An honest to goodness question for FB diehards

[Lawrinson14]

Serious replies only. I have been curious about this for a while...

Why are fair-weather fans so looked down upon?

1. Sports are entertainment.
People go to sporting events to be entertained. If the product on the field or the gameday environment is not particularly entertaining, why are the fans who stay away crucified?

If you are watching a tv show and don't like it, you will change the channel and not watch any further episodes. You won't continue to watch just so that you can brag to others that you were die-hard enough to watch a shitty show.

2. Sports are a business.
Going to sporting events is not free. Hell, it's freaking expensive. Tickets + travel + food + lodging (out of towners) can really add up. Why should someone shell out all of this money when they can simply take their business elsewhere for a fraction of the cost...like to their couch to watch the game on tv, or to some other activity that isn't sports related?

I know some of you will say, but it's a pride thing! I went to (insert school here), grew up around (insert school or team here), and will be with them through thick and thin. But to that I ask, what about those who do not feel this deep seeded connection? Is it really appropriate to poke fun at them for choosing not to attend/root for a team that is not very entertaining?

Or is it because when the team suddenly becomes good, these fair-weather fans just jump on the bandwagon?

Please, enlighten me.

 

[Pat Kelly]

People don't like it when fair weather fans complain... Seems unjustified because they never care when it's not good anyways

 

[Rocco]

Every football school wants to be Alabama, and when you're not, you find things to complain about. Fair-weather fans are at the top of many people's lists.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

It's the "fair-weather" fan who complains the loudest when his adopted team isn't winning.

 

[CiceroSwamp]

Great post...it baffles me that so many criticize people who chose to not go to games or chose to leave early. I leave games early if the product isnt good and i would rather spend time with my infant child and wife and somehow that is villiany to some.
Its all sports entertainment and not life/death stuff. I have a few friends who hadnt gone in years and they were coming back during Marrone era and got season tix and i hear an earful every week that somehow its my fault they wasted thier money this year. But it is the fringe fans that can fill the dome

 

[HeaterCuse22]

Serious replies only. I have been curious about this for a while...

Why are fair-weather fans so looked down upon?

1. Sports are entertainment.
People go to sporting events to be entertained. If the product on the field or the gameday environment is not particularly entertaining, why are the fans who stay away crucified?

If you are watching a tv show and don't like it, you will change the channel and not watch any further episodes. You won't continue to watch just so that you can brag to others that you were die-hard enough to watch a shitty show.

2. Sports are a business.
Going to sporting events is not free. Hell, it's freaking expensive. Tickets + travel + food + lodging (out of towners) can really add up. Why should someone shell out all of this money when they can simply take their business elsewhere for a fraction of the cost...like to their couch to watch the game on tv, or to some other activity that isn't sports related?

I know some of you will say, but it's a pride thing! I went to (insert school here), grew up around (insert school or team here), and will be with them through thick and thin. But to that I ask, what about those who do not feel this deep seeded connection? Is it really appropriate to poke fun at them for choosing not to attend/root for a team that is not very entertaining?

Or is it because when the team suddenly becomes good, these fair-weather fans just jump on the bandwagon?

Please, enlighten me.

The hammering on the locals (leaf rakers) as the alumni like to refer to us is really ridiculous. I am not an alumn, I have zero connection the university but I go to as many games as I can (time and money). The fact that a sideline seat on ticketmaster in the 300 level fetches 150 for this market is completely insane.

 

[gocraz4dasu]

I find this ironic because whenever SU basketball attendance is below 25k people b**** just like the football fans.

Which is why you will rarely see me complain about attendance issues, I just don't care.

And I am entertained by Syracuse football which is why I watch it. Whether you like it or not has no bearing on whether or not I will support as many of SU's athletic programs I can. I enjoy supporting the school that I love in every facet that I can. Whether that is football, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, or even cross country, I will still take the time out to support the programs when I can. If you choose not to do the same, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's just something I love to do.

To those people who don't feel a deep-seeded connection to the school, I have nothing to say to in this regards. They are allowed to not give a damn about the school, Marvin Harrison style. Is that a bit of a foreign concept to me, yes. Because of it being such a foreign concept to me, it is easy to be insensitive to those people's lives and desires. Simple as that.

 

[cuseincincy]

The hammering on the locals (leaf rakers) as the alumni like to refer to us is really ridiculous. I am not an alumn, I have zero connection the university but I go to as many games as I can (time and money). The fact that a sideline seat on ticketmaster in the 300 level fetches 150 for this market is completely insane.

