Sports fan or not, it is safe to say that it is human nature to prefer winning rather than losing.
Nobody enjoys getting continuously beaten in any sort of game or simply being unable to win at all; in fact, many people get mad or frustrated when they lose. One way or another, in sports, losing simply isn’t an option for many fans, which is where the term “bandwagon” comes in. If you're a big sports fan, you probably know the meaning of a “bandwagon” by now, but if not, a “bandwagon” is simply someone who always sides with the winning team. Furthermore, it is very likely that many in the AST community know a “bandwagon” friend, or that you, yourself, are a “bandwagon” fan. So, how come so many people are able to side with a team just because of their winning status? How has this been shown in the sports people love and enjoy?
“Bandwagon” fans are found in nearly every sport: hockey, American football, soccer, basketball, among so many others. Take, for instance, Drake, a famous rapper and artist, who fell victim to this idea back in 2014. In a Complex interview, he stated,
“Well, first of all, I'd like to say that despite what everyone on the Internet thinks, I do not team jump. In the past I’ve always supported the player and not the institution—unless we're talking about the Kentucky Wildcats and the Toronto Raptors.”
‘Bandwagon’ fans are found everywhere, and include anyone regardless of their status. This brings us to the Golden State Warriors, an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco.
Before the 2014-2015 seasons, the Golden State Warriors were hardly recognized and had little to no popularity as a team. In fact, they even ranked fifteenth in Google search frequencies according to Google Trends, and had one of the lowest T.V. ratings based on data from Sports Business Daily. However, after the 2014-2015 NBA season, where they won their first ever championship in more than 70 years, things took a “slight” turn.
This graph shows the Google Shopping frequency search of the Golden State Warriors from 2014-2019. Graph created and taken from Google Trends
As the graph above shows, the Golden State Warriors went from having a relatively low Google shopping search frequency to their highest frequency yet, after their first championship. This shows that there was a significant increase in merchandise being bought from the Golden State Warriors after July of 2015. Of course, the Warriors proceeded to win two more championships; appearing in five consecutive finals. They boosted their T.V. ratings and had the highest ratings for three consecutive years (2017-2019) according to Sports Business Daily.
However, after a somewhat disappointing 2019-2020 season, where the team finished last in the NBA, it seemed as if the “bandwagon” trend behind the Warriors started collapsing. Things suddenly took a slight turn. Although the team still maintained the highest T.V. rankings out of all the teams from the NBA, it had a whopping 66% drop in ratings. In addition, as the graph above also shows, the team had their lowest Google shopping frequency rate in 5 years. Was it possible that the Golden State Warriors had such a vast amount of “bandwagon” fans who suddenly decided to leave after things went bad? Well, it can’t actually be known, but the data shown above speaks for itself.
When talking about “bandwagon” fans, it is inevitable to point out the New England Patriots, a professional American football team based in Boston. The New England Patriots have won three Super Bowls in the last five years, and are, arguably, the ultimate “bandwagon” team. However, unlike the Golden State Warriors, the Patriots were able to maintain their Google shopping frequency rate and Google search rates even in losing seasons. Moreover, they maintained their T.V ratings and were the second most popular team in the NFL according to an article written by Sports Business Daily.
This graph shows the Google web search frequency of the New England Patriots from 2014-2020. Graph was taken from Google Trends
While the New England Patriots were a very popular team in the NFL, one must talk about Tom Brady- at least before he left. After the quarterback star left the Patriots, their Google shopping frequency rate (merchandise) drastically decreased. This makes us wonder whether there was truly a “bandwagon” trend for the Patriots, or rather one for Tom Brady.
At the end of the line, “bandwagon” fans are, and forever will, exist in sports. Whether it is for a team as a whole or a particular player, the sports world must understand that for some, winning overshadows everything else. However, it is valid to say that these fans bring both negative and positive effects towards teams, and will do whatever it takes to end up winning. This, in turn, can only make people wonder how far others are willing to go in order to end up victorious and avoid the ache of a loss.