From: jpalmer@uwovax.uwo.ca (The Econoclast)
Subject: In Defence of Fair-Weather Fans
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 12:46:18 GMT

In Defence of Fair-Weather Fans
by John Palmer

There is absolutely nothing honourable about being a die-hard "______" fan,
cheering for them through thick and thin, especially during seasons when the
team is losing two-thirds of its games. I don't understand how this type of
masochistic loyalty came to be elevated to a virtue for so many people.

When I watch a sporting event, I like to see my team win. I like to see them
win really big. I like to see ungodly, lopsided scores in my team's favour. I
don't like nail-biting defensive duels. And most of all, I hate to see my team
lose. 

Most people are like me, but for some reason they think they have to allege
loyalty even when their team is losing. Why bother? We all know that fewer
people attend games played by losing teams, fewer people watch televised
events of losing teams, and fewer people buy the souvenirs of losing teams.
Why hypocritically claim die-hard loyalty as a virtue and not practice it? Why
not just admit that we like to cheer for winners?

Be honest now. When your team is winning, how much channel hopping do
you do? Heck, even during commercials, I'm reluctant to switch to another
channel since I like to see my team win. 

But when my team is losing, like most other so-called fans, I begin to wonder
what else is on tv. I begin to browse through mail-order catalogues. I give
serious consideration to fixing myself a sandwich.

It's fun to cheer for a winner, and it's not fun (except in some perverse
situations) to cheer for a loser. How many people were there, cheering for the
Blue Jays in 1980? How many people were there, cheering for the Cleveland
Indians in 1990? How many people were there, cheering for the Indianapolis
Colts in 1986? Not nearly as many as when the teams were new or were
winning.

Most people like cheering for winners, and they readily shift their allegiances
when other teams (or companies or candidates) become winners. And I, quite
frankly, see nothing wrong with these shifting allegiances, since the seeming
fickleness of consumers spurs managers and owners into trying to produce
better products. It would often be the case that if we continued to show loyalty
to a team (or product or whatever) regardless of how bad it was, people would
have a substantially reduced incentive to improve.

So in fact, all you die-hard fans, you are doing little more than promoting
mediocrity, and that is nothing to be proud of. By continuing to cheer for and
support the poor performers, you are not egalitarian loyalists. Rather, you are
misguided demoralizing inhibitors of growth and improvement.

It is the fair-weather fans who are providing all the excitement and incentives
for athletes and others to improve. Instead of having special ceremonies for
alleged die-hard fans, leagues and teams should hold events for fair-weather
fans. After all, we are the ones who spur them on to bigger and better
performances. 

And with all that in mind, Go Blue Jays (but if they lose, go Expos or some
other team that might have a chance of winning next year).

-- 
  Regards,

  John Palmer    London, Ontario       Voice: (519) 661-3533    FAX: 661-3666
  reply to jpalmer@uwovax.uwo.ca       the Philistine Liberation Organization
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