Exactly and that's what I've said all along. It's so much more rewarding as a fan of a good team when you were there for the crappy times and not just the good times. Someone here has a signature that says "to understand Clutch City, you must first understand Choke City" or something like that. It's so true.
I'm pretty sure everyone here has suffered the painful times with the Texans, thats pretty much all there has been. I don't think there is the history yet to be deciding who is a true fan and bandwagon. They are still a new franchise. If some of you guys want to be bandwagon nazis then go for it.
*raises hand* it's more like, "To fully appreciate Clutch City, you must first experience Choke City."
"True fan" is a nonsense term. Fanatacism is relative based on each individual fanatic. And due to the very nature of fanaticism itself, it cannot be "measured" with terms of nobility such as "true". If someone is more fanatical than I about the Rockets, so be it. It speaks nothing of either's character (unless one or the other lies about it). That said, fandom of the Rockets and fandom of the J*zz are mutually irreconcilable. Destroy the Jazz!
We've gone through this many times and I think you're taking the term "true fan" way too seriously. I'm going to have a problem, as a fan who's had to listen to taunts about the team I've rooted for every miserable game since 2002, with people who previously gave those taunts acting like they've been fans of the team all along just because they're playing better. To me, someone who's rooted for the same team from day one, stood by them through thick and thin, is more of a true fan of a team than someone who didn't root for the team when they were bad. I'm not making a character judgment on anyone, but in the context of sports, it's something that will always be discussed. I fail to see why that's so hard to understand.
this would make an interesting article... if only there was someone to write it............................................ oh, a f DD and his baby vince ilk hard with spikes. the inn is closed, female dogs. now run along and anxiously await baby vince's next win since that's all he does, last sunday not included, of course.
We have gone through this many times, and I think you're taking a game too seriously. But I understand your position, and I fail to see why mine is so hard to understand.
the word that comes to mind is "disingenious." i've always worn my texans t-shirts proudly when we'd have get-togethers. and of course, my cousins and friends always ridiculed me. they're all a bunch of front runners. if the Texans are as good as they seem to be, i expect those fools to be wearing texans gear too and claim they've been supporting them all along.
And if someone says something disingenuous, that is indeed a problem. Kudos. I've got no problem with that. But... Now, here's where there's a problem. It's a freaking game, so it's not like it matters whether someone is a "TRUE FAN!!!!" or not. In light how much it really matters in the grand scheme of things, why lie about it? That is indeed disingenuous; it's more than that--it's lying. I'm with you in having a problem with that. "Sticking by your team through the hard times" is fine and all, but wins and losses for a sports franchise don't matter much in the grand scheme of things.
dude, no one is making it a life and death issue. it's about the principle. if someone borrows a dollar from you and doesn't pay you back it doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. but you'd like to have them pay that dollar back, right? imagine the fat girl in your high school who was clamoring for your attention, but you'd always pick on her, make fun of her, and basically embarrassed to be seen with her. a few years go by, she loses weight, is looking hot, and now all of a sudden you're interested. not very sincere. see what i'm getting at? yea, i know i kinda suck at analogies.
But we're talking about being interested in a club that plays a game. It's a GAME. Stealing is a big problem morally. Not being interested in a loser football franchise, and then gaining interest when their performance (finally) merits one's attention and/or entertainment dollar, is not. When I was a preschooler, I was livid when Scooby-Doo would get preempted by the Astros. Just a couple of short years later, you couldn't pry me away from Gene Elston's voice on the radio. Or from the television, if they were away. Is that a maturity issue? A character issue? My tastes changed, that's all. I didn't give a rip about NBA basketball *at all* until the Twin Towers won me over by *winning* in 1986. I've followed my Rox ever since, but I guess I started out by climbing on the bandwagon.
