I am a sports fan. I am truly, dedicated to the sports I follow and the teams I cheer for. For me, the following teams I cheer for:
Green Bay Packers
Baltimore Orioles
San Antonio Spurs
Miami Heat
Virginia Tech Hokies
Four teams, Three sports ... I am a fanatic. I will follow my team through thick and thin, through the best of seasons to the worst of seasons, I am there; cheering, booing, critiquing and yelling. Overall, I never drift away even for a second if my team is in dire straights during any season of its particular sport.
I bring up these facts of being a sports fan to lead to the point of this blog. Under appreciated teams and fair-weather fans. These are two things that drive someone like me, a dedicated sports fan, insane. Why? Because it shows a lack of trust and effort in supporting morally and financially. Every team needs this, and every team wants this, but not every team gets it. I'll use a couple of examples from the observations I have followed through the years I have been following sports, specifically in one league: MLB (Major League Baseball). This is one league where I am driven insane in the lack of support for some teams around the nation. Why am I bothered, because of what I see in certain metro areas that have teams and don't deserve them. Case in point are the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays.
Florida Marlins
They are a perennial NL East contender. Maybe not able to win it every time, but they are in it with a fighting chance til the end of the baseball year. Even for all the good hitters, pitchers and clutch innings a player strives to provide in the bottom of the 9th, the crowd is dismal. It is pathetic. Super low attendance ratings throughout the year and also a lack of appreciation throughout the Miami-Dade county community for what this team has done. They have won 2 World Series Rings ... yet, no support. You never see "I am a proud Marlins fan" even if you travel to South Florida. The City is even building them a new ballpark, which I believe will still be empty because of the lack of enthusiasm from the community. Donating big money into a new stadium isn't going to be enough support, you need to GO TO THE GAMES!!!!!!
Tampa Bay Rays
This is a team that has had a lack of support, but the focus isn't the lack of support from the community, it is the fair weather fans. For years since their inception in 1998 (at the time called the Devil Rays) they haven't been the most spectacular team, usually finishing with the worst record and either at or close to last place in the AL east, but they had talent through those years. They had players come up through the system that began showing off what they had. From player like BJ Upton to David Price, Young Guns were coming. In the 2008 season, all the loosing turned around and they made the World Series, eventually loosing to the Phillies in 5 games. Why I bring this up? Because this is when the fans came running through the floodgates in supporting the team screaming ... "YEA I'm a DIE HARD fan, go RAYS." Alright, its cool if you want to cheer for your home team, but you aren't a die hard fan. Where you there at the games or one game during the loosing stretch? Where you there when the team was trying to build themselves up to playoff contention? Where you there when they needed the fans support. HELL NO, you probably don't even deserve to have a team in the first place. Undeserving fans, give a team like that to true baseball fans in Kansas City, Oakland, Detroit and you better believe, they will have fans
So two examples of an under appreciated team and fair weather fans. Two examples of why certain places shouldn't have teams. Good example of dedications can be found in the NFL (National Football League). Almost every team has a die hard fan base. No matter how bad, good, far or heartbreak moments you feel, the fans will be there. Case in point is me being a Packers fan. I have watched and experienced the debacle against Mike Vick and Atlanta Falcons, as well as the San Fransisco 49ers winning touchdown catch by Terrell Owens in the first round of the playoffs, or the interception in the NFC championship game against the Giants in 2007 playoffs ... I still cheer, weep and move forward. Another strong case in point is the New Orleans Saints. For years they have been a terrible team, but all changed with Drew Brees and the 2009 season, where they were lead to and won Super Bowl XLIV. Even Lions fans are dedicated even after an 0-16 season.
So, for all you sports fans out there, hopefully you don't have the same agenda as the Rays and Marlins fans. Be true, be dedicate, be supportive ... be a real fan.
- ... SA
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