Is it OK to quit on teams just because they trade certain players?

[BBTV]

I've gone to a few minor league games (Reading Phillies, Harrisburg Senators) and had a lot of fun - because I didn't actually care.  I think it would stink to be a STH for a minor league team, get invested in them, only to know that their best players are just going to get called up and you're watching new guys you've never heard of that may or may not develop into anything.  It's cool to say that you watched Player X before he was famous, but the entire point of a minor league team is to develop good players and then ship them off.  For youse guys that are into MiLB, does that matter to you?  Or do you root more for the laundry, and good players who happen to be there are just a bonus?

[AnPheitseog]

14 minutes ago, BBTV said:

I've gone to a few minor league games (Reading Phillies, Harrisburg Senators) and had a lot of fun - because I didn't actually care.  I think it would stink to be a STH for a minor league team, get invested in them, only to know that their best players are just going to get called up and you're watching new guys you've never heard of that may or may not develop into anything.  It's cool to say that you watched Player X before he was famous, but the entire point of a minor league team is to develop good players and then ship them off.  For youse guys that are into MiLB, does that matter to you?  Or do you root more for the laundry, and good players who happen to be there are just a bonus?

Root for laundry to be sure, especially more than other.

(this part is hard for people to follow)

I'm a Buffalo Bisons fan and cheered on people like Vlad. I'm also an Orioles fan. I loved these players in AAA, but cheer for their failure in the majors.

 

It's weird.

[Discrim]

On 7/30/2021 at 2:27 PM, GoCubsGo said:

3. I have become know for dissapointing My Mother, Why not live up to the Sterotype.

You too, eh?  Got a "can do no wrong" cousin your mom wishes was her kid instead of you like I do?

 

On topic, I'm actually kinda blase about the Bryant trade, given how many trade rumors in the last few years had him leaving.  Javy and Rizzo, though....that they won't be in Cubbie blue anymore feels wrong.

[neo_prankster]

I liked the Sharks for a while in the mid-late 2000's. I got a Jonathan Cheechoo jersey for Christmas in 2008. But after the Sharks traded him to the Senators, my interest in San Jose started to wane really fast.

 

Then I tried to get into the Kings during their two Stanley Cup runs, but then the AHL took care of that when the old Norfolk Admirals came to San Diego to become the current Gulls franchise.

[ManillaToad]

I stopped rooting for the Rams when they came up with their garbage uniforms and logos. Getting embarrassed in the Super Bowl didn't help either

[sportsfan7]

On 8/1/2021 at 2:00 AM, chcarlson23 said:

The MN State hockey tournament is much more fun with all they hype of a huge tournament happening...

Seconded, the tourney is an absolute blast

[spartacat_12]

On 8/1/2021 at 10:36 AM, BBTV said:

I've gone to a few minor league games (Reading Phillies, Harrisburg Senators) and had a lot of fun - because I didn't actually care.  I think it would stink to be a STH for a minor league team, get invested in them, only to know that their best players are just going to get called up and you're watching new guys you've never heard of that may or may not develop into anything.  It's cool to say that you watched Player X before he was famous, but the entire point of a minor league team is to develop good players and then ship them off.  For youse guys that are into MiLB, does that matter to you?  Or do you root more for the laundry, and good players who happen to be there are just a bonus?

 

Being a fan of a minor league affiliate isn't bad when you are also a fan of their major league team. Growing up my family had season tickets to the Ottawa Lynx, and we were also Montreal Expos fans. When the Expos moved, the Lynx became Baltimore's farm team, so I tried to be an O's fan for a few years. After the Lynx left for PA I was in MLB no-man's land for almost 10 years. It wasn't until I moved to Toronto that I committed to the Blue Jays.

 

As for the OP, like everyone else has said, you are free to do whatever you want. However, don't be surprised when die hard fans question you about your decision. From my experience, people who are fans of players instead of teams don't seem to have the same kind of passion as people who are lifelong fans of a team. When the player you like retires, what do you do then? Go back to your original team? Find another player to follow? Just seems like flimsy logic to me.

 

The Sens are my number one team, and I have watched several of my favourite players leave, many during the prime of their careers. I'm still a fan of the team, and I will be for life, but that doesn't mean I wasn't happy to see Zdeno Chara & Chris Kelly win the Cup in Boston. San Jose collapsing helped Ottawa's draft situation, but I would still like to see Karlsson get back to his old form. I'm glad Mark Stone is finally getting recognized as a star in Vegas.

[Digby]

Soccer is a little bit different in this regard, outside of the top leagues (even the top clubs therein) because to an extent you are expected to see players move on to bigger things. In a way it’s a sign of success if your top players get sold to a new league, though hopefully your team also wins in that especially short championship window.

[Digby]

I would also say that I still haven’t fully found my interest in baseball again after the Red Sox traded Mookie Betts. Not that I switched to be a Yankees fan or anything but it’s just less fun to root for them when they don’t have your guys anymore.

[DCarp1231]

My patience wears thin with the Orioles and I’ve found joy in watching other teams (Mets & White Sox predominantly), but it’s nothing worth giving up on Baltimore for their inability to field a good team. Being an Orioles fan, you just learn to live with constant failure and your feelings go unfazed.

[dont care]

21 hours ago, Digby said:

I would also say that I still haven’t fully found my interest in baseball again after the Red Sox traded Mookie Betts. Not that I switched to be a Yankees fan or anything but it’s just less fun to root for them when they don’t have your guys anymore.

The new cast is pretty entertaining in a grind it out and win kinda way. I still love mookie and hope he continues to be one on the best players in the league for many more years. But if the red sox play the dodgers there is no way I’m rooting for him over the Sox.

[Digby]

2 hours ago, dont care said:

The new cast is pretty entertaining in a grind it out and win kinda way. I still love mookie and hope he continues to be one on the best players in the league for many more years. But if the red sox play the dodgers there is no way I’m rooting for him over the Sox.

Yeah, I get all that and I like this year’s team (winning helps), but I just don’t feel a strong affinity for any of the guys bar Bogaerts. It seems like the “wait, who is that again?” effect is more pronounced than it used to be in sports, unless you’re lucky enough to have real stars on the team, and it does affect my ability to feel real attachment to the team.