The journey is the reward.
– Chinese proverb
A reader recently shot a rather lengthy e-mail my way begging the question of which is worse – to be a fan of a team that consistently falls just short of a championship or to follow a franchise that’s rarely if ever in contention? The obvious response (to me, at least) is to say the former is much more preferable to the latter. Competitive teams are much more entertaining than consistently awful teams. (Unless you’re a masochist.)
Whether he intended it to or not, the reader’s query got me thinking about what we should expect from our favorite sports franchises. Should any fanbase be disappointed when their team falls just short of a championship? Does too much regular season success followed by post-season mediocrity breed contempt?
Living in Detroit, I’ve been blessed to watch the Red Wings (NHL), Pistons (NBA), University of Michigan Wolverines (football), Michigan State Spartans (basketball) and most recently, the Tigers (MLB) all enjoy a great deal of success in recent years. Some of these teams have been dominant for more than a decade and as a result, the expectations of their loyal throng have risen to unrealistic levels. Any season the Wolverines don’t win the Big Ten, the radio waves carry a cacophony from talking heads calling for the dismissal of the team’s head coach. And heaven forbid the Red Wings win the President’s Cup (for the best regular season record) and fail to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup to sit alongside of it. Pistons fans are beginning to sound eerily similar too. The mentality seems to be win or don’t bother. The gulf between champion and runner-up seems to be greater than that between second place and worst in the league. Sooner or later, we’ll stop calling it “second place†and start labeling it “first loserâ€.
Don’t believe me? Look at the Atlanta Braves. Here’s a team that has enjoyed an unprecedented run of success going back to the early 1990s. Near the tail end of their incredible string of fourteen consecutive division titles, the team had troubles selling out their new stadium for playoff games. It’s with stunning regularity you’ll hear someone speak of their success only to downgrade it by mentioning the fact the Braves only managed to win a single World Series during that time. An organization that went to five championships in nine years is considered to be a failure by some critics because they lost four of the five times. During this same stretch of time, the Florida Marlins managed a pair of World Series championships in their only two trips to the post-season and are often thought of as a more successful organization. Two post-season berths compared to fourteen? Fans have become so jaded in Atlanta (and across the nation) as to expect the Braves to flounder in the post-season.
Compare this with the fate of the Kansas City Royals year after year. Since their World Series victory in 1985, the Royals haven’t been to the post-season even once. In the twenty-one seasons since then, Royals fans have seen their favorite team peak three times in second place in their division. Considering Kansas City is the absolute antithesis of Atlanta, I’m sure any blue-blooded Royal fan would opt to punch a Braves fan in the face rather than be subjected to talk of why it’s a shame the Braves can’t be more successful. There’s little sympathy to be found in Kansas City (and in a dozen other baseball towns) because Atlanta fans don’t know how good they have it.
The same goes for Red Wings fans. If a diehard Blackhawk fan were to haul off and slug a Red Wing fan bemoaning their lack of post-season prowess, well, I wouldn’t blame the Chicago fan.
And Arizona Cardinals fans have a chip on their collective shoulder big enough to have a right to attack any sports fan so be careful around them too.
In the end, my advice to fans of any team is to sit back and enjoy the ride. If your team has been riding high, take in a few games and bask in the warmth of winning. It won’t last forever. (Even Yankee fans are coming to this realization.) Is your team rebuilding? Embrace the up-and-coming talent. Watch them develop into elite professionals. Say you knew-them-when. And if your team is a veritable dog, adopt a second team. Though sports polygamy is a dicey subject with some diehards, can anyone really blame fans of the Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins or anyone from Cleveland or Philadelphia if they started following another team just to feel what it’s like to cheer again? It’s grown men playing children’s games. Get an icy beer, a hot dog, a comfy seat and enjoy the show. It’s supposed to be fun. Relax.
Don’t forget to keep passing Canon Fodder to friends, family, acquaintances, coworkers, or anyone else with an e-mail address. While you’re at it, drop me an e-mail with any questions or comments you may have. I can be reached at jeff@canon-fodder.com.