Circle those bandwagons

When's the right time to jump on a bandwagon? Are there different levels of bandwagon jumping? Why do people take so much grief for jumping on and off a bandwagon?

Sports fans can be a fickle lot. They get behind the hot team, but disappear as soon as the team struggles. With a snap of the fingers, they'll turn on the team.

This phenomenon has been especially prevalent in various markets over the years. The New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics. Actually, let's just say the Boston sports market except for Bruins fans. The other teams have definite jumpers, both on and off. There are some who follow the Montreal Canadiens. There are definitely many, many jumpers who followed the Tampa Bay Rays on their magical run to a berth in the World Series last year.

There are also those who don't jump on and off, but support their team through thick and thin. The best example would have to be Chicago Cubs fans. Last championship for the Cubbies? 1908. Not many people still alive who saw them win their last title. Cubs fans are the most die hard of die hard. Die hard fans are those who follow a team through long droughts, like the Cubs, the Chicago Blackhawks, and my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. Of course, within those groups there are bandwagon jumpers and/or sheep who follow for no good reason, but for the most part, these teams have fans who live through the bad times with boundless optimism, and uttering over and over the mantra, "Just wait 'til next year."

Some hardcore sports fans can't stand the ones who jump on the wagon when the team suddenly starts doing well. And some hate the ones who jump off when the team begins to under-perform after a period of success.

So is there a good time to jump on or off a bandwagon?

Obviously, if you're just getting interested in a particular sport, it can certainly be okay to jump on a particular team's bandwagon. If you've never followed a team or sport before, it's certainly a unique situation. Some people start following a team because of a relative. My grandfather has been a fan of the Maple Leafs for much of his life. I began following the Leafs when I was a little kid. That situation is an acceptable one for bandwagon jumping. Or if it's just a case of suddenly following a sport because you saw a game and start following one of the participating teams, I couldn't really fault you for that either. I've done it myself.

It's nothing that's ever going to change. There will always be people jumping on and off when their local team suddenly becomes the hot ticket or implodes into mediocrity. That's the nature of sports. I just want people to admit it, rather than say they've followed a team for years, meaning they occasionally check standings and bitch/cheer because the team is winning/losing.

-BT