Do Real Hockey Fans Get Mad at us Bandwagon Rangers fans?

[diego]

Sup guys,

Do real NY Rangers fans or I guess just hardcore Hockey fans get bothered by the "fans" that pop out of nowhere during the finals?

So I'm sitting here faded as **** and I find myself checking for scores of the hockey game tonight.
Truth is I'm only checking because the Rangers are in the finals.
Obviously when a team from a major city (such as NY, Cali makes it to the Stanley Cup, there's a bunch of people that come out of nowhere frontin like they been following the team all year (myself included).

Do real fans of the sport get aggravated by people like us or are you just more appreciative of the extra exposure and coverage that the sport receives?

 

[sthebest]

I for one hate you bandwagon NY fans, just like i hate bandwagon LA fans.

 

[cedric ceballos]

I'm a pretty big kings fan.

Personally I see it like this. Kings fans came out in packs in 2012 but hockey needs all the fans it can get.

This LA NYC matchup should be good for hockey as a whole though.

 

[diego]

I for one hate you bandwagon NY fans, just like i hate bandwagon LA fans.

Big difference between bandwagon NY fans and Bandwagon team fans.

As a NYer I will always root for any NY team....except for the Giants.

 

[lvjordan238]

I don't have a problem with bandwagon fans as long as you don't jump ship when they are bad and jump on the wagon of whoever happens to be good at the moment.

 

[DeadsetAce]

there are bandwagon fans that make a fanbase look bad, which is beyond annoying. and then there's fans who are 100% up front about rooting for the hometown team because they're making a run at a title. those fans are perfectly fine IMO and great for sports i think. i even think some of those fans end up becoming actual hockey fans.

i know for me personally, i think it's pretty damn cool having NTers who have never posted in the NHL thread coming in there saying how much they're enjoying the playoffs or a certain game or series. love that part about it.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Who cares, thats every playoff run.

The hardcore are always there.

Casual hockey fans, key in when the team is successful.

Casual sports fans, key in when the team is in the playoffs.

Non sports fans tune in for the championship series game.



Thats how sports work, why would you get mad?



I follow way too many sports to be watching mad regular season hockey games, but I pay attention to news, and will watch every Senator playoff game. With baseball, basketball, college/international basketball there are only so many hours in a day.

 

[DeadsetAce]

I follow way too many sports to be watching mad regular season hockey games, but I pay attention to news, and will watch every Senator playoff game.

no wonder you think EK is a legit Norris defenseman

i kid, OKB...i kid

 

[clyde the glide]

I don't have a problem with bandwagon fans as long as you don't jump ship when they are bad and jump on the wagon of whoever happens to be good at the moment.

I don't have a problem with apples as long as they aren't red, green, yellow, or some kind of mix of those colors

 

[osh kosh bosh]

no wonder you think EK is a legit Norris defenseman

i kid, OKB...i kid

I jumped in early that season once I knew we had Paul Coffey 2.0.



in Canada I'm surrounded by this **** 24/7, I might as well have watched every regular season hockey game with amount of coverage it receives.

 

[lvjordan238]

I don't have a problem with apples as long as they aren't red, green, yellow, or some kind of mix of those colors

"Bandwagoners" that gain interest in a team like the Rangers that is doing well, who weren't previously big hockey fans are not = to Isles/Devils/non successful team's fans that front run and become Rangers fans because they are good.

 

[clyde the glide]

"Bandwagoners" that gain interest in a team like the Rangers that is doing well, who weren't previously big hockey fans are not = to Isles/Devils/non successful team's fans that front run and become Rangers fans because they are good.

i gotcha.  casual devils fan myself and as much as i don't wanna root for the team that beat em 2 years ago, i just can't root for the rangers

 

[AZwildcats]

I only watch hockey when the Coyotes are making a run in the playoffs. Been to a couple of Coyotes games as well, its a good time.

 

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

I don't mind because it's for the better of the sport in general. I always hear people say "hockey sucks!" "hockey this and that". Meanwhile they never watched or even attended a game.

When I was a kid, I got some friends hooked on hockey starting with NHL '94 on Sega, then actually playing hockey, to becoming avid lovers of the sport.

 

[hawkflight6]

Don't have a problem with it, hockey is a great sport so the more people that watch and pay attention the better.

