Bandwagon is filling up again....Thoughts?

[IrishSteelhead]

*Since we are all die-hards who have been with this program through the good and bad, I figured this would be a fitting poll


So I've been seeing more and more ND "fans" lately, and for the first time in what has to be a decade there have been people telling me "Go Irish" in restaurants, at the gas station, etc.

Do you get annoyed by these people who crawled back out from under their rock now that greener pastures are ahead? Do you welcome them back? Do you not give a s-it?

 

[greyhammer90]

Couldn't care less. They are fair-weather, but they help the program by having a persistent presence and $.

 

[mgriff]

Or it's just easy to be proud now because we are finally winning. Not really entertaining to say to another Irish fan sporting gear, "Go Irish" when we're losing to Navy and Syracuse. I'm sure some are new fans, but we still have the biggest fan base in the country, and we can finally be proud about our team on the field again. So I'd say it has more to do with us finally being quality again than it does to creating new fans.

 

[Dizzyphil]

don't care what they do, have a buddy that switches between Miami, Fl, and Fl State depending on who is winning. biggest chameleon I ever met - love him to death, just a chameleon

GO IRISH!!!!!

Diz

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Good point. I personally love wearing ND gear when it doesn't feel like the logo is the Scarlet Letter, and now that I'm in Indy, it's refreshing to see more people rallying around the team instead of the typical incessant rambling about IU basketball. I work at Warren Central, and have noticed the connection to Sheldon Day has created alot of new ND fans in that township who weren't originally.

 

[phillyirish]

The more fans, the bigger our national presence. And maybe they were just 'dormant" or "closet" fans. By that I mean depending where you live, its hard to constantly take sh*t from an overwhelming-outnumbering fanbase. Its a lot funner to be able to say "7-0!! F-off b*tches!!!!" Obviously you rather have people show support no matter what, but can't hate on other irish fans.

 

[Jebediah Springfield]

If your Saturdays weren't ruined the last couple years I don't consider you a ND fan.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

If your Saturdays weren't ruined the last couple years I don't consider you a ND fan.

I have friends who are true fans who immediately after the game shrug their shoulders, and it doesn't bother them the rest of the day. I wish that was possible for me. Think it's safe to say we are all "SEC caliber fans" on here. We still debate what would have happened last year if BK stuck with Crist for God's sake!

 

[Dizzyphil]

I have friends who are true fans who immediately after the game shrug their shoulders, and it doesn't bother them the rest of the day. I wish that was possible for me.

I don't have friends or family after a loss..............


Diz

 

[BobD]

Welcome one and all!

 

[Jebediah Springfield]

I have friends who are true fans who immediately after the game shrug their shoulders, and it doesn't bother them the rest of the day. I wish that was possible for me. Think it's safe to say we are all "SEC caliber fans" on here. We still debate what would have happened last year if BK stuck with Crist for God's sake!

My significant other wishes I could do it too lol

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Welcome one and all!

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

My significant other wishes I could do it too lol

Know the feeling. Mrs. Steelhead is a huuuuuuuuuge ND fan based solely on the fact she knows I'm going to be a miserable bastard to be around after a loss. She couldn't tell you 5 players on the team, but dammit she loves those guys.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

I will only care if they are embarrassing us like bandwagon fans for teams like the Miami Heat do.

 

[Kak7304]

I'm pretty apathetic about the fans but I am happy about the circumstances that bring bandwagon fans back. The more exposure and the larger the ND fan base is, the better. With the NBC deal expiring in a few years, we need to numbers for bargaining power.

 

[CurtisCandy]

I've definitely been seeing quite a bit of brand new looking ND headwear, shirts, etc., lately.

Hard to top my personal all-time favorite casual "fan" I met a couple of years ago. I was standing in line at the market. A guy in his 20s was next to me, wearing an ND hat. I struck up a conversation, asking what he thought about the hiring of Kelly... He stared blankly for a moment, then said,

"I like shamrocks."

To this day, when I see somebody do something really stupid, I will say in an unflattering, mentally challenged voice, "I like shamrocks".

