The Three Types of Sports Fans

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The three types of sports fans
The world today is full of various sports, ranging from indoor to outdoor gaming activities. It is these sports that make the world a better place, the atmosphere, the blunders players make, the near misses, the struggle and much more, but one thing stands out, that of being a fan. I think being a fan is the most interesting part of any sport because there are no rules involved, just letting go and enjoying the game. However, over the years I have come to notice that there three types of fans, which I can classify into the ‘bandwagoner fan,’ the ‘casual fan’ and the ‘real fan.’
Identifying any of these fans in a game doesn’t require much effort. The bandwagon fan is that person who follows the crowd. His team is the best in the championship, and he supports it because they are on top. Ask him of any other reason he is supporting the team and he will tell you because they are on top. They use all sorts of weak reasons to back their support for a team. Sometimes, this fan is enthusiastic about supporting the team, but wait until they start losing. He will pack his things and move on to the next big team winning games.

The bandwagon fan does not care much about who is in the team, who plays what position or role. He does not show up in all matches but only appears in those big publicised games. He might wear a jersey in support of the team, but that is not the only one he has. He has another tone of sports gear for other teams he has accumulated over the years as he keeps shifting goal posts.

Then, there is the casual fan. They have their favourite team, but they do not know much about the team. They occasionally watch them play but most of the time they would rather stay at home and follow their favourite program or do something else. They know most players in the team, what position or role they play. Sometimes they go to watch games for social reasons. They wear customised jerseys and hats, and you will see them talking to each other, making a fool of themselves and hoping from one point to another. They do the Mexican wave, cheer their teams, take photos, talk on the phone and so on. They make up for the majority of the fans.
The casual fan also does not know every single rule of the game, but they have a basic understanding of how the game is played. Unlike the bandwagon fan they support a specific team and they are likely to attend all major games or watch it from home. Sports to them is the fun time, and they tend to enjoy every aspect of the game but if something more interesting comes up they are likely to forego watching the game.

Lastly, we have the real fan. He is one individual who will make sure that he attends all matches in support of the team, he can sacrifice anything for the game. A real fan understands the history of the club and can mention each player in the team by name. He spends a great deal of money buying his team’s merchandise. You will find a portrait of his club’s legend hanging on the wall of his house.
I would say that personally I fit into this group. I am a huge fan of Chicago Bulls basketball team, I think I know everything about the team, even my colleagues come to consult me about the team. I have watched them play several times ever since I was young. In fact, I have a complete gear of the team from shoes to a custom made top. I know who exactly scored, when and against who.
To an extreme extent, the real fan is the person whose world revolves around the sport. His daily is greatly influenced by the schedule of the team. He would want to watch or listen to every game, be it in the office, home or even in the car. Most of them have supported a team their entire life. They are the people you sometimes see with face paint in support of the team. Most of the time they are online reading team news and analysing the squad. They have attached their lives to the game and any negative occurrence affecting the team affects them emotionally, as a loss. Their identity is that of the team and the game, and without it, life would be meaningless.

Anyone who has been to a live match can attest that these groups of fans do exist. The categories may be sub-dived further, but they would all fall under any of these three categories. There are those fans who follow and support more than one sporting activity, for instance, supporting a team in the NBA league and at the same time supporting a team in the major soccer league, but the rules would still apply for each sport.