All you can do is tip your hat to the Giants. They had some outstanding pitching performances. I do think with a couple of different decisions the Rangers could have stretched the series out another game or two and possibly even won it. But there's no doubt that the Giants were the better club in the World Series once the dust settled. So, congrats to them.
Through all of this I've experienced a phenomenon that was completely new to me. Bandwagon fans. I've never been a fan of team that was good enough to warrant any of these fans. I'm a die-hard fan and so are several of my good friends from Texas, but I know that there were a lot of people that jumped on the Rangers bandwagon. The normal reaction to bandwagon fans from die-hard fans is that of arrogant disdain.
I wouldn't be completely honest if I told you I felt none of that. I felt some, but, as I generally do, I stopped to analyze what was going on. First, why the heck are they called bandwagon fans? I assumed that the origination of the term had to do with literally getting on a wagon of some sort, and I was right. You see, the bandwagon was a wagon that would carry the band and go about the town and the countryside announcing to the people of a region that the circus was in town. Basic advertising, of course. But I don't believe anybody actually climbed onto one at this point.
In 1848, though, Dan Rice, a popular circus clown at that time (how, I don't know; clowns are creepy) used his bandwagon and popularity to announce where he would make political campaign appearances. That's right - he may have been the first clown to run for office! Probably not the last, though. Dan Rice ran for several offices including President of the United States in 1868. As his campaigns gained steam, other politicians vied for a seat on his bandwagon in an attempt to get noticed through his success. By the time, William Jennings Bryan ran for President in 1900, bandwagons were commonplace in campaigns. Unfortunately, "jumping on the bandwagon" had also become a derogatory term and referred to those who just associated themselves with success regardless of what the association meant.
When it comes to fans of a sports team the derogatory nature implies that the fan wasn't around for the tough times, but now they're showing up to latch on to the good times. Essentially, they are being called "fair-weather fans" which I think is a more fitting term. Why do die-hard fans dislike these fans so much? I asked one of our pastors that and he gave a great answer. He said it's the same reason his 3-year old son says, "Mine!" all the time. At our basic core we want to possess the success. I cheered for this team when they were awful. I took the ridicule for being a fan of a bad team. I got frustrated at the losses at the hands of the Yankees. Not you - now you want some of this success? No way, son. Step aside. It's mine.
How ridiculous is that? But it's true. Our selfish nature wants to possess that which is essentially not even possess-able.
Can you spot the bandwagon fans? Of course not, they look just like us - now if they start to talk about the team, you might get a clue.To make it even more ridiculous, these bandwagon fans are in reality great for the team. As ratings rise, TV contracts go up so the team makes more money. As sales of team merchandise goes up, the team makes more money. As the stadium has more sellouts, the team makes more money - and the atmosphere is more electric.
All of these things will contribute to the future success of the team. The team that you will care about long after the fair-weather bandwagon-ers fade away. So, no matter what team you root for, extend an olive branch to the late-comers. Welcome them with open arms and an open mind for they will be paying for your team's success long after they get bored with sports and go back to what occupied their time before.
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