid not to put money makers on the shelf. However, the fans (or so called fans) that is a different story.

[pigsonthewing]

i remember around this time last year there wasnt a lot of texass orange. then i go on winter break for school, Texas beats USC, come back from winter break, and all the airhead blondes are wearing texass orange. i was shocked. it went from "bag-over-face ugly" to "cant be seen without it." bandwagon fans piss me off.

[Nigel87]

He claims to be a student at OU but I'm quick to remind him registering for classes at OU doesn't make him a student until he takes classes. He claims he's a diehard fan but couldn't really tell you the first thing about the team.

 

These are the people I normally try to avoid because they have blind allegiance. Most couldn't tell you the first thing about their team but they'll admit to being a lifelong fan and being one of their biggest fans.

 

If that's the case, then I'm a student a Montana State in addition to the college I'm currently enrolled in.

Same goes for a former classmate of mine, last year he goes on and on about how great the Flames are, then like about 2 weeks ago out of the blue he says "I'm a Notre Dame fan". Prior to that, he never brought up football, let alone NCAA football. Then he grills me for all kinds of info, he even asked me what P.A.T. stood for. Does that make me a student at the other colleges that I signed up on mailing lists?

 

 

One can't really blame the store for putting the hot items out there. They would be stupid not to put money makers on the shelf. However, the fans (or so called fans) that is a different story.

 

As someone who works retail, it is very smart to sell hot items (I experienced this first hand), it's just the people that get me .

[General Blackshirt]

i completely agree......Texas this, texas that.......its pathetic...

 

by any chance would you know a link where i could find the shirt that says "real fans wear red"??? its perfect for me, i dont miss a day without wearing red in football season, and i getta lotta crap for it too......

 

stupid hawkeye :asshat s

[Always a husker]

i completely agree......Texas this, texas that.......its pathetic...

 

by any chance would you know a link where i could find the shirt that says "real fans wear red"??? its perfect for me, i dont miss a day without wearing red in football season, and i getta lotta crap for it too......

 

stupid hawkeye :asshat s

I have the shirt and on the back it says 5 nat. championships 3 heisman winners 43 conference titles ect. I got it from a husker clothes and stuff magazine.

[Always a husker]

"The Shirt"

Here it is

[Nicole]

i agree for the most part. I'm glad to be a loyal fan. and im not even from, or have ever been too, Nebraska. haha. I also hate the fact that people only like a team for a player. They act like such a big fan when they really dont know anything. pssshhhhhh

[General Blackshirt]

thanks

[Nigel87]

i completely agree......Texas this, texas that.......its pathetic...

 

by any chance would you know a link where i could find the shirt that says "real fans wear red"??? its perfect for me, i dont miss a day without wearing red in football season, and i getta lotta crap for it too......

 

stupid hawkeye :asshat s

I have the shirt and on the back it says 5 nat. championships 3 heisman winners 43 conference titles ect. I got it from a husker clothes and stuff magazine.

 

Like this one? I've got that one too.

[Touchdown Tommie]

You know what gets me....when a see somebody wearing a Texas shirt with a Michigan hat...or any other D-1 teams mixed up. This is one of my biggest things people can do to annoy me.

I understand that the stores are going to stock the top teams apparel, but when a sales associate tells me they just sell things in this area (MN). Then on the next shelf they have LSU, Georgia, and Tennessee crap.

When I do ask for Nebraska stuff they look at me as if I am crazy and that Nebraska is on the other side of the United States....very frustrating!!

[Nicole]

I hate that too.

I also can't stand when you're at a game, and someone is wearing a jersey of some other team that isnt involved in that game, ex: yankees red sox game, and a guy behind the plate with an angels jersey...WTF lol

[hskrdedhed]

I went out and bought a bunch of Rutgers clothing , but after they lost to Cinci , I havent worn it since. Just kidding!

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I hate that too.

I also can't stand when you're at a game, and someone is wearing a jersey of some other team that isnt involved in that game, ex: yankees red sox game, and a guy behind the plate with an angels jersey...WTF lol

 

You should have seen a guy sitting in front of me at the game last night in KC!!!! He had a USC hat on a Kansas sweatshirt and he took the sweatshirt off halfway through the game and had a Chiefs jersey on!!!! I wanted to push him down the stands!!! :asshat