Nice article re: "Bandwagon Fans"
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How true Cleveland Browns fans should handle bandwagon fans
Heading into the 2019 season the Cleveland Browns are faced with a problem that they have never encountered before: Bandwagon fans. Should we accept them?
In the subsequent days since the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, there has been an undeniable “internal discord” within the Cleveland Browns fanbase. Just merely mentioning the term bandwagon fan is enough to incite a riot amongst the die-hard contingent. Is the bandwagon fan truly a cancerous tumor within the Browns fanbase, or is it an advantageous means to an end? Let’s dissect this term that up until midway through the 2018 season was an utterly foreign concept.
Let’s start with the threatening nature the die-hards are claiming these bandwagoners are harboring. Surely you’ve heard “if you weren’t with us when we were 0-16 then we don’t want you now.” Certainly, that is a valid point. We, the die-hards, have been to the deepest of depths and had to stare into the void that is perpetual hopelessness season after season. I would say that we wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but let’s be honest, we all wish that on the Ravens and Steelers on a seasonal basis.
But I also believe that is why we shouldn’t be threatened by these bandwagon fans. Will bandwagon fans rooting for the Browns make success taste any sweeter? Absolutely not. If anything you can take solace knowing whatever joy they extract from any success will pale in comparison because of what we have endured for generations. To put it simply, it won’t mean to them what it will mean to us, and how could it?
If anything, let them root to their heart’s content. We are the benefactors of their newly found fandom. They will buy jerseys, shirts, hats, toboggans, hoodies, Fat-Heads, calendars, posters, etc. By increasing the demand the retailers will be forced to increase the supply, thus ensuring that Browns gear will more readily available than it has ever been.I would argue that the biggest issue that bandwagon fans actually affect the die-hards is: It will become harder to buy tickets for games. I agree this is concerning. While they are technically not stopping you from purchasing tickets, they are going to make buying tickets on the resale market ultra-competitive. The plus side to that, all home games will sell-out ensuring that there will never be a game blacked-out.
That brings us to viewership. More fans equal more eyes watching on television. If anything is certain in this world it is this: TV ratings determine everything. So say goodbye to 1:00 p.m. kickoffs and to the D, E, and F squad of broadcasters, and say hello to primetime main-event slots with each networks A-team on the call. Get super comfortable with being the team chosen to be flexed out whenever the opportunity presents itself. It’s Red Carpet treatment from here on out Browns fans.
Most importantly and I don’t believe this can be overstated; overall, as a whole, we are an aging fanbase. It may be painful to acknowledge but the fact remains when you are as bad as the Browns have been for the better part of two decades it is hard to attract the younger generations. Be honest, if you’re younger than 25 and were not born into the fanbase would you have chosen it for yourself?
Well, this is where the bandwagoners value is undeniable. While they are not indigenous to the die-hard population, bandwagon fans will have children who will be raised as Cleveland Browns fans. That will make them life-long Browns fans, the same as us. Ensuring that our fanbase remains strong and loyal long after we are gone. Do we want to punish these future citizens of the Dawg Pound just because their parents were late to the party?
Baker Mayfield will be to them what Bernie Kosar was to you and what Otto Graham was to your father’s father. Why would you want to rob them of that?
Instead of resenting these newly found fans, embrace them. It will mean more high-fives, more Brown and Orange flooding the streets, and more of “Here We Go Brownies, Here We Go!” The biggest downside as I see it is, it will make traffic worse for the parade after we win the Super Bowl. But that is a problem that I am willing to live with.
The area I highlighted in orange is what made me think, open my mind, & change my thinking toward "Bandwagon Fans". Now, I say "Welcome aboard, love our Browns as we oldtimers do (and have)".
Mike
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I talked about this issue with my wife. I was suprised last year at all the Baker shirts I saw in Long Beach. Oh well.
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I have rules around bandwagon fans. If you were previously a fan of the Steelers, Ravens or Bengals PISS OFF you are not welcome. I am open to those from other teams or the Baker bandwagoners from Okie.
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Bring along someone like ................................oh I don't know.......................................maybe Garrett or someone of that level and I say "Welcome aboard!"?
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Pretty good article. Bandwagon fans don’t bother me. Not that that will stop me from giving them shit for being bandwagon fans, but l would expect the same if our roles were reversed.
Genuine fandom starts tepidly enough as some form of interest, and somewhere along the way morphs into genuine fandom when the good times roll and the mojo moves you.
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Bring along someone like ................................oh I don't know.......................................maybe Garrett or someone of that level and I say "Welcome aboard!"?
Bring along someone like ................................oh I don't know.......................................maybe Garrett or someone of that level and I say "Welcome aboard!"?
Ha, you’re a guy l thought of when l read this. We both arrived to the board around the same time with the Manziel draft, and man, the hazing you took, haha.
But years later, here you still are.
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I have rules around bandwagon fans. If you were previously a fan of the Steelers, Ravens or Bengals PISS OFF you are not welcome. I am open to those from other teams or the Baker bandwagoners from Okie.
