Rays wearing plaid billed hats

[Legend]

Saw it and thought it was strange, but at least it was original if nothing else. And they won.

No. They lost.

[Lights Out]

I've been a Rays fan since 1998, and I suffered through such idiotic ideas as "The Hit Show," in which the bumbling ownership at the time thought adding fossilized versions of Greg Vaughn, Vinny Castilla, and Jose Canseco would make them suddenly win, and Wade Boggs getting his 3000th hit but not getting anywhere near the playoffs. I'm also a Clippers and Chargers fan, and they haven't won diddly crap either besides an AFL Championship back in the '60s for my Chargers. So please, spare me the accusations of being a bandwagoner, because they're not true.

Second of all, good on you for showing up to every Pirates game in their long, long streak of losing. That's real dedication that many fanbases *coughYankeescough* don't understand. However, the fact of the matter is that very few people show up to Pirates games, therefore, Pirates fans should not be calling Rays fans out on their dismal attendance figures.

[TFoA]

Sorry that doesn't fit your plans. You guys down here are all the same, and always tell people to go back. We'll go back north when you hop off the Rays bandwagon. And since neither is happening anytime soon, looks as though we are at an impasse.

Well yeah, we tell you to go back because most people who move here complain about everything. I'm not saying that you can't root for the teams you like. I think its cool you're still loyal to Pittsburgh teams. It just seems like every post you make is complaining about the area, and the team in the area.

On something somewhat related, it isn't the first time the Rays have tried some new things this year, they started wearing Stir-ups to try to get some good luck when the team was in a funk.

The Rays have gotta be the quirkiest team in the majors right now. Not only this, but with the themed road trips (Country clubs, hockey sweaters, Wild West), then the random stirrups, now the plaid. I guess the team really is a reflection of their manager, since Maddon was known to be a little eccentric before he got the job as the Rays skipper.

But hey, who are we to knock it since apparently it's working. They've been pretty damn respectable on the field since 2008, and most of all when it comes to this board, the stirrups & plaid look good.

[Punch]

Is Legend confusing the term bandwagoners with fair-weather fans, or are the terms exactly the same?

I think the difference is that bandwagoners are fans who live outside of the territory of the team, while fair-weather fans are just fans who remain dormant during the losing years. For example, Pirates' fans in Pittsburgh are dormant, and will emerge once they start winning again. That is also the case with the Rays. I think they had dormant St. Petersburg/Tampa/rest of Florida fans just waiting to sprout up during one of their winning seasons.

On the other hand, fans outside of their team's territory (who have never been fans of their respective teams before) should be considered bandwagoners (like Yankees fans in the midwest or Red Sox fans in LA).

I'm having trouble wording my point, but in my head it sounded good. Hopefully at least one person can understand what I'm trying to say.

[Legend]

I've been a Rays fan since 1998, and I suffered through such idiotic ideas as "The Hit Show," in which the bumbling ownership at the time thought adding fossilized versions of Greg Vaughn, Vinny Castilla, and Jose Canseco would make them suddenly win, and Wade Boggs getting his 3000th hit but not getting anywhere near the playoffs. I'm also a Clippers and Chargers fan, and they haven't won diddly crap either besides an AFL Championship back in the '60s for my Chargers. So please, spare me the accusations of being a bandwagoner, because they're not true.

Second of all, good on you for showing up to every Pirates game in their long, long streak of losing. That's real dedication that many fanbases *coughYankeescough* don't understand. However, the fact of the matter is that very few people show up to Pirates games, therefore, Pirates fans should not be calling Rays fans out on their dismal attendance figures.

I'm originally from NY, raised in Pitt, now in Tampa.

I bleed pinstripes as well. My dedication for all my teams runs deep. Win or lose, I'm a fan.

Not sure why someone in California would be a fan of a team in Tampa Bay, but that's all you.

I also don't think attendance came into this discussion yet...

[loogodude90]

I think though that a bandwagon fan is just a fan who comes out of nowhere (no prior allegiance to the team required) and just "hops on for the ride" until it ends.

When I think of a fairweather fan I think of a fan who will toggle their allegiance to a particular team depending on the success of the team. Like a clear example of a fairweather fan (to me) would be a Miami Heat fan who went crazy during their championship year in '06, then stopped paying attention once Shaq left and D-Wade got injured and the team tanked, and then this year is going to be a fanatic again. I think to be a fairweather fan there has to be some kind of back and forth going on, consistent with the team's performance.

I don't think the locale of the fan or team necessarily matters for these two terms. Just my opinion anyway.

[Punch]

I think though that a bandwagon fan is just a fan who comes out of nowhere (no prior allegiance to the team required) and just "hops on for the ride" until it ends.

