Bandwagon article

[Crowpointer]

It is about the Red Sox but it could apply to any team.

Hey fake fans: Make like Damon and leave
By Tony Massarotti
Boston Herald Baseball Columnist and General Sports Columnist

Friday, June 2, 2006 - Updated: 03:53 AM EST

They show up like every day is Christmas, and you know what that means: You just lost your seat at church. You have shown up week after week, year after year, and now you have to stand behind the last pew because of some lady with an obnoxious pink hat.

The Red Sox are trendier than a Louis Vuitton handbag these days, more than three years removed from their last baseball-free October. The championship season of 2004 extinguished years of agony and decades of self-doubt, and it rewarded long-suffering loyalists who knew what it meant to hurt. Unfortunately, it also gave birth to an entirely new generation of wannabes, a nouveau riche that shows up at Fenway Park and acts like Paris Hilton.

The rest of us? We are starting to get a little tired of it all. The Red Sox will open a three-game series in Detroit tonight against the rejuvenated Tigers, and there are certain to be Red Sox socialites in the seats at Comerica Park. Most Sox newbies couldn’t distinguish between a baseball and a coconut, but they flaunt their allegiance to the Olde Towne Team like a pair of cheesy sunglasses.

Look at me. I’m a member of Red Sox Nation.

Before anyone interprets this as an indictment solely of women, let’s make something clear: The men are just as bad. There was a minority of New England males who knew nothing about the Sox before the ’04 run, but at least they knew to keep their mouths shut. Now the newbies feel compelled to speak because the Sox are hotter than the iPod, so they tell you how great it is that Kevin Youkilis is Greek.

It’s funny, isn’t it? Before the Sox won, before they shed 86 years of wretched and leaden history, the masochists told us the opposite would happen. They told us that a Red Sox victory would kill the local spirit, that the Sox were proof it was all in the chase. We would all wake up the day after the parade, they assured us, and there would be a canyonesque void in our pointless and pathetic lives.

There would be nothing to look forward to.

And there would be nothing to complain about.

Now the opposite has happened and we can only wonder: Which is worse? Before this phenomenon, before the Red Sox became an international fad, we were enjoying ourselves just fine. October 2004 was one hell of a party, one we would never trade for the world. And it was fun right up until Opening Day last year, when the frauds refused to go home.

And so now, somewhat sadly, the Red Sox have gone global. They do not belong to just us anymore. You can bet that the weekend flights to Detroit were filled with newbies, some wearing Sox hats decorated with sequins. They board airplanes like they own them and they cause quite a stir, and you wonder where they were when Butch Hobson piloted the plane.

Of course, many of them were in middle school. Red Sox Youth is now a privileged lot that sits behind home plate and talks on cell phones, and you cannot help but wonder if any of them ever played the game at all. And when you ask them if they did, they proudly show their blisters from the PlayStation hand control.

On the field? Thankfully, those games have not changed. The Red Sox win some and lose some, though they succeed more than they fail. They still stir the passion in most of us and they still fill the summer, and they leave us wanting for more. And while the newbies prance around and act like they’ve never been there, the rest of us do the only thing we can.

We wait to get our seats back.

[spdirty]

gives em something new to b**** about i guess. Those have got to be, without a doubt, the most self important fans in sports history. Oh cry me a bucket you tards. And get a life.

[Crowpointer]

Originally Posted by spdirty

gives em something new to b**** about i guess. Those have got to be, without a doubt, the most self important fans in sports history. Oh cry me a bucket you tards. And get a life.

Wow I was just trying to start up a general discussion. If you read my preface it mentioned that it could (and does) apply to all teams having success. Maybe you should go down and buy some tampons because it sounds like it's that time of the month for you.

[Tredici]

"They do not belong to just us anymore."

There's the crux of the thing. It always kills me when someone who has followed a team for X amount of years has to feel like that makes them a more important fan than someone who gains a recent interest.

Sure, winning brings people in. Some will become lifelong diehards and the tradition continues. Some will find another shiny object to try and grab.

