Rays wearing plaid billed hats

[oldschoolvikings]

I think no Yankee fan should use the term "bandwagoner" on a fan of any other team. Even if you've (supposedly) been a Yankee fan all your life, its just unseemly to root for that team and drop that accusation on someone else.

Being a Yankee fan must be the easiest thing in the world.

[tubby34]

The Plaid was a blazer they had made for the team to show team together-ness, and to lighten the mood. They have trips where there are themes, and one theme was "Plaid Blazers".

It worked for them, so it became a rallying cry. They have put Plaid on the Playoff shirts, and this was a nod to their luck.

[SilverNRed]

I think no Yankee fan should use the term "bandwagoner" on a fan of any other team. Even if you've (supposedly) been a Yankee fan all your life, its just unseemly to root for that team and drop that accusation on someone else.

Being a Yankee fan must be the easiest thing in the world.

Yankee fans whining about other teams having "bandwagon fans" is just about the funniest thing in the world.

[GFB]

Plaid is dope.

[Still MIGHTY]

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.

First off, those "Orange County bros" actually originate in Riverside. I really don't know how the hell they spilled into OC. The leatherfaced MILFs, well yeah that's Newport and Coto de Caza. But anyways, yes, that's Scottsdale in a nutshell haha.

Secondly, I gotta say, I've been living in the Phoenix area (Tempe) for over a month now, and I've made the drive from Tempe to my aunt's house in Glendale several times (she's more lke a sister, so I visit ofter, but whatever) and I went to last weekend's Cardinals/Raiders game, and it's not that bad. Maybe you hit a snag getting off the 202 and on into the 10 around downtown Phoenix. But it's nothing compared to normal Orange County traffic back home. The distance is a little more than my normal drive to the Big A/Pond for Angels/Ducks games back home, but it's about the same drive time 40-45 minutes or so. But I haven't seen any of this godawful traffic that is brought up in the Coyotes arguments.

And also, in my month here at ASU, I have seen a gross amount of Red Wings/Blackhawks/Cubs shirts. Probably more combined than I've seen of Diamondbacks/Suns/Cardinals stuff and I've seen 2 Coyotes shirts. Hell I've seen a couple guys wearing Mighty Ducks stuff. So I know there's a lot of midwest kids that go to ASU, but there is still more local AZ kids and I haven't seen too much fandom. Although, I've talked to people and they go to Coyotes games, just aren't really Coyotes fans. idk. It's completely a transplant market, and the Coyotes will be missed by everyone else's fans once they move.

And to bring this back to Tampa, yeah there are Rays fans around, because it is the local team, but there is a large section of transplants from what I gather. And same as the Coyotes, if the Rays were to leave, the Rays fans would be sad yeah, but it wouldn't be the same amount of people with a general indifference towards the thing.

And I'll repeat, the plaid is actually kind of cool. I think it'd look great with the light blue alternates. And as an Angels fan, man do I miss Joe Maddon. That guy was so great.

[Legend]

I think no Yankee fan should use the term "bandwagoner" on a fan of any other team. Even if you've (supposedly) been a Yankee fan all your life, its just unseemly to root for that team and drop that accusation on someone else.

Being a Yankee fan must be the easiest thing in the world.

Yankee fans whining about other teams having "bandwagon fans" is just about the funniest thing in the world.

Both of you are wrong.

Being born into a Yankee family is just that. My great grandfather had season tickets, my grandfather had season tickets, and up until we left my aunt and uncle took over the season tickets. Generations of Yankees fans passed down because of being New Yorkers and loving their team. You can't blame someone in their 20's for liking a team they were raised around liking. That doesn't' even make sense.

Least you forget that being a Yankee fan, I too am a Pirates fan and held season tickets while I was there. So I support the teams I grew up with/around. One is a great team. One hasn't had a winning season in years.

But both teams have stories of winning and losing seasons. It's the nature of sports.

[BBTV]

Anyone from Florida complaining about traffic being a hinderance to people attending their ballpark has likely never been to any "traditional" urban city like Boston, NY, Philadelphia, DC, etc. Not to start a thing of "I'm better than you because I fight more traffic every day!!!" but it's a different world. It's also a different world price wise, and experience wise. Price and traffic simply aren't part of this discussion. Maybe they should play in a field behind a strip mall, at least people could catch a few innings on their way out of Target.

The whole "I'm a better fan than you, you bandwagon jumper!!!" is ridiculous. Honestly, what are you trying to prove here? That you devote more of your life to following a sports team? That because the other person isn't emotionally damaged when said team loses, and you're suicidal, you're somehow better? Don't you idiots remember what the whole point of pro sports is? It's entertainment, fun, a diversion from the harsh realities that many of us live in. It's an excuse to get together with people and have something to watch and cheer for. When a team is doing well, and more people are showing up at the bars and having parties, it's better for everyone. If you don't appreciate that, then maybe you need to talk to someone to find out what caused that gaping hole of need in you that you're trying to fill with sports.