Personally I think anytime you get 25,000 or more people to attend an event it is insulting to them to complain about who is not there. It's not just a Syracuse thing either. It ticks me off when I go to a Reds game and there are 25,000 fans there and then I have to listen to what crappy fans the Reds have because there weren't more there. I would guess if SU only had 25,000 fans show up against FSU that they would be the best damn 25,000 fans SU has!

 

[KaiserUEO]

imagine you are on a deserted island for years.

you spend countless days fishing, trapping for crabs, collecting precious rain water in coconuts and hiding them in caves so as to not evaporate as quickly.

life sucks, but you are getting by.

you have hope, you are living.

then one day a storm comes. lobsters and crabs are all over the beach and youve trapped them all.

the fishing nets are stuffed and you have enough fresh water to last a year.

then it happens...a cruise ship drops anchor in the lagoon.

holy schneikes!! you are saved!! your ship has literally come in!!!

but then all the Fn tourists take boats to your beach.

they eat all your catch, drink all your water and scare the rest of the fish away.

and before you know what happens...the fluckers row back to the ship, it pulls up anchor, heads back to sea and you are left all alone again with no provisions but the memory of a fantastic moment...that was Fn ruined.

F the Bandwagoneers.

and F the hoop onlys while im at it.

Oh Lord

 

[javadoc]

1. Sports are entertainment.
People go to sporting events to be entertained. If the product on the field or the gameday environment is not particularly entertaining, why are the fans who stay away crucified?

If you are watching a tv show and don't like it, you will change the channel and not watch any further episodes. You won't continue to watch just so that you can brag to others that you were die-hard enough to watch a shitty show.

That is only partially true for college football. Note that comparisons to pro sports do not apply here.

College football is about stockpiling talent, since players get to choose where they want to go. They want to go someplace where, all other things being equal, the stands are full regardless of what is happening on the field. That is the standard of measurement. How close your home environment comes to that goes a long way toward creating the "product" that fans want to see.

There is also probably some absolute-attendance factor, in that players might want to play in front of a half-full 100K stadium than a 75% full Dome. Being in front of the most eyeballs probably matters to some degree.

In college football, choosing not to go to the games contributes to a positive-feedback loop dragging the program downward.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Personally I think anytime you get 25,000 or more people to attend an event it is insulting to them to complain about who is not there. It's not just a Syracuse thing either. It ticks me off when I go to a Reds game and there are 25,000 fans there and then I have to listen to what crappy fans the Reds have because there weren't more there. I would guess if SU only had 25,000 fans show up against FSU that they would be the best damn 25,000 fans SU has!

As long as you're there with your buds and having a good time, it shouldn't matter what anyone else does.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

It doesn't help that many of the fair-weather types are among the loudest, brayingest blowhards and trash-talking cretins when "OUR" team is doing well.

 

[Lawrinson14]

imagine you are on a deserted island for years.

you spend countless days fishing, trapping for crabs, collecting precious rain water in coconuts and hiding them in caves so as to not evaporate as quickly.

life sucks, but you are getting by.

you have hope, you are living.

then one day a storm comes. lobsters and crabs are all over the beach and youve trapped them all.

the fishing nets are stuffed and you have enough fresh water to last a year.

then it happens...a cruise ship drops anchor in the lagoon.

holy schneikes!! you are saved!! your ship has literally come in!!!

but then all the Fn tourists take boats to your beach.

they eat all your catch, drink all your water and scare the rest of the fish away.

and before you know what happens...the fluckers row back to the ship, it pulls up anchor, heads back to sea and you are left all alone again with no provisions but the memory of a fantastic moment...that was Fn ruined.

F the Bandwagoneers.

and F the hoop onlys while im at it.

Oh Lord

That is kinda selfish, isn't it? Why is a team's success yours and yours alone to enjoy?

 

[KaiserUEO]

That is kinda selfish, isn't it? Why is a team's success yours and yours alone to enjoy?

 

[cpatrocks]

imagine you are on a deserted island for years.

you spend countless days fishing, trapping for crabs, collecting precious rain water in coconuts and hiding them in caves so as to not evaporate as quickly.

life sucks, but you are getting by.

you have hope, you are living.

then one day a storm comes. lobsters and crabs are all over the beach and youve trapped them all.

the fishing nets are stuffed and you have enough fresh water to last a year.

then it happens...a cruise ship drops anchor in the lagoon.

holy schneikes!! you are saved!! your ship has literally come in!!!

but then all the Fn tourists take boats to your beach.

they eat all your catch, drink all your water and scare the rest of the fish away.

and before you know what happens...the fluckers row back to the ship, it pulls up anchor, heads back to sea and you are left all alone again with no provisions but the memory of a fantastic moment...that was Fn ruined.

