How does one become a die-hard fan of a team? It has become such a common phrase now a days when you meet someone, to hear them say, "I am a die-hard [ ] fan." Do people use the term as a crutch, or do they really mean it?
Maybe
because it is easy and trendy to say. Maybe it rolls off the tongue
nicely. I don't know, but whatever it is, the majority of people I meet and talk about sports with tell me they are die-hards. How many of them are legitimate die-hards? We probably will never know.
It's easy to identify the bandwagon fan. The key time period to focus on is when an unsuccessful team becomes good. In 2011, when the New York Knicks acquired Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets, there suddenly was an increase in "Go Knicks!" statuses on my Facebook newsfeed (RIP people using Facebook as the mainstream social media tool.)
It's a shame because the Knick fans like myself who suffered from 2001-2010 don't get to enjoy the team's success as much. Die-hards embrace their teams' successes more especially after periods of turmoil. I just can't respect you if you weren't sitting with me watching Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury run the franchise into the ground.
This doesn't just happen in New York. Let's take a look at our friends up north in Boston. After the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, a cult of fans emerged out of nowhere. How did "Red Sox Nation" suddenly become a country-wide phenomenon?
I started to see "Red Sox Nationers" (Yankee haters) donning Red Sox gear in my local Stop and Shop in Wayne, New Jersey. My question to you: Where were you when Darren Lewis was patrolling the outfield at Fenway? These were also the same kids who smoked cigarettes before school on the side of Wayne Hills by the Pancake Hollow entrance, incredibly scary to witness as a 14 year old.
It's a shame because the Knick fans like myself who suffered from 2001-2010 don't get to enjoy the team's success as much. Die-hards embrace their teams' successes more especially after periods of turmoil. I just can't respect you if you weren't sitting with me watching Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury run the franchise into the ground.
This doesn't just happen in New York. Let's take a look at our friends up north in Boston. After the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, a cult of fans emerged out of nowhere. How did "Red Sox Nation" suddenly become a country-wide phenomenon?
(Mike D'Antoni doesn't even know)
I started to see "Red Sox Nationers" (Yankee haters) donning Red Sox gear in my local Stop and Shop in Wayne, New Jersey. My question to you: Where were you when Darren Lewis was patrolling the outfield at Fenway? These were also the same kids who smoked cigarettes before school on the side of Wayne Hills by the Pancake Hollow entrance, incredibly scary to witness as a 14 year old.
I apologize if I have offended the true die-hards
out there. As a Knicks, Yankees, Giants, and Rangers fan, I
know my fair share of fake fans as well. I know many Yankee fans who do
not watch a game until the playoffs, Giant fans who suddenly popped
up after their recent Super Bowl victories, or Ranger fans who hopped on their 2014 Stanley Cup playoff ride.
In
the end, all I'm asking is for fans to keep it real. It's okay to be a casual fan, there's nothing wrong with it. Don't embellish your fanhood. Soon die-hard will share the same meaning as amazing, fantastic, and phenomenal.
Thanks for reading. New podcast will be up soon. In the meantime, enjoy this tribute to former Knick great Luc Longley:
Thanks for reading. New podcast will be up soon. In the meantime, enjoy this tribute to former Knick great Luc Longley:
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