 

[ChiRish]

Know the feeling. Mrs. Steelhead is a huuuuuuuuuge ND fan based solely on the fact she knows I'm going to be a miserable bastard to be around after a loss. She couldn't tell you 5 players on the team, but dammit she loves those guys.

Haha exact same situation for me. I think she roots for ND to win so we can go out that night in peace without making a drunken fool out of myself. You'd think she'd know by now that even if we win the result will be the same.

 

[ChiRish]

I will only care if they are embarrassing us like bandwagon fans for teams like the Miami Heat do.

This, this, this and this. Those fans are the absolute worst.

 

[JadeBrecks]

I let them cheer. Then i give them major crap when they put their nd stuff away when nd looses.

 

[yankeeND]

I let them cheer. Then i give them major crap when they put their nd stuff away when nd looses.

100% agree with this! I don't care what anyone else does and actually embrace the more the merrier in this instance but damn it don't come on here and be all whinny because we won a close game and it didn't turn out the way you thought it should. Last year I didn't eat for 3 days after Michigan beat us. I suffer because of this team. I am absolutely 100% ND fanatic! I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[IrishLion]

I love it when the bandwagon riders come back out from under their rocks... makes me feel so much better about being a fan through the good and bad, and wearing my ND gear proudly at all times, everywhere I go (yes, even in 2007). So I say to them, "welcome back and enjoy it."

Last year, I went to the bar immediatly after USF and didn't talk to any of my friends until I was good and drunk. After Michigan, I stood next to my car in the street for a half hour debating on whether or not I should burn "the shirt" out of anger/supersticion/frustration/helplessness. Then I decided it wasn't the shirt's fault, and proceeded to treat everyone around me like **** for three days. I'm bad when it comes to ND losing, especially the way they lost those first two games. USC and Stanford weren't bad because ND got handled... but USF and Michigan were just unfathomable.

 

[RyCo1983]

I've definitely been seeing quite a bit of brand new looking ND headwear, shirts, etc., lately.

Hard to top my personal all-time favorite casual "fan" I met a couple of years ago. I was standing in line at the market. A guy in his 20s was next to me, wearing an ND hat. I struck up a conversation, asking what he thought about the hiring of Kelly... He stared blankly for a moment, then said,

"I like shamrocks."

To this day, when I see somebody do something really stupid, I will say in an unflattering, mentally challenged voice, "I like shamrocks".

Looks like I have a new saying!
I chuckled. Good stuff man!

 

[Cogs]

In 2007, beating stanford as a 2-9 squad made my week. Irish fan till I die. Hopefully I can get accepted after my Sophmore year.

 

[In Lou I Trust]

They can go eat a d!ck. I hate bandwagon fans of any team, not just the Irish. I hate fake ND fans more than I hate real USC and Miami fans... and that's saying something.

 

[Irish Houstonian]

Don't forget a lot of bandwagon fans are new fans too. Every team is constantly replacing its fanbase each generation.

 

[Jebediah Springfield]

Don't forget a lot of bandwagon fans are new fans too. Every team is constantly replacing its fanbase each generation.

When I think of bandwagon fans...I'm thinking of ppl who always seem to be a fan of the hot team.

 

[IrishLion]

Don't forget a lot of bandwagon fans are new fans too. Every team is constantly replacing its fanbase each generation.

Amen, I would've been considered a bandwagon fan in 2002 when I really started paying attention to football. My stepdad liked ND, but he never really pressed it on me because I wasn't at a point where I wanted to watch football all the time. I turned on ND one Saturday, decided to see what it was all about, and enjoyed watching... of course, it helps that it was the ND-MSU game that ended up on the cover of Sports Illustrated "what a difference a coach makes"

 

[OrlaNDomer]

More fans = More exposure = Better recruits

 

[ARALOU]

I have ND hats older than some of you I am sure. I know of one new fan in my household. My 12 year old son. He just thos season started an interest in football. He is Irish and Titans. Ok by me. New fans are ok by me also. Bandwagoners I am not fond of.

 

[Crimson streak]

I have always been a huge Irish fan. Through the bad and we the bad I'm only 22 so I didn't get to experience the glory days. My dad got to experience all of it and all he keeps telling me is we're back