When I think of a fairweather fan I think of a fan who will toggle their allegiance to a particular team depending on the success of the team. Like a clear example of a fairweather fan (to me) would be a Miami Heat fan who went crazy during their championship year in '06, then stopped paying attention once Shaq left and D-Wade got injured and the team tanked, and then this year is going to be a fanatic again. I think to be a fairweather fan there has to be some kind of back and forth going on, consistent with the team's performance.

I don't think the locale of the fan or team necessarily matters for these two terms. Just my opinion anyway.

Completely agreed. My explanation of the difference between bandwagon and fair-weather was a bit wordy and unclear. Your explanation hits the nail on the head. I agree that a back-and-forth attitude towards a team is generally an important factor in determining if someone is a bandwagoner or a fair-weather fan.

[Sodboy13]

I'll go "stick in the mud" on this. If Tampa does this for the long term, I can live with it, but I really don't want to see a "fashion cap" trend throughout the league.

This pretty much sums up my problem with the Rays' little fashion stunt. Honestly, the plaid bills look better than I'd care to admit. The problem I have is that this, really and truly, is not part of their uniform. And it's the sort of thing that's going to switch on a light bulb for other lesser, attention-starved teams. And with the abundance of horrific New Era MLB fashion caps that have been documented on this board, access to ridiculous designs is certainly easy. And the next thing you know, there's the Rockies in argyle, and the Pirates are wearing a cap designed to look like a jigsaw puzzle, because the players like it, and it gets them attention and a merch bump for a night.

If you need me, I'll just be sitting here in my green Carl Crawford jersey, mumbling about the way things used to be.

[The_Admiral]

The Rays have gotta be the quirkiest team in the majors right now. Not only this, but with the themed road trips (Country clubs, hockey sweaters, Wild West), then the random stirrups, now the plaid. I guess the team really is a reflection of their manager, since Maddon was known to be a little eccentric before he got the job as the Rays skipper.

I wonder how much eccentricity would surface if Maddon weren't managing in the backwateriest backwater of the major leagues. "Well, my Cubs just had a 1-5 road trip, so we're gonna put underpants on our heads and bunny slippers over our cleats. Couldn't hurt!"

[Sodboy13]

The Rays have gotta be the quirkiest team in the majors right now. Not only this, but with the themed road trips (Country clubs, hockey sweaters, Wild West), then the random stirrups, now the plaid. I guess the team really is a reflection of their manager, since Maddon was known to be a little eccentric before he got the job as the Rays skipper.

I wonder how much eccentricity would surface if Maddon weren't managing in the backwateriest backwater of the major leagues. "Well, my Cubs just had a 1-5 road trip, so we're gonna put underpants on our heads and bunny slippers over our cleats. Couldn't hurt!"

Crane Kenney's got all kinds of great marketing ideas lined up for 2011.

[Lights Out]

Not sure why someone in California would be a fan of a team in Tampa Bay, but that's all you.

I'm not in California, I just grew up watching the Clippers and Chargers for as far back as I can remember. Also, I grew up watching the Padres too - I don't know why I liked the California teams as a kid, I just did - but gave up after two decades of no real direction or commitment to winning and moved on to the expansion Rays. I don't consider it bandwagoning because I didn't switch to an established team - they hadn't even played a game. Of course, the Pads then had to screw me over and go to the World Series that very same year, but that's a whole other story.

[The_Admiral]

Crane Kenney's got all kinds of great marketing ideas lined up for 2011.

I'd rather have Joe Maddon's whimsical bag of fantabulawacky than "Come Watch Ryne Sandberg Make A Pitching Change"

[ElwoodCuse]

"Fighting traffic"? You must not keep up on the news. Whatever traffic you're fighting wouldn't seem to be Rays fans, as the recent 10,000- and 12,000-esque totals for potential clinchers were harshly criticized by their stars. Maybe the extra 20,000 for this game -- never saw the attendance total -- but otherwise the roads should be fairly clear for you.

You must not have ever actually been to Tampa/St. Pete.

"Whatever traffic" indeed. It's a freaking nightmare to get to Rays games and back if you are coming from Tampa, especially during the week.

[The_Admiral]

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and St. Louis don't exactly provide unfettered access to their ballparks, and yet their fans manage to brave the traffic of vast and sprawling metropolises to watch their teams to the tune of over 30,000 a game. And their teams aren't always on pace to win 98 games, either. No more goddamn excuses about how weather is scary and driving is hard. If these Sun Belt cities are such pleasant alternatives to the grubby old North, maybe people would've figured out how to design a mother:censored:ing system of transportation so people could get from one of their godforsaken strip malls to yet another. Enough already.

[Sodboy13]

Crane Kenney's got all kinds of great marketing ideas lined up for 2011.