[patsox]

Anyone from Florida complaining about traffic being a hinderance to people attending their ballpark has likely never been to any "traditional" urban city like Boston, NY, Philadelphia, DC, etc. Not to start a thing of "I'm better than you because I fight more traffic every day!!!" but it's a different world. It's also a different world price wise, and experience wise. Price and traffic simply aren't part of this discussion. Maybe they should play in a field behind a strip mall, at least people could catch a few innings on their way out of Target.

Move the Rays to Foxboro!

http://www.patriot-place.com/

[SilverNRed]

I think no Yankee fan should use the term "bandwagoner" on a fan of any other team. Even if you've (supposedly) been a Yankee fan all your life, its just unseemly to root for that team and drop that accusation on someone else.

Being a Yankee fan must be the easiest thing in the world.

Yankee fans whining about other teams having "bandwagon fans" is just about the funniest thing in the world.

Both of you are wrong.

Being born into a Yankee family is just that. My great grandfather had season tickets, my grandfather had season tickets, and up until we left my aunt and uncle took over the season tickets. Generations of Yankees fans passed down because of being New Yorkers and loving their team. You can't blame someone in their 20's for liking a team they were raised around liking. That doesn't' even make sense.

That's all well and good, but your team also has more "fans" who are obnoxious when they win and can't be found when they lose than any other team in baseball. How many people own Yankee hats and don't even know who's on the team? I've met a lot of "lifelong Yankee fans" who couldn't tell me the first thing about the team's history.

[SilverNRed]

The whole "I'm a better fan than you, you bandwagon jumper!!!" is ridiculous. Honestly, what are you trying to prove here? That you devote more of your life to following a sports team? That because the other person isn't emotionally damaged when said team loses, and you're suicidal, you're somehow better? Don't you idiots remember what the whole point of pro sports is? It's entertainment, fun, a diversion from the harsh realities that many of us live in. It's an excuse to get together with people and have something to watch and cheer for. When a team is doing well, and more people are showing up at the bars and having parties, it's better for everyone. If you don't appreciate that, then maybe you need to talk to someone to find out what caused that gaping hole of need in you that you're trying to fill with sports.

Well said. I'm definitely in it for the fun. I'll never understand the fans who act like they want to kill themselves after a terrible loss or during a terrible season. What are they trying to prove? And who are they trying to impress? If the team stinks, it's OK to disengage and go spend more time with your family. And if the team is suddenly more exciting and more interesting, it wouldn't make any sense not to get more involved with them.

The people who go on and on about how they're a "real fan" or about how much better their city is for sports are just about the most boring people on the planet.

[oldschoolvikings]

I think no Yankee fan should use the term "bandwagoner" on a fan of any other team. Even if you've (supposedly) been a Yankee fan all your life, its just unseemly to root for that team and drop that accusation on someone else.

Being a Yankee fan must be the easiest thing in the world.

Yankee fans whining about other teams having "bandwagon fans" is just about the funniest thing in the world.

Both of you are wrong.

Being born into a Yankee family is just that. My great grandfather had season tickets, my grandfather had season tickets, and up until we left my aunt and uncle took over the season tickets. Generations of Yankees fans passed down because of being New Yorkers and loving their team. You can't blame someone in their 20's for liking a team they were raised around liking. That doesn't' even make sense.

Least you forget that being a Yankee fan, I too am a Pirates fan and held season tickets while I was there. So I support the teams I grew up with/around. One is a great team. One hasn't had a winning season in years.

But both teams have stories of winning and losing seasons. It's the nature of sports.

I never said you can't be a yankee fan. Absolutely, more power to you, you come from New york, you come from a Yankee family, I have no problem with any of that.

What I said (and I'm not "wrong" about either of these thing) is;

Its incredibly easy to be a Yankee fan (seriously, you're gonna argue with this?). And...

You shouldn't drop a "bandwagon" comment on another fanbase. Its childish. BBTV hit it on the nose. Sports are for fun. If a fan has something better to do than support a team when the team isn't giving much back, its probably because that guy has a life.

Trust me, I live in Detroit. The Lions have blown for a decade, but the fans (great fans) turn out game after game. And what has it got them? It only encouraged the owner to keep Matt Millen, the worst GM in the history of sports, for 5 years.

[Buster]

Plaid is dope.

Agreed, they looked like dopes.

[crashcarson15]

Coming from a Pirates fan, I stay loyal win or lose. It seems this area is very fickle. Bolts win the Cup, the place is packed! Then the losing starts, the attendance drops. It's sad.

So you're saying that Pittsburgh's sad right? I mean they drew LESS THAN 12,000 PEOPLE in 2003-04. No matter where you are, the casual fans won't support the team if they suck.

Remember, going to a baseball or hockey game for many is an event. It's more about the atmosphere for the casual fans than the actual game. The family of four will go to an outdoor park because it's a fun time and enjoyable, however the same family of four doesn't wanna see a game INDOORS in the middle of beautiful Florida weather when they could be at the beach, Busch Gardens, etc.

