Bandwagon - Page 2

Ranger · #41 (**permalink**) 07-29-2006, 04:44 PM

A couple times this summer I've had disgruntled Indian fans call me a bandwagon because I'm wearing my Tigers shirt and hat... little do they know I wore the same hat in 2003 everywhere too (and years before that).

Brian · #42 (**permalink**) 07-29-2006, 05:30 PM

I guess I'm lucky all of my family & friends no just where I stand. I've worn a Tigers hat since I was 10 years old. I can't even begin to imagin wareing another teams hat on my head. That's just so wrong in every way.

ajspence · #43 (**permalink**) 07-29-2006, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClintD

To me, "bandwagon" fans are guys that are HUGE fans of whatever team has just won a championship. i.e. your neighbor that used to be a huge Patriots fan, but is now huge Steelers fan.

I agree with your definition, but I cannot say that I know anyone who is truly like that. The people I would call "bandwagoners" are those who belive it is now cool to be a Tigers fan, but never even followed baseball before this season. These would not have been defined as "diehards" (like many of those who have been here a while) or even casual fans - like me, I guess.

BTW Ranger, does tht hat get washed during the games?

DaYooperASBDT · #44 (**permalink**) 07-29-2006, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaYooperASBDT

The more the merrier, as long as they bring some intelligent posts with them. There's a couple guys lately that have been really annoying, not quite enough yet to make my "Ignore" list yet, but working on it. And my "Ignore" list currently stands at zero, because even the annoying guys come up with a good post now & then.

Well, somebody did make me eat my words today, after all ....

Barrie · #45 (**permalink**) 07-29-2006, 11:47 PM

I'm someone who joined this board a few months ago. Does that make me a bandwagon fan? I've been a Tiger fan since the age of 7, 1983.

You can't blame Detroit fans for not paying attention to the Tigers. Honestly what was there to follow? Also the success of the Pistons and Wings since 1995 was awesome, at the same time the Tigs were horrible! Following the Tigers was depressing, but they are always going to be my favorite Baseball team because I'm a fan of all 4 Detroit teams. I'm sure most of the new people here are similar to me.

The fact that Detroit fans follow the winner, makes it an excellent sports town. All 4 teams know they need to win inorder to get fan interest and make money. Not only do the Tigers, Wings, Pistons, and Lions compete against other teams in their league, they also compete against teams in their own city.

I think Cubs and Toronto Maple Leaf fans are some of the dumbist in North America. Home games are always sold out, which give management no incentive to win. On the other hand, it's no coincidence that the Wings, Pistons, and Tigers had, and is having, an excellent regular seasons. If they aren't winning, no one shows up, it's simple as that.

Yoda · #46 (**permalink**) 07-29-2006, 11:54 PM

So they're dumb for supporting a bad team? Interesting.

AlaskanTigersFan · #47 (**permalink**) 07-29-2006, 11:54 PM

Talk about Bandwagon fans eerywhere.... I get back from being gone 2 1/2 months and I hear its getting hard to get tickets to any Tiger games....

Barrie · #48 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoda

So they're dumb for supporting a bad team? Interesting.

You can support bad teams, but I think it's up to the fans to send management a message by not going to games. I think Lions fans should stop supporting the team financially until they turn things around.

Since 2001, I've only paid for two Tiger games, two other times I was able to go for free. In that same time I paid for 7 Red Wings games. I still supported the Tigers, but didn't want to spend money to watch them lose. I was much more interested in spending money to see Yzerman, Shanahan, Fedorov, Lidstrom, Chelios, McCarty, Draper, Maltby, Hasek, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Schneider, Lang, Holmstrom, etc..

You pretty much had to know once the Tigers started winning again, people would pay attention, flock to Comerica Park, buy and wear all the gear, join message boards, talk about them on sports talk radio, etc.. Good for everyone who continued to support the Tigers 100% before this season, but when fans are interested all 4 teams they can go back and forth.

Compare that to where I'm from (Toronto). The Jays are playing well and put a good team together, but they are having problems filling the seats and getting fan support, unless Boston and the NYY are in town. Majority of fans here still follow the Leafs even when they don't make the playoffs, which drives Blue Jay and Raptors fans crazy, because they get little media coverage.

BigCec · #49 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 12:07 AM

I'm glad kids who are in the ages of 8-15 or so can see a great Tiger team at that age, maybe they started watching because they are winning and will stick with them and be fans for life. I'm 20, but very few people I know have been with the Tigers through it all. Hardly anyone sported Tigers stuff or discussed them my 4 years in High School (2000-2004). Maybe it was because I wasn't looking hard, or something else, but I believe it was mostly because the team was terrible, simply put. Anyone my age cannot remember an even average or mediocre Tiger team. Now those that are just starting to get into baseball will maybe create a new wave of fans, or possibly I'm just looking into this too much.