I have rules around bandwagon fans. If you were previously a fan of the Steelers, Ravens or Bengals PISS OFF you are not welcome. I am open to those from other teams or the Baker bandwagoners from Okie.
If I ever meet a ‘Browns fan’ that says they were previously a Steelers or Ravens fan...... Holy shit, I just hope if it happens it’s on a day I’m not working
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I have rules around bandwagon fans. If you were previously a fan of the Steelers, Ravens or Bengals PISS OFF you are not welcome. I am open to those from other teams or the Baker bandwagoners from Okie.
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I have rules around bandwagon fans. If you were previously a fan of the Steelers, Ravens or Bengals PISS OFF you are not welcome. I am open to those from other teams or the Baker bandwagoners from Okie.
If I ever meet a ‘Browns fan’ that says they were previously a Steelers or Ravens fan...... Holy shit, I just hope if it happens it’s on a day I’m not working
If I ever meet a ‘Browns fan’ that says they were previously a Steelers or Ravens fan...... Holy shit, I just hope if it happens it’s on a day I’m not working
That will be some of my family and friends that were born here who are FRAK's.. I expect them to become instant Browns fans soon as we take the league by storm!
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I told my friend and co season ticket holder (his health isn't the greatest) selling his share of the tickets on StubHub or NFL Ticket Exchange just got a hell of a lot easier. Back in the 0-16 season a few games or 20 yard line seats didn't sell, and it got so bad ticket exchange let Browns fans list tickets for less than face value. Several games that did sell he got 30 cents on the dollar for them.
And personally- I'm tired of being surrounded by fans of other teams because other season ticket holders weren't even bothering to show up for the games...
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This is America. People can root for whoever they want. It's not up to me to determine the motivation. We are a aging fanbase. Those bandwagoners will have kids who will root for the team and continue to root for the team.
Welcome aboard.
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I know a couple guys who only root for teams that win. squealers, sure. patriots, sure.
they used to be niner fans back in the joe montana days ,etc.
last year, the chiefs...
doesn't bother me, but I don't bother to ever have any reason to socialize with em.
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Bring along someone like ................................oh I don't know.......................................maybe Garrett or someone of that level and I say "Welcome aboard!"?
Ha, you’re a guy l thought of when l read this. We both arrived to the board around the same time with the Manziel draft, and man, the hazing you took, haha.
But years later, here you still are.
Ha, you’re a guy l thought of when l read this. We both arrived to the board around the same time with the Manziel draft, and man, the hazing you took, haha.
But years later, here you still are.
My recommendation to watch Garrett from his freshman year on saved my bacon my man. Sorry the Browns had to pay the price of worst in the NFL to get him, but I'm glad he's ours.
EDIT: He had an older brother who crashed and burned in the NBA exactly the way Manziel did here, so he has never had a drink or any mind altering substances in his life, plus he works his tail off every day to be the best in the NFL at his position. It paid off with the Pro Bowl and All Pro this past season.
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I agree with the thought that ALL are welcome.. EXCEPT. Former Steeler's fans or Ravens fans or Bengal's fans... OR Dallas Fans.... Why Dallas, just because I don't like them
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My brother hit the eject button 7 or 8 years ago on the Browns after being a lifelong Browns fan... Though I love him, HE is not welcome back into the Browns fandom... Other than that, all are welcome. Oh except Patriots fans as well.. They don't get to come over here after the decade they've had.. Go suck an egg and learn what its like to support a team when they sucked.. Unless they are really old Patriots fans and they remember when they wore paper bags over their heads.. They are welcome...
Other than that. All are welcome
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Bobpound!
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And pretty much the entirety of the NFC except Lions fans.. Fuck the NFC and their damned domes... Don't expect to come over to our team and then bitch and whine about how cold Cleveland is in January.. Screw them. NOT WELCOME! And while we are at it, don't expect to come bouncing over to the Browns from the South East or West AFC.. We are going to pound them into the dirt this year.. NOT WELCOME.. Just leave our team alone and let us real fans enjoy this ride solo for a year, then we will re-evaluate...
And get the hell of my lawn
Bobpound!
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I know a couple guys who only root for teams that win. squealers, sure. patriots, sure.
they used to be niner fans back in the joe montana days ,etc.
last year, the chiefs...
doesn't bother me, but I don't bother to ever have any reason to socialize with em.
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Bring along someone like ................................oh I don't know.......................................maybe Garrett or someone of that level and I say "Welcome aboard!"?
Bring along someone like ................................oh I don't know.......................................maybe Garrett or someone of that level and I say "Welcome aboard!"?
Why not JFF?
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Bring along someone like ................................oh I don't know.......................................maybe Garrett or someone of that level and I say "Welcome aboard!"?
Why not JFF?
Why not JFF?
Go see my other post above on why Garrett and not JFF.
<<MaHomo Nope, just can't 
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