[TopCat]

Loving how every thread about the Rays turns into an argument about real vs. bandwagon vs. fair weather fans.

[Cujo]

Loving how every thread about the Rays turns into an argument about real vs. bandwagon vs. fair weather fans.

Then the convo turns into how :censored:ty their stadium is....

[Firefly]

Well, it's clear that are headed foward at ludicrous speed

[BigShoop]

Loving how every thread about the Rays turns into an argument about real vs. bandwagon vs. fair weather fans.

Then the convo turns into how :censored:ty their stadium is....

And it only happens when the Rays are good. Hmmm...

I'm a Tampa native, who moved to Boston last month. It's amazing to me the perspective that the people up here(in the northeast in general) think that the entire world revolves around the Sox and Yankees.

When I explain to them that I didn't have a baseball team to root for until i was EIGHTEEN years old, they look dumbfounded. When I explain that I didn't even know what hockey WAS until I was 13 years old, they act like I'm speaking a different language.

Newsflash: there ARE some cities out there that have fans that did not have the luxury of their grandfather passing it down to their father, who passes it down to them. Some of us are starting the tradition. In other words, to some extent, EVERYONE is a bandwagoner. The Rays have to get their fans from SOMEwhere...

It's a process. There are times where I wish I was around in 1910 to experience all that passion and the millions upon millions upon millions of Yankees fans who were "true" Yankee fans from day 1. 1998 was our Day 1. Give it time.

[BigShoop]

Back on topic, the plaid is a nice gimmick. ......but i don't ever want to see it on the field again.

[Matito]

Loving how every thread about the Rays turns into an argument about real vs. bandwagon vs. fair weather fans.

Then the convo turns into how :censored:ty their stadium is....

And it only happens when the Rays are good. Hmmm...

I'm a Tampa native, who moved to Boston last month. It's amazing to me the perspective that the people up here(in the northeast in general) think that the entire world revolves around the Sox and Yankees.

When I explain to them that I didn't have a baseball team to root for until i was EIGHTEEN years old, they look dumbfounded. When I explain that I didn't even know what hockey WAS until I was 13 years old, they act like I'm speaking a different language.

Newsflash: there ARE some cities out there that have fans that did not have the luxury of their grandfather passing it down to their father, who passes it down to them. Some of us are starting the tradition. In other words, to some extent, EVERYONE is a bandwagoner. The Rays have to get their fans from SOMEwhere...

It's a process. There are times where I wish I was around in 1910 to experience all that passion and the millions upon millions upon millions of Yankees fans who were "true" Yankee fans from day 1. 1998 was our Day 1. Give it time.

Thank you. So much. I was about to say (more or less) the same thing.

Yes, there are boatloads of bandwagon/fair weather/whatever fans around here. My parents are prime examples. We went to tons of games when they started playing because they wanted their 8 year old son to experience Major League Baseball and fall in love with it. It worked. Is Tropicana Field as great of a baseball stadium as Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field or Dodger Stadium? Absolutely not. But when I walked up through the stairwell and saw the field for the first time, I was hit with a sense of wonder that I had felt once before, and that was at age 6 going to my first NASCAR race. Will I complain if/when we get a new stadium? Not really. I'm gonna miss the Trop, but I know that the Rays need a new home.

I remember the day they announced that the Tampa Bay area was granted an expansion franchise. I was five years old, and my mom bought me a purple and black t-shirt with that horrifying rainbow logo on it. Looking back, it was possibly the ugliest shirt I've ever owned, but I didn't care. I was going to have a local baseball team to cheer for, and that made it worth it.

I've suffered through the aforementioned "Hit Show," through rainbow logos, through 10 years of being a laughingstock, through 13 years of a stadium built with no real purpose in mind, and through three years of being called a bandwagon fan (and counting). I'll continue to suffer through it if it means I have a team of my own to cheer for. It would break my heart if the team were moved to another city.

[TheRevTy]

As a Rays fan living in St. Louis - one of the most ridiculous baseball towns in the nation - I have been called a bandwagon fan a time or two. But then I start rattling off names like Quinton McCracken, Wilson Alvarez, Bubba Trammel, and Mike Difelice and they realize Holy Cow, this guy was actually a fan before they had that Desperate Housewives guy.

As for the plaid, it fits the Rays personality. They aren't the Yankees or Cardinals, a stoic team that has a century of history to live up to. They are the new kids on the scene, and they cater to a new generation with their quirky antics. Think of the plaid in the same vein as the RaysHawks back in 2008.

Incidentally, the Rays model very well may represent the future of sports. They have poor gate attendance, but stellar TV (and I assume) internet ratings. I have read that the reason there are 4 jerseys and none of them say Tampa Bay on them very well might be a desire to appeal nationwide as opposed to simply a regional audience. In an age where I can be a fan of Central Florida teams with little to no problem while living in Missouri, why restrict yourself to a geographic brand? Gone are the days where you follow only the local team because they are what is available to you.