Oh, and another thing, anyone who actually takes the time to register at a Detroit Tigers messageboard is in no way a bandwagon fan.

scribe114 · #50 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrie

You can't blame Detroit fans for not paying attention to the Tigers. Honestly what was there to follow? Also the success of the Pistons and Wings since 1995 was awesome, at the same time the Tigs were horrible!

Just a reversal of the era when the Red Wings sucked and the Tigers put a consistently good product on the field. The Wings started winning and the "bandwagon" fans came out in force, that's one of those things we just dont discuss in these parts.......like trying to find a Red Wings fan that knew Hockey existed before 1991.

ClintD · #51 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 02:51 AM

"I'm someone who joined this board a few months ago. Does that make me a bandwagon fan? I've been a Tiger fan since the age of 7, 1983."

I asked for none of these...

ClintD · #52 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCec

I'm glad kids who are in the ages of 8-15 or so can see a great Tiger team at that age, maybe they started watching because they are winning and will stick with them and be fans for life. I'm 20, but very few people I know have been with the Tigers through it all. Hardly anyone sported Tigers stuff or discussed them my 4 years in High School (2000-2004). Maybe it was because I wasn't looking hard, or something else, but I believe it was mostly because the team was terrible, simply put. Anyone my age cannot remember an even average or mediocre Tiger team. Now those that are just starting to get into baseball will maybe create a new wave of fans, or possibly I'm just looking into this too much.

Oh, and another thing, anyone who actually takes the time to register at a Detroit Tigers messageboard is in no way a bandwagon fan.

You and I are on the same page. Enjoy this. We are building die-hards for the future, GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ClintD · #53 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClintD

I have a few points in response to this great thread.

First, I have to say that I'm going to make some generalizations, but none that are damaging in my eyes. I know what I say will not apply to EVERYONE in that particular group, so please refrain from the "I am statistically in that group, but I am nothing like that" posts.

I think a lot of the fans that are just signing up on the boards are closer to my age than some of the life-long fans on here. I was born in December of '83, so '84 isn't exactly engrained into my memory (although my mom says if the Tigers were on I was quiet and watching). Before this season the "Glory Years" of the Tigers of my era were the Cecil Fielder, Mickey Tettleton, Tram, and Sweet Lou. I remember Gibson more as a Dodger for the '88 Series HR than I do for the '84 team. The point is, fans in their early to mid 20's are much more hard pressed to have the knowledge some of you "more experienced" guys do. They have to research, can't just "remember the good ol' days".

Second, I think it's great that there are many different eras represented on this board. How many of us watched the '68 team? How many kids idolized Denny McLain until his bout with the law. Those kids are now how old? late 40's? Much tougher to reminisce with these guys for us because we only have 1/3 to 1/2 of the memories.

My third point is an opinion. To me, "bandwagon" fans are guys that are HUGE fans of whatever team has just won a championship. i.e. your neighbor that used to be a huge Patriots fan, but is now huge Steelers fan. If you weren't that into the Tigers before, but you are now, and you're from this area or have some connection to Detroit, you have a RIGHT to jump on this teams momentum wave. Isn't that why Pro Sports Teams are connected to major cities? I would say a majority of the people on this board would call themselves "Die-Hards" because they still care when the teams are terrible. I said CARE, not LOVE. I can't imagine that I LOVED the early teams of this decade, but I cared that they were terrible. That's really all you can ask for. Care.

Now they are an amazing team, we all LOVE them, and the people who used to not care, do.

Sorry for the length. Great Post Yoda

Im not tooting my own horn. Did anybody read this? Why are we still having people address things that I thought I preemptively stuck with this post?

Brilliant! · #54 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 03:12 AM

The only bad part about the Tigers success is that I can no longer buy 5 dollar skyline tickets and move right up behind the dugouts at Comerica. Other than that I am crazy about the Tigers winning. The more fans the better I say...

kwales · #55 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoda

Can we maybe let this go already? We don't need to call every new person that signs up a bandwagoner. Chances are, if they're taking the time to seek out a message board to talk about the Tigers, they were a pretty big fan to begin with.

Maybe the didn't enjoy talking about them as much as they do now, for obvious reasons. Does that make them any less of a "fan"? I don't think so. I enjoy welcoming the new people. The more we have, the better off this board is.

This has been bugging me a lot over the last couple weeks. So I needed to get my 2 cents out.

Great post, thanks.

Speaking for myself, I didn't know until about a month or so ago that this board existed. Until I did a Google search for "Detroit Tigers message board" I thought the only places I could go to get my daily morning fix of reading about the Tigers were the newspapers, ESPN, SportingNews, etc.

I also read quietly and didn't register right away because I didn't know how "newbies" to the board would be welcomed. Once I saw that it was a friendly place I knocked on the door.

Franks151 · #56 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwales

Once I saw that it was a friendly place I knocked on the door.

Did Yoda answer the door in his underwear and wife beater?

