An Ode to the Fans of Losing Sports Teams

On July 10, 2011, fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates had reason to be excited for the first time since 1992. As thousands dressed in black and yellow delivered a standing ovation to the Bucs as they exited the field after a 9-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh entered the All-Star break with a winning record. 

While many fans across the country wouldn’t think this was much to write home about, Pittsburgh fans savored the moment. This was the first time the Pirates had entered the break above .500 in nearly 20 years. The success continued through July 15, as they moved into first place for the first time that late in the season since 1997. 

Fans were able to feel, after almost two decades of disappointment, that a postseason berth was within their grasp. 

They were wrong. Again. 

The Pirates, as it seems to be tradition in PNC Park, began to lose and lose often. They fell, head first, out of first place and spiraled back down toward mediocrity with an abysmal record of 8-21 in August.  

There’s always next season, right? 

It takes a special kind of person to be a fan of a sports franchise that refuses to stop losing. Whether it’s the Clippers, the Royals, the Islanders, the Bengals or even the Pirates, it is never easy to spend time and money supporting a team that will continue to disappoint you year after year. 

Inevitably, there comes a time when these withered fans look down at their expensive authentic jersey or at the big foam No. 1 finger stuck on their hand and ask themselves, “Why do I keep doing this to myself?” 

To the downtrodden soul stuck wandering aimlessly after another loss, kicking crumpled beer cans in the parking lot because you’re too upset to get in the car and beat traffic; to the disgruntled supporter who takes a knee and swears to God above that this is the last game you will ever attend, only to go and buy season tickets the next year; to the hoarse men, women and children, the fans of the bottom feeders who spend time during utterly futile games telling players and coaches at the top of their lungs how tired they are of having their heart broken:

Hang in there. 

Real fans are real for a reason. I’m not talking about those who pick the flavor or the month, the vagabond groupies who quickly shift allegiance to championship winners and front-runners. These types aren’t around long enough to see the circus leave town. They have no idea what it is like to stick around after the thrill of success, to sit and watch and be baffled by dazzling levels of incompetency and years of constant losing.

It can wear on a person. 

Remember why you became a fan of your team in the first place. 

At first, you probably were hooked on the entertaining nature of the game. You became a fan of the sport in general. Maybe you admired the wonderful strategy of baseball, the quick excitement of basketball, the brute force of football, the natural grace of soccer or the streamlined agility of hockey. 

But there was something different about your team. It could very simply be a hometown connection. Your parents and family might have been diehard fans, and the team colors just run in your blood. Perhaps you’re favorite player of all time was on the team. Maybe you experienced a moment of pure, visceral enjoyment during a game that will never leave you.

Any of these triggers can cause a person to become a fan for life of a certain team. 

In the end, it all comes down to loyalty. 

Fandom is just as much about sports as it is about community. Many fans tie their emotional constitutions to their favorite team’s record, rising and falling with how they perform each week and season. By professing yourself a fan of a particular team, you agree to undertake that experience within the broader community of your team’s fans.  We act on this union by going to games and wearing team colors, hats, shirts and jerseys that link us to the group itself. 

This, in many ways, makes a fanbase a microcosm for family. 

So as many people feel they can’t choose their family, they feel the same about their sports teams. They feel like they are stuck with them. Through highs and lows, fans of the dreadful stick by the sides of their teams no matter what. This sense of undying loyalty is what makes these fans truly great. 

If your team is losing year after year after year, remember everything comes in cycles. Sooner or later, you will have an opportunity to feel good about a season and look with bright eyes toward the future. Fans of teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, New Orleans Saints and Boston Bruins know better than anyone.

It all comes around.  Sometimes it just takes a while. 

There is always next season.