In the meantime I'm sure those successful franchises are appreciative of the money being thrown their way in recognition of that success. I doubt they make the distinction between "old" money and "new" money.

[anthonypacino]

Originally Posted by Crowpointer

Wow I was just trying to start up a general discussion. If you read my preface it mentioned that it could (and does) apply to all teams having success. Maybe you should go down and buy some tampons because it sounds like it's that time of the month for you.

I understand where you are coming from. I don't think anybody is against "new" fans but I do think it is a sense of entitlement that goes to someone that has cared and supported a team for almost their entire lives. It's like a job, you take pride in it what you do. When someone else with little or no experience comes in and tells you how to do your job or somebody makes a fuss about how good the new guy is, most people feel pissed about it. It's just human nature, does that mean that the new guy is any less of a worker than you...no probably not, does it mean you have a greater sense of pride...maybe. It's a tough subject to dwell on. The Owners and Team don't really care either way, as long as they have $$$ that's all that matters. What stinks is when they start to cater to the ones in the higher tax bracket, for the most part people from that crowd are the ones following cause it's "trendy" driving away the bread and butter fans that have hung in there for years championships or not. When that team goes throught the down time that all teams go through, they will have to reach back out to the old die-hards and hope the don't hold a grudge.

[Crowpointer]

Originally Posted by anthonypacino

The Owners and Team don't really care either way, as long as they have $$$ that's all that matters. What stinks is when they start to cater to the ones in the higher tax bracket, for the most part people from that crowd are the ones following cause it's "trendy" driving away the bread and butter fans that have hung in there for years championships or not. When that team goes throught the down time that all teams go through, they will have to reach back out to the old die-hards and hope the don't hold a grudge.

Here's article from today that supports your agruement of the owners target market.

Teams woo the wealthy with amenities, access
Pats are the masters but Fenway, Garden aren't far behind as competition heats up
By Sasha Talcott, Globe Staff | June 2, 2006

No matter how the teams perform, 2006 is shaping up as a banner year for Boston's wealthiest sports fans.

At Fenway Park, they are dining on crab cakes with lemongrass remoulade while seat warmers keep them extra toasty on chilly nights. Across town at TD Banknorth Garden this fall, fans who pay $15,000 for two memberships to the new Boardroom club will have access to any Bruins and Celtics games they want, and can watch the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other concerts in style.

Fifteen years ago, Boston's sports teams all but ignored their richest fans. Today, they are working harder than ever to court them . When the New England Patriots opened Gillette Stadium in 2002 with its gleaming Fidelity Investments Clubhouse, they set a new gold standard that Boston's other teams have been racing to match.

``When you sit in that club, you can see the field," said Bill Dorsey , executive director of the Association of Luxury Suite Directors. ``I don't know how the Patriots did it, but they've done it the best."

One reason for the growth of premium seating -- high-end seats with amenities such as waiter service -- goes back to Boston's position as one of the most sports-obsessed cities in the United States, and increasingly one of the wealthiest. That potent combination allows all four of Boston's teams to set ticket prices at or near the top of their leagues, even for regular fans.

The teams' premium seats take pricing to the extreme. The Patriots, for example, not only have the highest club-seat prices in the National Football League (an average of $566.67 a game), but they charge nearly twice as much as the second-place team, the New York Jets , according to Team Marketing Report, which tracks ticket prices. Club seats generally are sold to wealthy individuals and businesses on a seat-by-seat basis, while luxury suites, similar to condominiums, are walled off and sold to corporations in their entirety. Clubhouse members can use the stadium for business meetings and bar mitzvahs, travel to away games on the team's charter jet, and are guaranteed Super Bowl tickets when the Patriots play in the game.

As Boston's sports teams pour money into new seats for the wealthy, competition for those fans is intensifying. The Red Sox earlier this year unveiled the EMC Club at Fenway Park, where, for $275 a game, members have their cars parked by valets, sit on cushioned seats, and dine at a restaurant with white tablecloths. Upstairs, fans can watch the game from the new State Street Pavilion, which features a casual restaurant and bar overlooking the field. At the Garden earlier this month, executives unveiled plans to convert one end zone into a sports bar catering to young professionals, and the other into the Boardroom, a high-end club aimed at businesses.