I believe we had this discussion in the hockey thread during the Olympics when there was a bunch of new faces posting- the hockey fan community is too small for us to be mad when more people want to watch

 

[8pm at msg]

I just started watching hockey or more specifically the Rangers during this playoff run and its been entertaining for sure. I'll probably never watch it as much as basketball, football and soccer but at the very least I understand the basics and can take in a good game here and there.

 

[venom lyrix]

Here is a fact.

There isn't a sport more exciting then playoff NHL hockey...maaaaaybe the NCAA Tournament can be close. Other then that NHL is must watch.

The issue is that the NHL is a very dormant sport in the USA compared to NFL, MLB, NBA. It won't ever supplant those three sports but it can start to make headway. The most passionate NHL fans will stick through, but a hot playoff run and a trip to the cup final could convert a few thousand fans and make them big time fans. That's what the NHL Needs. NBC has done a great job marketing and televising the games and their production is top notch.

So I think while diehard might scoff and bandwagon fans, the NHL and their fans are in no position to say no to any kind of publicity and fandom

 

[jjs07]

NHL has a chance to really elevate its game in the next couple of years. They have proved that they don't need ESPN to be successful. My jaw dropped when I read this a few months back. I'll repost:

NHL selling out more arenas than the NBA

Hockey is by far my favorite sport to watch. NFL coming in a VERY close second...

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Not a bandwagon Rangers, fan but not a "real" fan who watches every game and follows the team all year either.

I'm from New York and I've always supported the Rangers, because they're my home team. Hell, I even have some Rangers apparel at home that I wear around the apartment. I guess I could be considered a bandwagon fan since I'm excited that they're in the finals, but i have no shame rooting for my home team.

I agree with the people that said having these bandwagon fans is good for the NHL. Hockey needs all the fans they can get. It's pretty damn exciting watching a hockey game

 

[onewearz]

Never been into hockey at all but im enjoying this rangers run. The games have had me glued, even caught myself listening to em on the way to work in my car

Won't say im a die hard now but its definitely caught my interest. As far as hockey fans not accepting a fan like me , I'll never act like those douchie fans who act like they been here forever. You can tell im here for the run ...

 

[proshares]

Anything that furthers the NHL's fan base is okay with me.

 

[big j 33]

Not a bandwagon Rangers, fan but not a "real" fan who watches every game and follows the team all year either.

I'm from New York and I've always supported the Rangers, because they're my home team. Hell, I even have some Rangers apparel at home that I wear around the apartment. I guess I could be considered a bandwagon fan since I'm excited that they're in the finals, but i have no shame rooting for my home team.

I agree with the people that said having these bandwagon fans is good for the NHL. Hockey needs all the fans they can get. It's pretty damn exciting watching a hockey game

I'm in a similar position. Maybe if I lived in NY, I'd be able to follow the Rangers more often.. but I definitely make an effort to watch as many playoff games as I can.

My feelings in general with "bandwagon" fans is so long as you don't pretend like you've been there for years.. through the bad and the good.. then it's okay. If through some miracle the Knicks ever win, I know it'll be a little annoying if fans pop up and claims they've been there for a decade but it's the way it goes. OKB pointed out how it usually works, it's nothing new.

A championship run can always bring new fans to the sport or to the team and to me that's always good.

 

[denni5themenace]

admittedly never been a fan of hockey, but this post season run the kings have been on is

i remember how captivated i was watching the kings vs ducks game 1. i was at a party and a couple was watching the game while everyone else wanted to catch the clippers vs. gsw game. so we waited patiently since they had the tv first, but we ALL got sucked into it. sitting uncomfortable, jolting, waiting to explode at every shot at goal during OT. since then i've been going to buffalo wild wings for a few games. the atmosphere is

definitely want to attend some kings games next year.

 

[Clyde Frog]

I doubt any bandwagon hockey fans are as bad as the amount of Blackhawks fans in Wisconsin. It makes no sense and its mildly infuriating.

 

[DeadsetAce]

admittedly never been a fan of hockey, but this post season run the kings have been on is

i remember how captivated i was watching the kings vs ducks game 1. i was at a party and a couple was watching the game while everyone else wanted to catch the clippers vs. gsw game. so we waited patiently since they had the tv first, but we ALL got sucked into it. sitting uncomfortable, jolting, waiting to explode at every shot at goal during OT. since then i've been going to buffalo wild wings for a few games. the atmosphere is

definitely want to attend some kings games next year.

a new convert

welcome