I'd rather have Joe Maddon's whimsical bag of fantabulawacky than "Come Watch Ryne Sandberg Make A Pitching Change"

But you also get STATUES!!!, which the fans love.

Anyone notice the two loudest groups in the "oh, I would go, but the traffic!" camp are Rays and Coyotes fans? Best to start showin' up, glint-lovers.

You wanna talk what actual traffic is? Oh, we can talk.

[BrandMooreArt]

i really like the plaid. i think it works great in the Rays colors. it would be hard for most other teams to pull it off. job well done

[The_Admiral]

I just googlemapped the distance from Scottsdale, Where All The Coyotes Fans Really Live (apparently all their fans are dimestore Orange County bros and leatherfaced MILFs?) to jobing.com, and it's like an hour in traffic on a beltway-style expressway. Is there a fire-breathing dragon on the expressway that makes all travelers answer him these questions three before they can pass? There must be something to this traffic thing that I'm not seeing.

Likewise, I don't see anything too daunting about a variety of routes to Tropicana Field. The funniest thing about everyone pissing and moaning about Tampa-St. Pete traffic is that like everyone from Tampa-St. Pete is originally from the most hellish concrete labyrinths known to man, and they can't handle it! Either Greater Tampa Bay actually, implausibly has more maddening and frightening highways than Robert Moses's Land of Unintended Consequences and Boston's Paved Cow Paths combined, everyone forgets how to grit their teeth and handle highway congestion, or Tampa Bay's infrastructure is a couple of dirt roads.

[CubsFanBudMan]

"Fighting traffic"? You must not keep up on the news. Whatever traffic you're fighting wouldn't seem to be Rays fans, as the recent 10,000- and 12,000-esque totals for potential clinchers were harshly criticized by their stars. Maybe the extra 20,000 for this game -- never saw the attendance total -- but otherwise the roads should be fairly clear for you.

You must not have ever actually been to Tampa/St. Pete.

"Whatever traffic" indeed. It's a freaking nightmare to get to Rays games and back if you are coming from Tampa, especially during the week.

Been there. Been to several Rays games, too. Legend specifically mentioned fighting the traffic created by bandwagon fans. I was not commenting on any pre-existing traffic. But I'll stand by what the other Chicagoans just said in terms of how much of a realistic hindrance "traffic" is to baseball-game attendance.

Also, what OnWis and Sodboy seconded should be a real concern -- that a byproduct of this is fashion cap night for other teams. That would be troubling. (Also forgot to mention the striped stirrups were a nice addition.)

[TFoA]

The Rays have gotta be the quirkiest team in the majors right now. Not only this, but with the themed road trips (Country clubs, hockey sweaters, Wild West), then the random stirrups, now the plaid. I guess the team really is a reflection of their manager, since Maddon was known to be a little eccentric before he got the job as the Rays skipper.

I wonder how much eccentricity would surface if Maddon weren't managing in the backwateriest backwater of the major leagues. "Well, my Cubs just had a 1-5 road trip, so we're gonna put underpants on our heads and bunny slippers over our cleats. Couldn't hurt!"

Yeah, definitely helps that they play in front of crowd that can be best described as paltry, & it's the newest team in the AL. Can't pull that in New York, Philly, or any other city that's had a baseball team since the 1800s.

[Legend]

"Fighting traffic"? You must not keep up on the news. Whatever traffic you're fighting wouldn't seem to be Rays fans, as the recent 10,000- and 12,000-esque totals for potential clinchers were harshly criticized by their stars. Maybe the extra 20,000 for this game -- never saw the attendance total -- but otherwise the roads should be fairly clear for you.

You must not have ever actually been to Tampa/St. Pete.

"Whatever traffic" indeed. It's a freaking nightmare to get to Rays games and back if you are coming from Tampa, especially during the week.

Been there. Been to several Rays games, too. Legend specifically mentioned fighting the traffic created by bandwagon fans. I was not commenting on any pre-existing traffic. But I'll stand by what the other Chicagoans just said in terms of how much of a realistic hindrance "traffic" is to baseball-game attendance.

Also, what OnWis and Sodboy seconded should be a real concern -- that a byproduct of this is fashion cap night for other teams. That would be troubling. (Also forgot to mention the striped stirrups were a nice addition.)

I'm not gonna map you out where I go every day.

But I often have to drive right by the Trop around 5-6pm during game nights. It is the only and most sensible way to get to my intended destination.

I'm not saying it's NYC traffic, but it's enough to cause a headache when I'm trying to be somewhere and all of the sudden the attendance goes from 1,000 to 10,000, I mean 10,000 is staggering for this team, the traffic tends to increase.

I hope for their elimination from the playoffs quickly so I can resume my regular driving. Thank you.