4/24/2011

I'm With The Band (wagon): How Do You Know Who is Who?

The past couple of hockey playoff seasons, I've observed the sudden rise in the Blackhawks. And while most people in my position (not a hockey fan and not really part of the wagon or true Hawks fan) wouldn't give a crap, I've always wondered if there's an easy way to spot out a bandwagoner from a true fan.

Are there certain signs that I should be looking for from the bandwagoners that wouldn't be seen in a true fan? Would quizzing people on the team's past (like anything from beyond the past 4-5 years) prove anything in their status? Are there certain jerseys that bandwagoners have that are considered too trendy for a "true" Hawks fan to get? I'm actually legitimately asking these questions, because I have no clue as an outsider to observes a plethora of Hawks love on social media - and while I know some of them are true fans, I also know there are some who are following the Hawks (much like some folks following the Bulls) because it's the cool thing to do.

I'm sure you (whoever reads this as a Hawks fan) know who, among your group of friends and "friends" on facebook, is a true fan. My question to you is: how do you distinguish between a true fan and a bandwagon?

If any of you have answers to this, I'd welcome some comments on the subject.

Big sports day in Chicago Tuesday. Buckle up where ever you watch the games.

-B

4 comments:

  1. Very hard to distinguish, because you can't call out someone who didn't know the game. It would have been hard getting into the Hawks ten years ago due to the TERRIBLE talent on the ice. We grew up on the hawks, before baseball, before football it was all about Hockey. Larmer, Savard, chelios, roenick, eddie eddie eddie.... Once Chelios was gone there really was no reason to watch. In keeping up with Hockey you heard rumblings of the Hawks draft picks in 07/08... In answer to your question, I think if you could name the coach before q that may separate you from the bandwagon (and to be fair he coached kane, toews, etc. Before they won). Or if you know who Eric Daze is... something must separate a fan from Freakin Vince Vaughn.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have heard of Eric Daze as a casual follower of hockey, but mainly just because I've opened up a sports section of a newspaper since I was 6 years old.

    Like I said, I'm not even sure if Hawks fans even care. I consider myself a lifelong sports philosopher, trying to soak in the sports important to our lives and seeing what people think of them.

    Thanks for your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. last year was easy all you had to do was ask someone who is that big guy and if they said by-fugg-lee-en then you know they are a fake fan

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good point. Or anyone trying to pronounce Toews for the first time.

    ReplyDelete