When all else fails, it’s okay to be a bandwagon fan

A conversation I heard last week on “The Safety Blitz with Nick Ferguson” really got me thinking about what it means to be a fan. In case you missed it, the discussion revolved around whether or not you have to root for your hometown team, no matter the results.

Sure, if you grew up in the Bay Area, that’s probably a pretty easy thing to do, with the Warriors recent dominance and a whole host of other teams to follow. It’s probably not hard for fans in Boston, either, with the Patriots run of success, the Red Sox defending a World Series title and the Bruins vying for a Stanley Cup this season.

But what happens if you’re like me, a Dallas native who has spent almost three decades stuck watching mediocre franchises come up short time and time again?

The answer is simple: You find another team, or teams, to get behind and ride the roller coaster of emotions that comes along with it.

That’s part of why when I moved here a month or so ago, I quickly jumped on the Denver sports bandwagon.

The Mavericks were fighting to stay out of the Western Conference cellar, so I fully invested in the Nuggets playoff run. While the Stars were fighting to advance in their second-round matchup, I sunk my teeth into the Avs series on off nights, hoping at least one of my two teams would move on. Is that so wrong?

Look, I get it. Some people will call me a sell-out. Others will say I’m just a bad fan. But why?

Being a fan is supposed to be fun, and if that means you enjoy rooting for another team for a little while, that’s totally okay. If you disagree, I’d challenge you to find me the official fan rulebook that states otherwise.

Honestly, it’s more fun to have more than one sports allegiance. In my case, it’s allowed me to ingratiate myself into a new city and still enjoy watching the games I love even when my primary teams aren’t on TV.

I may not be able to catch a Rangers game on a Saturday night, but I can flip on the Rockies and celebrate when they win via walk-off three out of four nights. I know come August that Sundays will be more fun because I have my pick of two teams to cheer for when the NFL kicks off.

Don’t get me wrong, I respect Joe Somebody in Phoenix, or Minneapolis, or Detroit who, despite years of all-around sports ineptitude, stayed loyal to only his hometown franchises. All I’m saying is, it doesn’t have to be that way.

So if you’re a Drake fan who’s never stepped foot in Canada but wants to root for the Raptors in the NBA Finals, more power to you. If you caught a Blues game once on vacation in St. Louis and are thinking about jumping on their Stanley Cup bandwagon, go for it.

I’m not here to tell you how to fan, but I know for a fact you won’t enjoy it less if you expand your horizons and climb on board a bandwagon.

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