Teams With the Most Bandwagon Fans

Submitted by the_big_house 500th on

You all know them and hate their bastardly guts for flopping teams that can win games. Living in Ohio I've seen more than my fair share. It was INCREDIBLE how Blue Jackets fans turned in Penguins fans during the playoffs and how quickly Browns and Buckeye fans convert to Steeler morons. So I provided a list of teams in my opinion that has the biggest amount of bandwagoners in all sports.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (no doubt about it)
2. Ohio State (tough call between them and Pittsburgh)
3. Pittsburgh Penguins (YA GO PENS! I'M A JEALOUS HAWKS FAN BEAT THE WINGS!)
4. Manchester United (Beckham's gone time to move on, god...)
5. Dallas Cowboys (Still a fan after last night's loss?)
6. Florida Gators (I just like Tim Tebow. Yea right)
7. Los Angeles Lakers (Because Kobe plays for them dude!)
8. Boston Red Sox (Please don't get me started)
9. New York Yankees (refer to example 8.)
10. Bosotn Celtics (For the love of god BIRD RETIRED!)

ClevelandWolverine55

September 21st, 2009 at 4:30 PM ^

I live in Ohio and Buckeye fans didn't really exist in Northeast Ohio until Tressel won that national title. Now they all bow down to everything that is buckeye. And many Steeler fans were once Browns fans. I find myself having the same dilemma after Sunday's lastest embarassing failure.

The Red Sox have to be higher. I admit I'm a bandwagon Yankees fan however it is a wagon I won't be getting off for a long time.

UMxWolverines

September 21st, 2009 at 4:34 PM ^

The amount of buckeye fans in SE michigan is ridiculous. I would say the ratio of michigan to osu fans is about 6:4 plus there was a lot of cavs "fans" last year that were once pistons fans.

BlueFab5

September 21st, 2009 at 4:34 PM ^

I live in Phila. and nothing is more annoying than Cowgirl fans. Probably because most of them are really just Eagles haters.

The Yankee's have to be #1 as the biggest bandwagon team. My job takes me all over the country. I see Yankees hats everywhere I go.

mtzlblk

September 21st, 2009 at 5:40 PM ^

or any real reason to root for ND other than past glory is huge. This year, pre-season hype had them coming out of the woodwork, one was even giving me shizzle as an M fan b/c Holtz had picked ND to go to the BCS. He wondered aloud what kind of bowl, if any, Michigan would get to this year.

I have known this guy for over a year and was never aware he was an ND fan until the last month or so.

If they win the rest of their games this year and are hyped as big time for next year, you watch it fill out (in much the same way michigan's is now with all the fair-weather fans climbing back on board).

The ND bandwagon is indeed missing a few wheels and the steering leaves something to be desired, but it is a bandwagon nonetheless.

DubbaEwwTeeEff

September 27th, 2009 at 3:59 AM ^

I went to Gabriel Richard (Wyandotte, not Ann Arbor) for high school, and there was a notable Notre Dame presence. The principal and a good chunk of the staff were fans, but a lot of it was the families as well. The Catholic roots run deep.

That's not really bandwagon, though... Brainwashing seems more accurate.

JFree

September 21st, 2009 at 4:48 PM ^

I'm from Miami, went to Michigan undergrad, and go to Miami law school now. Miami fans are bandwagon fans in general, but it's especially true for the Hurricanes. The majority of fans are just people who live in Miami not students, which rather unique for a school with a big football program. So when they aren't good most people just stop supporting the team. It's really sad. I went to the Ga Tech game and the stadium was half full, at best. But, if they beat Va Tech this weekend, the Oklahoma game will be a packed house. That's just how it is in Miami.

