Letters to the Editor

Go ahead, jump on the bandwagon Being a fan of a losing team isn't a sign of character. It's a consumer choice. So is newfound passion for the Phillies or Rays. King Kaufman [2008-10-22]

• Who said fan base can be measured by attendance?

  Regardless of the argument about "bandwagonning," you can't just gauge the size of a team's fan base, or its degree of loyalty, by attendance at the ballpark. I follow my team all season long, root for them without question, and occasionally buy some merchandise, but I only go to one or two games a year. I don't have an impact on attendance figures, but I'm a loyal fan and I have been all my life. You've got to factor in people like me if you really want to measure this stuff.

  Given this, I do think it's fair to assume that storied teams with long histories of ups and downs (e.g. the Phillies) have bigger and stronger fan bases than upstart teams (e.g. the Rays), and also to believe that dedicated fandom shows more character than the "newfound passion," "consumer choice" kind of fandom you're talking about—even though there's nothing wrong with the latter. But I'm also compelled to wonder why we should give a shit about such things, and people who complain about bandwagon fans need better things to worry about.

  -- Tom 70
  [Read Tom 70's other letters]
  Permalink Flag Wednesday, October 22, 2008 08:15 AM
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