F the Bandwagoneers.

and F the hoop onlys while im at it.

Oh Lord

dude...you could have just hopped on the Cruise Ship.

 

[TheCusian]

Fairweather fans stay away longer, even if the team is good - and leave quicker when a hint of mediocrity hits. They contribute to the chorus of "SU sucks" even when we are getting better or have hope in some new recruits or a coach.

I can only speak for myself - but following the team through the ups and downs makes it all worth it. The past two weeks have been maddening - but it will make any success that much sweeter.

 

[BomberOrange]

Fairweather fans are the same people who think Nickelback is a good band.

 

[tipphill]

Serious replies only. I have been curious about this for a while...

Why are fair-weather fans so looked down upon?

1. Sports are entertainment.
People go to sporting events to be entertained. If the product on the field or the gameday environment is not particularly entertaining, why are the fans who stay away crucified?

If you are watching a tv show and don't like it, you will change the channel and not watch any further episodes. You won't continue to watch just so that you can brag to others that you were die-hard enough to watch a shitty show.

2. Sports are a business.
Going to sporting events is not free. Hell, it's freaking expensive. Tickets + travel + food + lodging (out of towners) can really add up. Why should someone shell out all of this money when they can simply take their business elsewhere for a fraction of the cost...like to their couch to watch the game on tv, or to some other activity that isn't sports related?

I know some of you will say, but it's a pride thing! I went to (insert school here), grew up around (insert school or team here), and will be with them through thick and thin. But to that I ask, what about those who do not feel this deep seeded connection? Is it really appropriate to poke fun at them for choosing not to attend/root for a team that is not very entertaining?

Or is it because when the team suddenly becomes good, these fair-weather fans just jump on the bandwagon?

Please, enlighten me.

i really like your post!!! i do not object to fair weather fans at all. i do not expect them to be diehards, i do expect that they come when we are winning games. that is the hx in syracuse sports ---not just su. many expect to have the psu,michigan, tennessee, etc etc. fan base and that is not practical. in fact most of the people i know will come to games when we have a winning team. it as nothing to do with alumns as it is the townies that generally fill or not fill the seats. without them su would have less than 20,000 per game---imho

 

[HeaterCuse22]

Serious replies only. I have been curious about this for a while...

Why are fair-weather fans so looked down upon?

1. Sports are entertainment.
People go to sporting events to be entertained. If the product on the field or the gameday environment is not particularly entertaining, why are the fans who stay away crucified?

If you are watching a tv show and don't like it, you will change the channel and not watch any further episodes. You won't continue to watch just so that you can brag to others that you were die-hard enough to watch a shitty show.

2. Sports are a business.
Going to sporting events is not free. Hell, it's freaking expensive. Tickets + travel + food + lodging (out of towners) can really add up. Why should someone shell out all of this money when they can simply take their business elsewhere for a fraction of the cost...like to their couch to watch the game on tv, or to some other activity that isn't sports related?

I know some of you will say, but it's a pride thing! I went to (insert school here), grew up around (insert school or team here), and will be with them through thick and thin. But to that I ask, what about those who do not feel this deep seeded connection? Is it really appropriate to poke fun at them for choosing not to attend/root for a team that is not very entertaining?

Or is it because when the team suddenly becomes good, these fair-weather fans just jump on the bandwagon?

Please, enlighten me.

Interesting - I think Fairweather needs to be defined also. If I watch every game of the season but only on TV am I not a fan? Or do I have to attend every game to be a fan? There are tons of people in Syracuse that sport SU wear I assume because they are fans of their town and team. Several people I know are planning a party and cookout for the FSU game, instead of going are they not fans.

 

[jekelish]

Fair weather fans are only fans when it's convenient. The die hard fans are willing to root for the team through good or bad. Put it this way: the die hard fans suffer and put in the effort when things are bad, only to have the fair weather fans come in and enjoy the spoils without putting in any of the "work" that the die hards do. It leads to resentment when you're a die hard fan, you've stuck with the team through the worst times, and then when things are good, the fair weather fans come along thinking they have the right to celebrate just as much and act like just as big of fans as the die hards.