foreverbluemaize

September 21st, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^

I must say that I hate a bandwagoner, I am a UM fan. I have been one really since '04 but have not missed a game since '06. (although I have had to catch them on TV most of the time) I supported them when they went 7-5 in '05 and I did the same when they went 11-2 the year after. I proudly tried to grin and bear it when I traveled over 1,000 miles to watch them lose to Appy and then nearly cried as Oregon came in and embarrassed us. I had to listen to all of my buddies and their "quack quack" heckling. I traveled the same distance to watch them lose to Utah last year and watched with disgusting levels of anguish as I hoped that this week would be the game where they came around the corner and everything started to click. Only to find out that it was not it 9 times last year. I suffered through a season in which I had no reason to call myself a fan. I still never missed a game and even the ones that I had to DVR and watch later (when I already knew the score) I still watched. I am a true blue UM fan and to be perfectly honest with you all of these bandwagon fans need to sit down and shut the hell up. I think anybody who endured last year and remained a fan is a fan and everyone else can just give some money to this site and kindly go away. Not trying to sound like a hater here but it is how I feel.

jabberwock

September 21st, 2009 at 6:01 PM ^

I'm not trying to make too much fun at your expense but . . .6 years. Thats it?
On a bandwagon fan thread no less?

I'm not making fun of the tv games either, caus thats how I've always had to watch 99% of the games but . . . 6 years? including this one?

I appreciate the "foreverbluemaize" handle as much as anybody but "Sir, I've met Bob Ufer, and you're no Bob Ufer".

Oh well, I guess I'm just envious because unless they start cloning body parts, I've got more games behind me than in front.

joeyb

September 21st, 2009 at 5:16 PM ^

Just because I think we have a lot of fair-weather fans does not mean that we cannot have enough true blue fans to fill a stadium. I would say that the number of people who actually make it to a game is very small compared to the number of people who cheer for Michigan, even in a down season.

jmblue

September 21st, 2009 at 6:01 PM ^

The only concrete measure of fan support we have is attendance at the stadium. By that measure, our fan support is outstanding. It is silly to argue that the school that leads the country in attendance has the most fairweather fans. You have no way of proving this.

joeyb

September 21st, 2009 at 6:30 PM ^

We have no way of proving which teams have the most bandwagon fans either. I was just pointing out that there were a lot of "fans" that wouldn't even watch the games and whatnot last year.

And just because we have 100k-200k dedicated fans in SE MI does not mean that there aren't another 500k fairweather fans in the area. That's not even looking at any fans outside of a drivable distance.

jmblue

September 21st, 2009 at 7:30 PM ^

I was just pointing out that there were a lot of "fans" that wouldn't even watch the games and whatnot last year.

Given that we averaged about the same attendance last year as this year, I call this statement into question. I'd love for you to come up with some kind of evidence to back this up, but I highly doubt you can. The only quantifiable measure of fan support is attendance, and that certainly doesn't back up your claim.

It defies all logic to claim that a school that has led the nation in attendance 33 of the last 34 years would have the most fairweather fans of any school in the country. Most other schools have experience wild swings in attendance during that time. How are we somehow more "fairweather" than every single one of them?

joeyb

September 21st, 2009 at 10:06 PM ^

I don't know why you are trying to pick a fight with me. All I was trying to do was point out that he was most likely classifying the fans he was referring to under the wrong category. He even agreed with me.

You are right. I can't prove any of it. I also can't prove that I think the New York Yankees have the most bandwagon fans. GQ can't prove that Brown is the douchiest college. Maxim can't prove that a school is the best party school in any given year.

Give it a rest already.

Raback Omaba

September 21st, 2009 at 4:42 PM ^

Is definitely on that list....

I guarantee you once we get to the inevitable Rich Rodriguez Era of Michigan dominance, we will replace Ohio State on that list....

You can't help to love our program...We've got wings on our helmets!!!!

I grew up in Canada (Toronto) and moved to SE Michigan when I was 12........yet I still recognized and liked the Maize and Blue, mostly due to the helmets. I was psyched when we moved so I wouldn't have to be a bandwagon fan.

I think it's a good thing though - - One of the top programs in the Country.

I would say Miami and FSU are up there as well when they are winning...a resurgence by both those schools will put them up there.

Also, UNC and Duke are definitely on that list (for bball)

joeyb

September 21st, 2009 at 4:56 PM ^

I have to admit that I am somewhat of a Patriots bandwagon fan, but it is more that I am a fan that will cheer on any team that stars a Michigan player. As soon as Brady retires, I will probably jump on the bandwagon for whichever team is starting Tate or Denard.