It’s looking like an orange October with many people hopping on the Giants bandwagon. The reason being, another moment in history has been made because the Giants have won the World Series. While San Francisco may be overjoyed by the win, “bandwagoners” will soon evolve.
A “bandwagoner” is anyone who claims they are a “fan” of a particular sports team, even though they had no prior support for or interest in the team until that team started winning. These type of fans only show playoff interest, have probably never watched a regular season game, don’t own any type of team merchandise, nor would they buy any.
From the moment coming into the world, the Giants have been a big part of my life. I was born at the moment the Dodgers knocked the San Francisco Giants out of the playoffs with a 12-1 victory on the final day of the regular season in the fall of 1993.
The point is, if the Giants win or lose, we stay loyal as true fans. Fans are brought down by generation to generation. True fans become a family, because they have stuck through all the games for better or worse and they still love the team even if there are days spent just yelling at the television.
The worst “bandwagoner” is someone who jumps from team to team. It’s frustrating seeing someone wear the gear, when they usually do not have a clue about the team or baseball in general. The only case where “bandwagoners” are acceptable is when they are trying to learn about the team. Even though they may not like baseball, they are trying to learn, which is respectable.
It feels like it was just yesterday when the Giants won the World Series in 2010, and that was such an emotional time for true fans. The bay area was full of pride and excitement to see the team we love win it all. It was very emotional for one particular person, which was my dad.
I had never seen him cry, but it was at that moment he was witnessing a miracle. The fans that had stuck through it all were the ones who were very touched. Whether it’s the first World Series to the third win in five years, fans are full of excitement and emotion for how the team won.
The Giants in general especially have a very unique way about them. From fear the beard in “passed years” ago, to the Panda hats, the Giants like to have fun and get creative as a team. Even if you may not be as knowledgeable about baseball, or can’t even name one player on the team, as long as when supporting the orange and black, you do it with pride. Even though “bandwagoners” get a bad reputation, they’re still supporting a team that many people know and love.
By no means is San Francisco the only place where you’ll find San Francisco Giants pride on display. Businesses in the North Bay, Peninsula, East Bay and South Bay are doing their part to root and support the team and it’s proving to be quite profitable. Even the businesses have hopped onto the bandwagon.
If you are one of those people who hopped onto the Giant bandwagon, make sure to pick a team and stay loyal.
Go Giants.