The new seats were overdue: Fenway Park, more than 90 years old, had among the fewest premium seats in baseball. Its old glassed-in .406 Club, which the team razed to make way for the new seats, was so insulated that the Sox had to pipe in sound. That all changed this year, with Fenway's two new open-air clubs.

``You didn't even feel like you were at the ballgame last year," said Laurie Lisi , who got pavilion tickets to a recent Yankees game from her employer, Eastern Bank. ``It's wonderful. This is way better."

The Garden faced its own share of problems. For several years, executives struggled to sell the high-end tickets at the end zones and corners, where the view for basketball is not good. The mediocre performances of both the Celtics and the Bruins took a toll. At the same time, consolidation in Boston's major industries, such as financial services, left fewer large companies to buy luxury suites.

The Garden's new premium seating plans tackle those issues head on. Executives adopted a simple business strategy: Sell to a broader group of fans. Whereas a typical premium seat requires fans to pay fees as high as $18,200 for a full season at the Garden, and gives them tickets to every game, its new areas require far less commitment. At the premium sports bar, fans who find themselves priced out of premium seats at Gillette Stadium or Fenway Park can get a 10-game package for just $2,000. The idea is to hook younger fans and convert them into premium customers for life.

In the Boardroom, members who pay the $15,000 fee for two tickets will get the freedom to attend any games and concerts they want -- or none at all. After the fee, they pay for each event individually, but are guaranteed spots. The concerts broaden the appeal beyond sports: Performers this summer include Madonna, the Dixie Chicks, and Mariah Carey.

Garden executives designed the Boardroom to appeal to technology firms, life sciences companies, or any others in which executives travel too often to commit to a full luxury suite.

``We're not maxed out," said John Wentzell , the arena's president. ``There are customers out there. That's the good news."

The idea appears to be paying off. Membership sales at the Boardroom have been so strong that the Garden will knock out two additional suites to enlarge it, Wentzell said. Several mid-sized law firms and other companies already have signed up, he said.

The sports bar, called the Premium SportsDeck, also is attracting fans. Bob Smith, director of Northeast Utilities, received an e-mail from the Garden several weeks ago with a pitch to sign up for the new seats. Because the minimum commitment of 10 games was so low, he took a chance and bought two tickets in the sports bar.

``It's something that's new and the Bruins have done a great job on marketing," he said. ``I'm willing to take their recommendation that this is worth trying."

Successful premium seats come down to three things: access, exclusivity, and amenities. Wealthy fans are treated as VIP guests from the moment they walk in the door -- and sometimes even before. The Patriots give their premium customers their own lanes in and out of the stadium grounds, allowing them to avoid post-game traffic, and their own entrance to the stadium. At the Garden, executives arrange golfing outings for fans at country clubs, including the Tournament Players Club in Norton.

``Unless you knew someone, you wouldn't be able to get on" that course, said Joe Lombardo , a Garden premium club member who impressed his clients by taking them golfing at the TPC soon after the Deutsche Bank Championship there.

Though premium seats remain out of reach for average fans, they feel their effects in a dozen different ways. Without premium seats, Gillette Stadium and the Garden would never have been built. Premium seats generally are sold well in advance, giving teams a stream of money that does not depend on whether they win. Bankers look for that when deciding whether to lend money for construction. The seats also make teams richer -- and, if they spend the money well, more likely to win.

Still, for some fans who have traveled to other new ballparks around the league, none of that is important. All that matters is that Boston is finally catching up.

``It's beautiful; it really is," Michael Krone, a title insurance company executive, said of the new Pavilion at Fenway. ``We've finally come of age."

Sasha Talcott can be reached at stalcott@globe.com.



© Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company

[KipCorrington25]

When Ben Affleck is held up by the media as your number one fan you're going to be hated.

Good thing we don't have these types of problems with the Rockies…

[Victor]

I want you to know that I still think the Red Sox suck...even after their recent success.

I promise you that I will never, ever cramp your space on the bandwagon.

Oh, and in case your wondering the Yankees suck too.

