I am a bandwagon fan, and my loyalty can be bought with skill, talent, charisma, and wins.

I grew up a 49er fan, mostly because my dad is a 49er fan, but mainly because I liked Jerry Rice. So when he left and signed with Oakland, I wiped my hands and said, “It’s been real San Francisco, but I’m a Raider fan now.”

Earned vs. Inherited

While bandwagon fans are often criticized for not having any loyalty, I would argue that the loyalty of a bandwagon fan is more valuable than that of a lifelong fan. It’s loyalty that’s earned rather than inherited. A teams ability to gain bandwagon fans is a direct testament to how good they are.

The sentiment of a lifelong fan is admirable, they have dedicated their entire life to 1 team. But it also means they care not for the individual players and coaches responsible for the team’s success. In the end, lifelong fans have seen countless players come and go from their team, and have proven that they are only loyal to the brand.

A bandwagon fan is not a fan of a legacy from years past, they’re a fan of the players on this team and what it is now. They’re not a fan of the organization, they’re a fan of the team the organization has built. They see the players, they see the potential, and say, “that’s a team I want to be a part of.”

To players and coaches alike: lifelong fans are not fans of you, they’re fans of the organization… whether you’re there or not.

Homers

We all know somebody, or have even been that somebody, who has moved to a new area and adopted the local team. However, the average person doesn’t necessarily get to choose where they live, life chooses for them. Things like where they were born, where they were raised, where they went to school, where they work, or a combination thereof are all factors that decide for them. And to compound this, the average person doesn’t have the money to just pack up and move wherever they want.

So when you decide to root for the home team, this is a decision based on a lot of factors that are out of your control. Are you a fan because they’re a good team, or simply because they’re the closest team to you?

If your fandom is decided by geography, then I question your fandom.