Once again, no one is saying it's a character issue. In the context of sports, there's a big difference between a person that say, started paying attention to the Rockets once they made it to the Finals and a person who rooted for the Celtics one year, the Lakers the next, the Sixers the next, and finally, when the hometown team was good, they started rooting for that team. Add on top of that, that same person trashed the Rockets when they weren't good because they passed on Michael Jordan. I don't think any less of them as a person, but I am certainly a bigger fan of the Rockets than they are. The people we're talking about are the ones who have rooted for different teams and trashed the hometown team over the past six seasons because the Texans have sucked. And now that they've won a couple games in a row, suddenly, you're seeing some of those same people saying their fans of the Texans. I have no problem saying I'm a more true fan of the Texans than they are. Because it's true. FOR THE LAST TIME, I'M NOT MAKING A CHARACTER JUDGMENT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE. THIS IS STRICTLY IN THE CONTEXT OF SPORTS..
Sure there are. It's implied in many "bandwagonner" posts, just not in yours. There sure is. My contention is that the context of sports doesn't matter enough to use terms like "true" and "loyal". And this statement I have zero problems with. None. Zilch. Nada. But many "bandwaggoner" diatribes go far beyond saying, "gee, I guess you're not as big a fan as I am." Talking trash I have a problem with. Let's do rub it in the faces of those who talked trash. I'm with you there. Fine. You're a bigger fan. I've never disagreed. For me, it's too trivial an issue to use words like "true" and "loyal". Look, I don't expect you to agree, but it's my opinion and I'm not going to stop posting it just because it seems to irritate you. Bro, you're not the only person in this conversation. In fact, my first one or two comments weren't even directed towards you. So relax. You're not making a character judgment--understood. Language like "you're not a true fan" implies moral or character failure, whether you like it or not. If someone's not true then he must be false. Or a liar. That has nothing to do with character?? Finally, stop taking this so damn personal; I wasn't even talking about you. Peace, out.
I say the more the better. I don't care if you are a bandwagon fan. Even if you are only a fan when they are good.....just make Reliant Rock this weekend like it has never ROCKED before!
msn, why don't you just come out and say which post(s) you are referring to. It would make your argument a lot easier to understand.
Basically, it boils down to a semantics argument. Gotcha. I'll try to only call myself a bigger fan of the Texans than DaDakota rather than a more loyal (even though the freaking definition of loyal is absolutely correct here...doesn't matter that we're talking about something as un-important as sports) or truer fan. And while I'm making an assumption, I'm guessing that the people who are criticizing frontrunners and bandwagoners aren't making a character judgment on that person. All the people that I know that have been Texans fans from day one have discussed this issue and have thrown some smack to people we hang out with that haven't and have made similar statements to those we're criticizing here. None of us, not a one, believe that we're somehow a better person in the grand scheme of things because we're not bandwagon fans. I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of those here feel the same way. Sure, there may be some idiot who thinks that because he's stood by a team through thick and thin, he's somehow a better person than someone who hasn't. But to assume that everyone who's annoyed by bandwagon fans or frontrunners feels this way is just a really bleak view of human nature, IMO. For someone who thinks this is so trivial, you sure are adamant about this. Maybe you're the one who's taking it too seriously.
I agree with this. Sure, I'm going to talk some trash to those coming around now, but the more the merrier.
Come on aboard, I promise you you won't hurt the horse We treat him well, we feed him well. There's lots of room for you on the bandwagon, The road may be rough, the weather may forget us But won't we all parade around and sing our songs, a magic kingdom, open-armed Greet us hello, bravo, name in lights Passing on the word to fellow passengers and players, passing in, Until you're tired looking at all the flags And all the banners waving This is some parade, yesiree Bob. Could we have known? Yesiree Bob, could we have known? Look at all the flags and all the banners waving. Open up our arms, a magic kingdom, open-armed and greet us all Come on aboard I promise you you won't hurt the horse We treat him well, we feed him well There's lots of room for you on the bandwagon The road may be rough, the weather may forget us But won't we all parade around and sing our songs and wave our flags. A magic kingdom, greet us all hello, greet us hello, greet us hello.