Yoda · #57 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 07:38 AM

That was Todd Jones in his underwear.

Biff Mayhem · #58 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franks151

Did Yoda answer the door in his underwear and wife beater?

Yoda answers the door with his strap-on.

Yoda · #59 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 08:08 AM

That's two I owe you...

Charles Liston · #60 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travis

...earlier in the year while standing at a urinal at the bar, I asked some hippy with dreads and a tie dye shirt

A tie-dyed T-shirt...be still my heart. I had a few of those...Bert, do you still have any of yours?

I like the continuous addition of new contributors here. Some are young, some are old, some are wise, some are obnoxious, some will stay for the long term, but a message board that doesn't add any new members is dying.

Madmanrick · #61 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiger337

Oh so that's how that site got popular. It's such an obscure site. It doesn't ever show up if you do a search. The only reason I knew it existed was because a few of them came here and were talking about it. It's not a bad site.

I originally found out about this site when I was collecting XYT's codewords, anyone remember those gems? Anyway, I posted here very rarely until this year. There really wasn't much to discuss, the Tigers weren't doing very well and all one could do was hope for next year! I work with die-hard Yankees fans and they would constantly give me doo about the Tigers and how they sucked. This year all they keep talking about is how they are over-achieving and any moment now, they are going to start playing to their real level. Are they in for a shock or what?

Rick

Madmanrick · #62 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scribe114

Just a reversal of the era when the Red Wings sucked and the Tigers put a consistently good product on the field. The Wings started winning and the "bandwagon" fans came out in force, that's one of those things we just dont discuss in these parts.......like trying to find a Red Wings fan that knew Hockey existed before 1991.

Wow...THIS is it in a nutshell. How many of those so-called fans will remain is another good question, as the Wings look like they are in a "down-trend" (hopefully 'Mo Cheese will start rooting for Nashville!!)? I've never known any other teams, I grew up as a fan of the Tigers. When I got a little older and started branching out into other sports, I automatically became a Pistons and Wings fan. Now pro-football has never done it for me, but I am a rabid Wolverine f-ball fan. However, just because my teams may have a bad stretch (Pistons late 90's anyone?), doesn't mean that I give up on them. I have an old saying when questioned as to why I'm not a NY whatever fan and that is "Ya gotta go with what ya know".

Rick

Madmanrick · #63 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff Mayhem

Yoda answers the door with his strap-on.

YIKES

T.O. Tiger Fan · #64 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 09:23 AM

Thought this may be the appropriate thread to make my first posting. I recently found this site a few weeks ago after searching for Tiger message boards and after reading alot of posts I was very impressed. I have been a Tiger Fan since my I attended my first game at Tiger Stadium as a 7 year old back in 1982. I recently moved to Toronto from the SW Ontario area so coverage up here of the Tigers is few and far between. I bought the MLB.tv package so I can watch most of the games. All I can say is what a season so far! After suffering through many, many long years each this season is somethign to be savoured. Thanks for the board and the opportunity to share this season with other diehard Tiger Fans.

Biff Mayhem · #65 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 09:29 AM

Welcome aboard TO

JimPriceFan · #66 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 09:32 AM

I'm 25 years old and guess I'm a bandwagon fan. I used to be fan when I was a kid in the late 80's/early 90's and then once they traded Cecil, I gave up. Sorry guys, but I can't watch a bad baseball team with no direction. I finally got hope when they fired Randy Smith.

kwales · #67 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franks151

Did Yoda answer the door in his underwear and wife beater?

Yes, but he looked so much like my hubby that it didn't bother me in the least.

tiger337 · #68 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Liston

A tie-dyed T-shirt...be still my heart. I had a few of those...Bert, do you still have any of yours?

I recently received a tie-died t-shirt when I entered a race. I even wear it sometimes. It fits in with the Mark Fidrych stuff I've been writing.

Yoda · #69 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwales

Yes, but he looked so much like my hubby that it didn't bother me in the least.

I don't know whether to be frightened or flattered.

DaYooperASBDT · #70 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff Mayhem

Yoda answers the door with his strap-on.

And then you wake up.

olbiadle · #71 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 12:17 PM

Welcome T.O.
Always nice to see some more Tigers fans from north of the border...

Charles Liston · #72 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006, 12:53 PM

Speaking of old-time Leafs and Red Wings hockey, for those of you who get the Canadian aboriginal channel APTN you'll want to tune in Saturday nights for the Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts of the 1964 Leafs-Red Wings final series. It's great, it even has the 1964 commercials, and the between-period interviews with Ward Cornell and Ed Fitkin. Last week was kind of funny because the interviews at the end of the second period were from a different game.

I think that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that about 20% of the participants in this series are in the Hall of Fame.

I couldn't figure out why APTN was showing these and the best I can come up with is that George Armstrong, the Leafs' captain, was a full-blooded Mohawk.