Bandwagon Fans and the Royals

Q: How are casual new fans decked out in new Francoeur sherzeys most likely to display their newfound devotion to the Royals?

A: Clicking the “like” button on Facebook.

Q: Where are trolls, idiots, and fans less faithful than Gingrich was to his past wives already confined to?

A: You got it.

I was a teenager, working at a bar as a transplanted Royals fan in the Deep South during the magical season of ‘85. I wore my KC cap all year, went through every nail-biting playoff game, breathing sighs of relief every time the team averted disaster by pulling the fat out of the fire at the last moment. The regulars at the bar all knew me as that kid who steadfastly stuck by the Royals through thick and thin until they were World Champions.
In December of that year, a non-regular was sitting at the bar, looked at my cap and said, "I’ll bet you weren’t wearing that cap before October." One of the bartenders overheard the comment, came over and said, “This guy is the most loyal baseball fan I know. He’s been a KC fan since he was a kid. Show some respect!” I beamed with pride and the negative stranger looked sheepishly down at his beer, having been called out so publicly for his broad assumption.
The flip side of being a long-time Royals fan for many of us will be when the team starts to compete and many will assume that we jumped on the bandwagon when KC started winning. After all…we couldn’t possibly have been fans when the team sucked. Right?
I look forward to that day when I’m sporting the same stained, weather-worn hat that was still relatively new and bright that December night. When my loyalty was questioned and my bandwagoneering was suspected. Now, that cap bears the scuffs and marks of a seasoned, long-suffering fan who has taken his lumps through the highs and lows of being a Kansas City baseball fan. Next time, that stranger might hold his tongue, and raise his beer glass to me in a toast instead.

I’m surprised by how many Royals hats I see in NYC. They aren’t too common downtown, but up in Harlem, I see at least one a week.

are like family — you can’t pick ’em.

When they all show up for the big do (whatever the “big do” turns out to be), you say hello, catch up on lost time, and then find a spot where you can hang out with the ones you really enjoy spending time with.

Might be assuming too much.

And explaining to them that a given player’s batting average, RBI, ERA, fielding percentage, etc. doesn’t necessarily describe how good he is.

when half of the monikers are names like 58-4ever, chiefnutz12 and McNKCluster, and complain that certain Royals don’t play with enough fire and emotion, or why Justin Houston is already making a big contribution as a rookie third rounder while the Royals 3rd rounder, Brian Brickhouse isn’t even out of A-ball, and then be called a bunch of names after trying to provide an explanation. That will be a joy.

that Greinke’s start in 2009 is what fully propelled me from casual baseball fan to one who watches every day. But I had never really fully understood the sport until then, and decided to actually gain more than a cursory understanding of it at that point. I’m glad I did.

to first, see who can write the most pro-saber article while sounding (reading) like a total hobbit…second, who can best replicate the ‘studsfag’/facebook/mouth-breather crew…winner gets $100 schrutebucks…

at least to friends and coworkers. I even think that fact has saved me from being called a bandwagon fan for being a Packers fan. I’ve been following the Packers since the late 70s and Royals since the early 80s. I mainly stick with my Royals hat because I like baseball more than football and I like blue more than green.

But I will admit that when it comes to stats I’m pretty old school. There are so many “new” stats out there that I can’t keep track of them all and am kind of too set in my ways to learn them. I don’t hate them or anything, just don’t care enough about stats.

I am new to this site, and lurk more than post. Plus I work evenings so I’m rarely around for games so I don’t join the game chats. Plus I live in Arizona so I’m not even sure if I could watch many games, money’s too tight now for the MLB Package even if I was around.

I think it is just more prominent some days than others.

I’m turning 15 in 10 days (woo permit) and I’ve always played baseball and loved the game. I’ve always watched baseball and was a “fan” of the Phillies because my dad is a homegrown Philly loving man. Living in Orlando there isn’t a big baseball team following, as the Rays and Marlins have some of the worst fan bases+attendance. So at the beginning of this year when I started to really get into the games, stats, metrics, etc. I decided to pick my team. Not sure why I picked the Royals but I did, it was after they traded Greinke so it must have been some premonition about the BFSE. Well I watched pretty much every game this year and made a significant purchase buying MLB.TV all by myself. So I think I’ve earned the fact to be a “true” Royal fan. But maybe not..

a “bandwagoner”, I love the Chiefs, Royals and Spurs. I expect the Royals to compete this year, that being said, I expect a season of futility. It seems to never work out for teams I love, so going into this season with so much hope, I’ll cautiously be optimistic. The Royals will finish 3rd. F*** Prince Fielder.

What is the deciding factor for a fanshot/fanpost being put on the front page?

As a Cardinals fan, I have to point out, the last time the Royals had back-to-back seasons with a better win % than the Cardinals, in 1994 and 1995, they drew 1,400,494 and 1,233,530, respectively. Those same two years, the Cards drew 1,866,544 and 1,756,727.

The Cardinals have “bandwagon fans” like the Chiefs have “bandwagon fans.”

Neither really does. The both just don’t show up quite as much when the team is losing because nobody likes shelling out the money to watch a crappy product. It doesn’t mean we’re not glued to the TV week and and week out (or night in and night out in baseball season) – screaming at our players and relishing each victory.

And I have lived in KC all my life.

Am I a bandwagon fan?

It’s the most fucked up, broken down piece of shit wagon on earth.

Small market teams can’t even afford a bandwagon anyway.

or does it?

Really, I’m probably casual compared to most of the people on here, but honestly… I have been interested in the Royals since my teenage years, travelling 2 hours to KC at least 3 times each year to see some baseball. Oh, and I expect that number to increase dramatically in the next 3 years. (now maybe THAT means I’m a bandwagon fan… no?)

Anyway, that’s just my 2 cents… I’ll go back into the nothingness that I usually am (basically because I can’t be online whenever I want… if I could…. haha!!!)

It’s not a winner team it’s not a flashy team. It’s our team. Most of us hail from KC or the surrounding areas and it will be a great point of personal pride when our boys in blue start winning and winning ALOT

I never understood why people would get upset that someone would pick their favorite team because they win. They can choose however they want to, they can change allegiances all they want to, I dont care. I am happy if they like baseball. period.

so I had plenty of practice at righteous indignation when people started showing up out of the woodwork to listen to bands I had been listening to since before they were big. Hopefully I am not as much of an asshole about it when the Royals bandwagon starts filling up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwvTPNMEEGI

GO ROYALS! PUJOLS IS AWESOME!!!!

I just wanted someone to explain the business of baseball to me. 1) Is there any way that down the road, we will be able to keep Hosmer, Moustakas, Perez, Escobar, Gordon, Cain? At least some of them? 2) If we win a World Series, or two, is there any way we will be able to keep all, or most, of them? 3) How likely is it that we get a new owner or Glass gives us a lot more money?