Imagine this, a group of people gathering around their televisions, eating snacks and wearing a particular color scheme to display their loyalty for their team. It is the last few minutes of the game. Their team is in the lead and victory appears to be inevitable. That is until the opposing team performs a Hail Mary play and achieves an unexpected victory. Everyone’s cheers quickly turn into cries of agony and variety of swear words being hurtled towards the television. The loyal fans shake their heads in disappointment, while thinking to themselves that their team can definitely win the next game.
Win or lose fans stay loyal to their respective teams no matter what the outcome may be for the season. Their respective team could lose every game during the season, but the fans will remain loyal to their teams despite the losing streaks. But why? Why not just switch teams and root for the winning teams? Does it have to do with where people are from or family influences? Does not the frustration of a losing streak ever waiver the loyalty of sports fan? Some students from Cabrini University were able to clarify why loyalty is so important to sports fans.
“All true fans are going to stick to their team no matter what if they have a bad season or not,” Casey Starner, sophomore pre-physical therapy major, said.
Starner is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and remains a loyal fan to the Steelers even after admitting that their previous season was not their best football season. He hopes that the Steelers play better this upcoming football season.
“My grandpa was from Pittsburgh, so my family grew up huge Steelers fans. Obviously, them being tied for the most Superbowl wins ever is a pretty cool thing,” Starner said.
It appears to be a common trend among fans to root for the team that is most associated with their hometowns. According to Kenny Myers, an actor and blogger, geography is one of the top 10 reasons that sports fans are so loyal. It builds a sense of community among sports fans, even as the team roster changes from season to season.
“As a dedicated fan, you just walk away from them. You gotta keep watching them and hope for the best,” Michael Ventura, sophomore business management major, said.
Ventura is a loyal fan of all Philadelphia sports teams and believes that people should not abandon their team over a losing streak. He also mentions how he never feels tempted to root for a winning team when his teams are having a bad season.
“You gotta stick true to your hometown and the team that you root for ever since you were a kid,” Ventura said.
Another common trend among loyal sports fans was family influences. In a survey, Sports Business Daily researchers discovered that 14 percent of sports fans are loyal to their teams because of their family history.
“I was originally born in Boston, so my whole family is a Patriots family. That’s kinda been instilled in me,” Seyi Fisher, sophomore communications major, said.
Fisher is a loyal Patriots fan due to his family’s history and connection to the city of Boston. Family influences can persuade people to root for particular teams. According to Sports Business Daily, some sports fans are loyal to an individual player rather than a whole team; most commonly for players in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
“I’m a big Kobe guy,” Fisher said. “Even though he retired, I’m going to stick with my team [Lakers].”
Sports fans appear to be some of the most loyal people in the world. No losing streak seems to waiver their loyalty to their teams. Whether they root for teams based on their hometowns, family history or individual players, sports fans will always be loyal.