[Jason in LA]

I'd say that many fans that bash other fans are off base. People point the finger at other fans who they think are bandwagon fans, but how do they know that those fans haven't been fans all alone? Did people do a poll and figure out who the real fans are? Do the real fans wear some type of wrist band so we'll know who has been a fan longer? I'd say that a lot of fans are pointing the finger, but they don't know who's a real fan or not. And they probably have the finger pointed at them because other fans don't know how long they've rooted for that team.

Lakers fans get it as bad as anybody. People love to rag on Lakers fans as being bandwagon fans, even though they have no evidence to support that argument. I've heard people make assumptions that the Lakers aren't getting as much fan support now that they aren't contenders. What are people basing that on? Did they do a study? Or are they just making stuff up to fit their view point?

Well, fan attendance is a good measuring stick for fan support. Many like to say that the Lakers aren't packing Staples Center, but their attendance figures are just as high over the past two years as it was when they were on their title runs. People want to say that LA will only support a winner, but the Clippers didn't see much of an increase in attendance. The Dodgers, who haven't done anything of note since 1988, always are amoung the league leaders in attendance. The only team that beats them out on a consistant basis is the Yankees.

It's funny when people rag on Lakers fans who fly the flags during the playoffs, but not during the offseason, saying they aren't real fans. Who in their right mind, real fan or not, will fly a team's flag when the team isn't even playing? Are there a lot of people in Denver with Broncos flags on their cars right now?

I didn't intent to make this post about LA, just using LA as an example because many people like to say that LA is full of bandwagoneers, and because I'm here and can see what's going on.

The point is that we don't know who is a real fan and who isn't. For all we know a high percentage of the people wearing the gear are real fans. The people in the suites could also be real fans. But everybody wants to act like anybody with a lot of money can't be a real fan.

I'm a real Lakers fan, but I rarely go to the games. But when I become a millionare (I'm working towards it), I'll get some good seats. Who knows, maybe 20 years down the line I'll become a multi-millionare. If that happens, I'll be sitting next to the Hollywood stars. And people will look at me like I'm not a real fan.

The whole thing is silly in my opinion.

[Tredici]

Originally Posted by Jason in LA

Lakers fans get it as bad as anybody. People love to rag on Lakers fans as being bandwagon fans, even though they have no evidence to support that argument. I've heard people make assumptions that the Lakers aren't getting as much fan support now that they aren't contenders. What are people basing that on? Did they do a study? Or are they just making stuff up to fit their view point?

When I worked in Burbank our office had Forum season tickets. Early 90's when the Lakers were winning even the receptionist got customer calls inquiring if tickets were available. About the time the Lakers dropped to winning 35 or so a season (okay, Randy Pfund on board) we literally could not give the tickets away. It wasn't until Shaq showed up that any interest was renewed. Strangely enough, exact same dynamic with the King tickets.

But what does that really mean? People don't make time in their schedule to watch their team get hammered? If they did, are they better fans? If they can't stand watching their favored franchise bumble, stumble, fumble are they worse fans?

Don't know.

[Jason in LA]

It would be intersting to see what the attendance figures were in the '90s. ESPN has the figures over the past five years. The Lakers numbers haven't dropped, even though they aren't as good. The Clippers numbers haven't risen that much, even though they are much better.

[Tredici]

Originally Posted by Jason in LA

It would be intersting to see what the attendance figures were in the '90s. ESPN has the figures over the past five years. The Lakers numbers haven't dropped, even though they aren't as good. The Clippers numbers haven't risen that much, even though they are much better.

Does attendance tell the story? Or during the "down" years are the season tickets being passed out to whoever will take them? A lot of corporate seats in all the venues, now. So does taking a ticket and going because it's a "freebie" constitute a bandwagon fan? Does turning back your season ticket to show your displeasure with how management is mishandling the franchise constitute a bandwagon or a true fan? People express their interest and committment to their teams in all sorts of ways, I s'pose.

[Hogan11]

Nothing is lower in my eyes than the bandwagon fan. If they want my respect then they better be hanging around just as much during the lean years.