I won't go to the deserted island analogy Kaiser did, but think of it in this school setting: if you're working on a group project, there's always that one kid who is lazy and doesn't want to put in any effort, and when the group gets an A, he gets (and happily takes) just as much credit as the people who actually worked hard on the project. Fair weather fans are that guy who barely contributes to the project and then says "boy WE sure did a great job, eh guys?"

 

[HeaterCuse22]

Fair weather fans are only fans when it's convenient. The die hard fans are willing to root for the team through good or bad. Put it this way: the die hard fans suffer and put in the effort when things are bad, only to have the fair weather fans come in and enjoy the spoils without putting in any of the "work" that the die hards do. It leads to resentment when you're a die hard fan, you've stuck with the team through the worst times, and then when things are good, the fair weather fans come along thinking they have the right to celebrate just as much and act like just as big of fans as the die hards.

I won't go to the deserted island analogy Kaiser did, but think of it in this school setting: if you're working on a group project, there's always that one kid who is lazy and doesn't want to put in any effort, and when the group gets an A, he gets (and happily takes) just as much credit as the people who actually worked hard on the project. Fair weather fans are that guy who barely contributes to the project and then says "boy WE sure did a great job, eh guys?"

So the guy who is married with two kids in fall sports - of whom you covet to be a diehard is a fairweather fan because he DVR's and watches everygame and attends some of the games?

Well that's me and if you think I am a fairweather then - ya Ill find another team to follow.

 

[jekelish]

So the guy who is married with two kids in fall sports - of whom you covet to be a diehard is a fairweather fan because he DVR's and watches everygame and attends some of the games?

Well that's me and if you think I am a fairweather then - ya Ill find another team to follow.

When on earth did I ever say that? I'm married and have a kid and work in athletics and I also live in Texas, so I haven't been to a Syracuse football game in more than a decade and I'm unable to watch most of the football games...but I'm not a fair weather fan. I'm baffled as to how you could have possibly meant you were in the conversation if you still make an effort to follow the team even in the down years.

Honestly, I would hardly consider anyone who takes the time to post on a football message board to be a true fair weather fan. The true fair weather fans don't even know the message board exists, because they don't care enough to bother talking about Syracuse football unless we've got McNabb throwing a touchdown to Brominski against Virginia Tech.

 

[HeaterCuse22]

When on earth did I ever say that? I'm married and have a kid and work in athletics and I also live in Texas, so I haven't been to a Syracuse football game in more than a decade and I'm unable to watch most of the football games...but I'm not a fair weather fan. I'm baffled as to how you could have possibly meant you were in the conversation if you still make an effort to follow the team even in the down years.

Honestly, I would hardly consider anyone who takes the time to post on a football message board to be a true fair weather fan. The true fair weather fans don't even know the message board exists, because they don't care enough to bother talking about Syracuse football unless we've got McNabb throwing a touchdown to Brominski against Virginia Tech.

Fair enough. My point is for the locals we sure get banged on a lot for not "being all in" win or lose or COMPLETELY SUCK. But last Friday I saw and awful lot of Orange around town during the community Orange Out (whatever the hell that was).

 

[SUFaninNJ]

"Or is it because when the team suddenly becomes good, these fair-weather fans just jump on the bandwagon?"

To me this is what defines it. I don't expect everyone to be as diehard as me. I feel bad for my family having to deal with me when SU plays like crap. It's like when you discover this small little indie band that no one else knows about. Then they have a hit and everyone jumps on board and claim them as their favorite, but you've been there all along. I'm an elitist that way! I love it when the Dome is rocking with die hards as well as bandwagoners. The tough part is when the program falls on hard times and the complaining starts. I'm all over the place with this post. My apologies.

 

[HeaterCuse22]

"Or is it because when the team suddenly becomes good, these fair-weather fans just jump on the bandwagon?"

To me this is what defines it. I don't expect everyone to be as diehard as me. I feel bad for my family having to deal with me when SU plays like crap. It's like when you discover this small little indie band that no one else knows about. Then they have a hit and everyone jumps on board and claim them as their favorite, but you've been there all along. I'm an elitist that way! I love it when the Dome is rocking with die hards as well as bandwagoners. The tough part is when the program falls on hard times and the complaining starts. I'm all over the place with this post. My apologies.

See I think that's my point from earlier in the post about definition. Its just not easy. Everyone wants the dome filled. Its clear there are 25-35k folks that have no problem showing up a lot and investing time in the team. Then should all of us want the bandwagoners to jump on...and maybe even turn into diehards. That's all I am saying about it. I will try to be there Saturday to make some noise.

Lets Go Orange.