Re: \"Bandwagon Fans\"
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So a recent post in this forum in which my name was brought up sparked this:
I am probably accused of being a bandwagon fan more than any other person I've ever met, because I happen to be a Yankees fan and a Duke basketball fan. I've been called the same by many on these boards as well, despite the fact that I've been a fan of both teams for virtually my entire life.
I'm told you can't be a true Duke fan unless you attended the university, otherwise you are a bandwagon fan. I am told you can't be a true Yankees fan unless you grew up in New York, otherwise you are a bandwagon fan.
Despite all this, I contend that I am just as big if not a bigger fan of these two teams than anyone who roots for their university or home team.
How many of you watch every single game of your favorite college basketball team, and when you can't you're locked to your computer catching every update of the score? The michigan state game was the first Duke game I missed all year and it was due to the fact that I had to be in Iowa for a track meet. Even still I was calling my roommate about every 5 minutes for the score.
How many of you freaked out when you were a little kid when your favorite teams star answered a fan letter (Christian Laettner in my case)?
How many of you have bribed a friend by paying for his ticket and paying for all the gas just to get him to drive you to the twin cities so you can see the yankees play the twins in the playoffs(or something of the same nature)?
Can any of you compare to being about the only person in Milwaukee outraged at the Brewers switching to the national league, only because it meant you couldn't continue the tradition of going with your dad to see the brewers playing the yankees every year?
How many of you support your team enough that you wear the shirt of that team the day after the final game of the season, win or lose (I wore my Duke shirt proudly on Saturday and accepted all the razzing that went with it)?
I bleed for both these teams just as much as anyone does for their team, so calling me a bandwagon fan is about as bad of an insult as someone can make of me.
With Duke and Wisconsin both eliminated from the tournament now, part of me is cheering for Illinois to win the championship because I see guys like Clarkmeister, Cubswin, and Bugstud as having the same type of passion for their team as I do.
All the rest of you closet fans who claim to be true fans only when your team is doing well, and those people who claim you're not a true fan if you cheer for Duke or the Yankees, well you can go screw yourselves.
Rant over.
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