Is everyone just a bandwagon fan now?

[angelsfan100]

Look I know the season sucks right now. And I'm not sure if there's a light at the end of the tunnel. At least as long as Arte is the owner. But whatever.

I had an interesting interaction a few days ago of which I am trying not to read into. However seems a late trend in sports lately is to follow the winning team, or the popular team at the moment. Feels as if allegiances to your favorite team is gone. And those of us who do, are mocked for sticking to our team during it's lowest times. So a few days I ago I was wearing one of my many Angels caps. I'm at the store, waiting in line. Some dude turns to me, and gives me some strange dirty look and starts shaking his head. He then asked "why do you even like that team, they suck." I then just told him I've always loved the Angels and will be a fan for life. I then asked him who his team was, and he told me he is a life long Rangers fan. Convienent huh? I then asked him what his favorite Rangers memory, and he went on about the world series last year. Alright, that's fair. So I then went on to ask him who his favorite player was, and he mentioned Garcia. I then went on to ask if how he felt about Ron Washington being back in the ALW. He didn't know who that was, and I explained he was the Halos Skipper. This is where it got interesting. He went on to say "oh the angels manager? yeah he sucks man probably one of the worst managers out there". Interesting how a Rangers "fan" doesn't know who Wash is. I then wanted to be sure so I started asking him if he remembered Adrian Beltre, and he had no idea who he was.

I just find it interesting how people have become bandwagon fans rather than sticking to their team during low points. It's bad for the sport all around. And makes me sick. As a 30 year old millenial I understand this could very well be a generational thing as well. This seems more common with my generation, and extremely common with Gen Z. 

[Dtwncbad]

A bandwagon fan is a fan that jumps on board only when things are great, pretending they have been a fan all along.

Being a long-term real fan that reduces their time (and money) spent on a team when they have a really bad product isn’t exactly the same thing.

I would also argue that ownership and management NEEDS to see a reduction in engagement and money spent on the team when they fail to put a good product on the field.

Edited May 14 by Dtwncbad

[Rollinghard]

There is no band or wagon left to jump on.

[mmc]

I saw Arte Moreno at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.

He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”

I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.

The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.

When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

[Jason]

Many people may happen to have better things to do with their time than watch a team play terrible baseball. This is entertainment and nothing more so it's like when your favorite show becomes terrible, and you quit watching it. 

[mmc]

Just now, Jason said:

Many people may happen to have better things to do with their time than watch a team play terrible baseball. This is entertainment and nothing more so it's like when your favorite show becomes terrible, and you quit watching it. 

Yeah I mean I still like the team of course but between finals and the NBA and NHL playoffs there are both much more productive and much more entertaining uses of my evenings

[katie]

Someone replied on one of my Angels tweets calling him Artie Marino. 

[Taylor]

46 minutes ago, mmc said:

I saw Arte Moreno at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.

He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”

I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.

The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.

When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

I was eating a burrito in a crowded movie theater. Arte Moreno looked at me and yelled, "This ***** eatin beans!" Everyone laughed. I've never been so embarrassed.

[Halo in Chicago]

I work with a guy. He’s in the Florida office. He’s a Cowboys, Lakers, Yankees fan… he tries telling people he has family in all those towns, but he’s a bandwagon rider. He should probably get off the Laker bandwagon… 

[angelsfan100]

2 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

A bandwagon fan is a fan that jumps on board only when things are great, pretending they have been a fan all along.

Being a long-term real fan that reduces their time (and money) spent on a team when they have a really bad product isn’t exactly the same thing.

I would also argue that ownership and management NEEDS to see a reduction in engagement and money spent on the team when they fail to put a good product on the field.

I have no isssue with people speaking with their wallet. I don't even bother to maintain my mlb tv subscription to watch the Angels right now. Just not worth spending the money, on a bad product. But I'll still find ways to watch the games. But I also take issue with people who only come out when times are good. That's all I'm saying. I highly doubt the person I encountered was there for the Rangers when they had their 10 year shit stretch. But it seems whenever I converse with other fans they're usually fans of "winning" teams. 

[HeavenlyHalos]

Helluva thought to post on a website with many dedicated fans. The product is ass, the owner is worse. The team hasn't made the playoffs in a decade and seldom even competed for a spot in it during that time. I'll watch a few innings from time to time but it just isn't a good use of my time at the moment as this isn't football with 17 games (or fewer in college). There are 162 games and that's a lot of time to spend watching a bad bad product. The franchise is a shit show and the laughing stock of the MLB, sans maybe the A's.

[drpiranha]

I am not a baseball fan. I am an ANGEL fan. I was at all the home games in the World Series in 2002. If the Angels are not in the playoffs, I never watch a complete game. I see occasional highlights. I am an active computer gamer and have lots of other hobbies. I am frustrated with the team now. Watching the Angels is my #1 hobby. I feel that I get more upset with loses than the team members do.

After all, when they are a free agent, they will just jump to the highest bidder or close to the highest bidder. I refuse to go where the grass is greener. I'm used to just looking at the weeds and Arte dumping a bunch of fertilizer on them to see if he can grow something, which, as we all know, doesn't work.

[Angelsjunky]

The OP makes it sound like a marriage - that you stick with your spouse through thick and thin, illness and health. But what if your spouse is sleeping around, gambling away your savings and beating your kids? 

That's pretty much the equivalent of the Angels. They've been terribly mismanaged by Arte and his sycophantic front office for a decade and a half, going back to the 2009-10 offseason. Right now they're one of the half a dozen or so worst teams in baseball, with the worst farm system, due to that mis-management.

I'm not going to stop being an Angels fan; to be honest, it isn't really my choice. We love what we love. But I think it isn't unreasonable to bitch and moan about the self-inflicted low point we're in, especially as we're facing the ninth straight losing season. I mean, you have to go back to Obama to find a winning Angels team.

 

[Angel Oracle]

When are they ever going to finish over .500 again?

Edited May 15 by Angel Oracle

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Can’t wait til next season 

[Blarg]

28 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

But what if your spouse is sleeping around, gambling away your savings and beating your kids? 

I hope this isn't violating your NDA. 

[Blarg]

I think @angelsfan100 needs to hang out with better people. 

[angelsfan100]

6 minutes ago, Blarg said:

I think @angelsfan100 needs to hang out with better people. 

I don't have friends 

[Blarg]

1 minute ago, angelsfan100 said:

I don't have friends 

You've got them here, buddy. 

[angelsfan100]

Just now, Blarg said:

You've got them here, buddy. 

[Taylor]

Isn't angelsfan100 the guy who created the "There's something different about this team" thread after the Angels won a couple games against the Marlins?

[angelsfan100]

4 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Isn't angelsfan100 the guy who created the "There's something different about this team" thread after the Angels won a couple games against the Marlins?

Yes that was me. Was this supposed to be some kind of gotcha?

[fan_since79]

46 minutes ago, The Ghost of Bob Starr said:

Can’t wait til next season decade.

Fixed

[Taylor]

6 minutes ago, angelsfan100 said:

Yes that was me. Was this supposed to be some kind of gotcha?

Yes

[angelsfan100]

2 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Yes