Savannah Cingoranelli: Why Fake Fandom?

Last Monday, the Broncos came close to a Week 1 victory, but came up short in a 23-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders.  

   
   It’s tough being a true fan to a horrible team. That explains why so many people are considered “bandwagon” fans. When a team does great, they celebrate and wear all the memorabilia you could imagine; but the second the team goes on a losing streak and all the hype disappears, their fandom is easily swayed elsewhere. However, it is possible to get through the terrible years.
   I would know. Not only am I a Broncos fan, but I have been a fan practically since birth. I grew up around that area, and in the Northwest region of the United States, college football is disgustingly dreadful. At that point, everyone turns to the NFL for their football entertainment.


   I am not going to say that the Denver Broncos have always been this horrible, but ever since John Elway departed, the quarterback who helped take us to four Superbowls and win two of them, we have been in somewhat of a slump. He officially retired in 1998.
   So for over a decade now, we have tried everything to be successful, and every try has turned up to be a failure. In 2005, we had our chance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship and lost, 34-17. That was our last legitimate shot at a title.

John Elway, Denver's savior.

   Within the last two seasons, we were improving in leaps. We had gone 6-0 beginning the 2009 season, but the victory of a great start was short-lived when we finished with an 8-8 record. That type of record was not even good enough to obtain a wild card spot in the playoffs. In 2010, we incorporated a franchise-improving draft pick in the legendary (well, at least legendary in the south) Tim Tebow. Although he did not play much at all that season, he gave a morale boost when Kyle Orton was injured and unable to finish out the season. Even with Tebow's boost, Broncos did not make the playoffs once again, and that was the reason why the franchise decided to hire a new head coach.
   There have been many bumps in the road, including Monday’s devastating opener against the Raiders, who won because of an amazing, record-tying 63-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. However, as a Broncos fan, you have to look at the positives in a loss like that: Last season, we were losing by double digits almost every game, and we lost by three on Monday. It may also give them the motivation to win.
   “Bandwagon” fans annoy me because they cannot honestly tell me that they are a fan when they cannot ride it out with one team. A team is not going to be awesome every single season. There is going to be a rocky time in every franchise and within every locker room. This fact applies to every sport. The Los Angeles Lakers do not win it all every year even though it sometimes feels that way. The Pittsburgh Steelers, although they have the most championships, have not won the Super Bowl every single year. Even though the Pittsburgh Penguins are excellent and have one of the best hockey players in the league in Sidney Crosby, they have not won the Stanley Cup every time the opportunity presents itself. 
   As a true fan, you have to accept that people are going to give you a hard time. The “bandwagon” is not as fun when the sweet taste of victory and the hard work of your team finally arrives. Without the fans that watch every game, every season, where would any sports team be?  
   In conclusion, why fake fandom? When you can pull memories of all the wins and losses, should that not be a sign that you love and dedicated yourself to a team? Because when you bounce from team to team, you lose a very important element of the game: Passion.


Savannah Cingoranelli is a new writer at Students of the Game. She is currently attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham.