Bulls fan base growing?

[Lex L.]

To an extent, I'd say it does. I think everybody is a bit of a fairweather-er to an extent though, so I won't judge you for it.
The people who blindly follow a team no matter how idiotic their personnel has become make me scratch my head, too. There is a limit. Cannot deny their loyalty though.

Im not necessarily talking about me. But the term fairweather suggests people follow a team if they win and stop following a team if they lose. That's not really what happened with the Bulls to a large extent.

As for me, I was kind of a composite of different things. I'd watch the Bulls very rarely. I had a strong aversion towards managment and their arrogance. I found the NBA less interesting without Jordan. But it wasn't just Jordan who retired around 99. There were a lot of guys around this time who either retired or were too old to be considered relevant. Olajuwon, Ewing, etc. So there was a lot of turnover in the league at that time. Also, what was happening in the league at that time is that HS kids were taking over and there was a severe dropoff in play because of it. I didn't switch teams. Even though I'd watch the Bulls, it was very rare and my interest in the league overall was severely diminished.

 

[#19]

Lex and Rami- you guys are having a great conversation and I've enjoyed reading through it.

There are a lot of gray areas when it comes to fandom and labeling people as either diehard fans, fair weather fans or bandwagon fans. One thing is for sure, fair weather and bandwagon fans usually annoy the diehard fans. There are a lot of parallels that can be made between Bulls fans and Hawks fans. What I've always argued with the diehard Hawk fans is why did you remain such a loyal fan of the team in early 2000s when old man, cheapass Wirtz was more concerned with profits than winning? I don't think there is anything noble about remaining a big supporter of a team when they are not trying to win. Now I am not talking about rebuilding or an unfortunate down period. I am talking about purposely having a low payroll so that the owners make a larger profit. Personally, I think it was a little foolish to be a diehard Hawks fan earlier in this decade. Maybe it's understandable if you were someone who just enjoys seeing NHL hockey.

On the other hand, no one ever accused the Bulls of trying to be cheap and make money earlier this decade. In this case- yes, you should stick with your team rather than becoming a Laker or Spur fan. It's ok to enjoy watching other teams and even rooting for them but a fan should always keep his loyalties as long as his team is comitted to winning.

And there's nothing wrong with being a fair weather fan. I'm a fair weather Bulls fan and I don't apologize for it. I was a huge fan of Jordan and the Bulls in the 80s and 90s but I lost interest in them when Jordan left. But they're really good now so I am watching their games and rooting for them. And if DR has a season-ending injury, I am done with watching Bulls games till next year. Random thoughts.

 

[Lex L.]

Lex and Rami- you guys are having a great conversation and I've enjoyed reading through it.

There are a lot of gray areas when it comes to fandom and labeling people as either diehard fans, fair weather fans or bandwagon fans. One thing is for sure, fair weather and bandwagon fans usually annoy the diehard fans. There are a lot of parallels that can be made between Bulls fans and Hawks fans. What I've always argued with the diehard Hawk fans is why did you remain such a loyal fan of the team in early 2000s when old man, cheapass Wirtz was more concerned with profits than winning? I don't think there is anything noble about remaining a big supporter of a team when they are not trying to win. Now I am not talking about rebuilding or an unfortunate down period. I am talking about purposely having a low payroll so that the owners make a larger profit. Personally, I think it was a little foolish to be a diehard Hawks fan earlier in this decade. Maybe it's understandable if you were someone who just enjoys seeing NHL hockey.

On the other hand, no one ever accused the Bulls of trying to be cheap and make money earlier this decade. In this case- yes, you should stick with your team rather than becoming a Laker or Spur fan. It's ok to enjoy watching other teams and even rooting for them but a fan should always keep his loyalties as long as his team is comitted to winning.

And there's nothing wrong with being a fair weather fan. I'm a fair weather Bulls fan and I don't apologize for it. They're really good so I am watching their games. If DR has a season-ending injury, I am done with watching Bulls games till next year. Random thoughts.

Dead on. In other words, there's nothing noble about being a schmuck or a sucker.

But I will disagree that "fairweather" is a term that applies to the unfortunate down period as you described, because it wasn't an unfortunate down period where the Bulls are concerned. The greed under old man Wirtz is kind of the same thing as the arrogance of Bulls management in the late 90s/early 00s.

 

[nickofypres]

Haven't the Bulls had a shit ton of fans since the 1990s?

 

[Glide2keva]

I was a fan before Jordan.

Same here. I was a Bulls fan during the Reggie Theus days.

 

[Glide2keva]

The fan base is growing largely because young Chicago-native fans are being introduced to basketball now due to the Bulls being so good.

It's the same concept as a lot of us became Bulls'/basketball fans in the 90's because of how good the team was back then.

Fan since the early 80's before Jordan.

 

[Glide2keva]

There is something called a true fan (sticking with your original team through good times and bad), a bandwagon fan (jumping to a different team at some point), and a fair-weather fan (perhaps sticking with one team but only caring/pay attention when they are actually good).

The most noble is a true fan, obviously.

Sums it up nicely.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

I was two when Jordan was drafted. I don't remember not seeing Jordan with the Bulls when I became a fan.

 

[Glide2keva]

To an extent, I'd say it does. I think everybody is a bit of a fairweather-er to an extent though, so I won't judge you for it.

The people who blindly follow a team no matter how idiotic their personnel has become make me scratch my head, too. There is a limit. Cannot deny their loyalty though.

I still watched, as hard it was to do during those years, because that is what I've always done. Was I mad at management? Hell yeah. But I wasn't mad at the players (well there was John Starks joining the team, could never get behind that move), it wasn't their fault how things went down.

We all know that Kukoc was supposed to be the her apparent, but the way it was handled with the whole "Organizations win championships, not players" thing. But I was loyal to the logo and the players.

 

[Glide2keva]

Lex and Rami- you guys are having a great conversation and I've enjoyed reading through it.

There are a lot of gray areas when it comes to fandom and labeling people as either diehard fans, fair weather fans or bandwagon fans. One thing is for sure, fair weather and bandwagon fans usually annoy the diehard fans. There are a lot of parallels that can be made between Bulls fans and Hawks fans. What I've always argued with the diehard Hawk fans is why did you remain such a loyal fan of the team in early 2000s when old man, cheapass Wirtz was more concerned with profits than winning? I don't think there is anything noble about remaining a big supporter of a team when they are not trying to win. Now I am not talking about rebuilding or an unfortunate down period. I am talking about purposely having a low payroll so that the owners make a larger profit. Personally, I think it was a little foolish to be a diehard Hawks fan earlier in this decade. Maybe it's understandable if you were someone who just enjoys seeing NHL hockey.

On the other hand, no one ever accused the Bulls of trying to be cheap and make money earlier this decade. In this case- yes, you should stick with your team rather than becoming a Laker or Spur fan. It's ok to enjoy watching other teams and even rooting for them but a fan should always keep his loyalties as long as his team is comitted to winning.

And there's nothing wrong with being a fair weather fan. I'm a fair weather Bulls fan and I don't apologize for it. I was a huge fan of Jordan and the Bulls in the 80s and 90s but I lost interest in them when Jordan left. But they're really good now so I am watching their games and rooting for them. And if DR has a season-ending injury, I am done with watching Bulls games till next year. Random thoughts.

You lost all credibility with this last paragraph.

 

[BNB]

imagine being a bobcats fan. That must suck.

 

[#19]

But I will disagree that "fairweather" is a term that applies to the unfortunate down period as you described, because it wasn't an unfortunate down period where the Bulls are concerned. The greed under old man Wirtz is kind of the same thing as the arrogance of Bulls management in the late 90s/early 00s.

I just meant that a fair weather fan will lose interest when their team is subpar. I would think that someone who decides to stop supporting their team because of personnel and leadership changes is a greater fan than a fair weather fan. That fan is passionate about their team while the fair weather fans likes them when they are good and it is fun to be a fan. C'mon don't we all know people (usually women) who love the Bears when they are winning?

 

[#19]

You lost all credibility with this last paragraph.

How did I lose credibility? I know exactly what kind of fan I am to different teams and different sports.

 

[Glide2keva]

I was two when Jordan was drafted. I don't remember not seeing Jordan with the Bulls when I became a fan.

We had an old George Girvin, Reggie Theus, Orlando Woolridge was our best player-ish, and Ennis (sp?) Watley at the point.

It was fun, but I was a kid and just learning the game, I was a UNC fan because my father's family lives there and I saw Jordan there, and in the 84 Olympics, and I was happy the Bulls got him.

Now 6 titles later, I'm still thanking Portland for drafting Drexler the year before and taking Sam Bowie allowing the Bulls to get Jordan.

 

[BNB]

I just meant that a fair weather fan will lose interest when their team is subpar. I would think that someone who decides to stop supporting their team because of personnel and leadership changes is a greater fan than a fair weather fan. That fan is passionate about their team while the fair weather fans likes them when they are good and it is fun to be a fan. C'mon don't we all know people (usually women) who love the Bears when they are winning?

:lmao:

funny but true.

 

[Glide2keva]

How did I lose credibility? I know exactly what kind of fan I am to different teams and different sports.

Because myself as a longtime die hard Bulls fan. I don't respect fans like you. Guys that want to celebrate the winning, but don't stick around and talk down about the team when they aren't.

It's like people saying they are both Cubs and Sox fans. You can't be both. Die hard Sox fan since 83.

 

[Glide2keva]

imagine being a bobcats fan. That must suck.

It does, for me I will never support that team, simply because how they came about. I miss my Charlotte Hornets.

 

[nickofypres]

Band wagoners are the only ones that really annoy me.

But as far as fair weather fans and true fans go, I don't really care how people root for their team. Live and let live.

 

[Glide2keva]

Band wagoners are the only ones that really annoy me.

But as far as fair weather fans and true fans go, I don't really care how people root for their team. Live and let live.

I don't care either, just don't come trying to talk to me about my team if you don't know about players like Jerome Williams, Marcus Phizer, Rusty Larue, etc. and then say you're a lifelong fan.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

#19 is a self-admitted fair weather fan and I respect that he's open about it.

I'd respect him more if he was a die-hard fan. But nevertheless, I respect him.