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Losing Seasons' Affect on Fan Bases: More Good Than Harm?


GSO_Pantherz

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No, IMO the difference is the tv package that the NFL negotiated in the 70's after the merger and the emergence of cable tv. Before that, teams were big in their area because only the local fans knew the team. The local newspaper was the #1 source of team information and opinions, there was nothing else. And with the tv revenue, the dynasties were built.

Moved to Columbia, SC in 1979. Scores from other teams, let alone certain sports, weren't even printed in the local paper or shown on tv. We'd call one of the tv stations - no cable! - who would read us the football and hockey scores that had come over the AP wire. True story!

There's some truth to that, but TV had been the NFL's boon since the "Greatest Game Ever Played" in the late 50s. Network TV showed both NFL and AFL games throughout the '60s. I'm not quite understanding what you mean by "And with the tv revenue, the dynasties were built". Most of the teams mentioned had their dynasty years before free agency and salary caps. I'd have to look up when they started sharing TV money, and what the formula was. But you have to win multiple championships within a relatively short time frame to earn 'dynasty' status. There's no dynasty without winning.

But make the comparison with today. How many fan bases truly exist for, say, the Texans, outside of Houston? You'll have the odd fan here and there, for sure, for various reasons. But you won't see Texan jerseys being worn en mass anytime soon, and that's because they have no legacy of success, not yet anyways. I'm sure there aren't many Panther jerseys worn on the west coast, nor will you see 'Panther bars" outside of the Carolinas. But success can, and probably will, change that, success being denoted as multiple championships...

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the funny thing is you're basing real fans/bandwagon fans on the amount of people that post on a message board. How else can you tell whether a fan base is growing or diminishing? We usually sell out all our games. I think when a team is winning, more people want to express their opinions and show their loyalty. But when a team is losing, those people are still there, and they are still true fans, they just decide not to post on message boards anymore, possibly out of frustration or anger for their teams lack of success.

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Building a fan base also has to do with the kids of the next generation. As a parent, and a die hard fan of the Panthers, your kids will more than likely follow in your footsteps and become Panther fans also, even if the team has a long a history of being unsuccessful.

For me it was a little different. I started liking football in 1996 b/c I was mature enough to understand the game and I had respect for it. We're from the bay area, and even though my dad was a big fan of football, he never had a favorite team. I should have become a Niner or Raider fan, but b/c of my dad, I didn't.

At that time, the Panthers were doing really well. I really liked their colors also, and I began to follow them more closely. I grew an emotional attachment to them that year, and I couldn't let them go, even after their struggles. I've been a die hard fan ever since. I cried during the superbowl in front of all my family and friends. Everytime I'm hanging out with friends, they give me poo for being a Panther fan b/c I'm from California. But there's no way I could ever let them go.

So in the end, I became a fan b/c of their success and their colors. Now a lot of people would say that's such a fake way of becoming a fan, but I've stuck with them ever since. And I think that's how most people become fans. They become fans if they grew up with parents that were die hard fans and they become fans based on initial success (and most stick with em even through the struggles). There are a few that jump from team to team, but I honestly think those people are rare. Most people are fans and stay fans, they just come out and show it when their team starts having success.

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Someone asked me back in early October why I was wearing my Panthers gear in light of the situation. I told him that I was a Panthers fan forever.

Going off on a little tangent, I know that in the Triangle area I don't see many people wearing Panthers gear at all. I can literally go weeks without seeing anybody in Panthers gear except me and my son. Literally! Football season or not. I see more fans of other teams than Panthers fans. I really hadn't even thought of it before, but it's true. Moreover, I see a lot of Panthers gear (even Smitty's) in stores, just hanging on the rack, and they aren't selling. I had put it down to the season, but perhaps it's just that the here in the Triangle, and I would imagine Columbia as well, that the fan base is watered down or lukewarm to the Panthers anyway.

Losing certainly doesn't help this situation IMO. It does help me obtain Panthers gear at a discount a lot of times though (although it didn't help me with the purchase of the GIII pleather Panthers Jacket that I purchased for my son before the season though---beautiful and looks better than my real leather panthers jacket that I got back in the day).

Anyway, fans are fans---die-hard or fair weather. Every fan base has them. One problem ---or perhaps just a difference---is that perhaps the Panthers haven't had long enough of a history or a winning tradition to nurture fans who evolve into die-hard fans (or even bandwagon fans), so all that you have left is mostly palm tree fan base that may break with the next mediocre storm that comes through, or perhaps a major storm in the form of a fan evacuation if Delhomme and/or Fox is here next year. But, they'll be back if we start winning, and the die-hards will always be here and weather the storm.

Losing is for the birds, and everyone loves a winner. I will give you an A for effort though, but this lemonade still tastes bitter as hell.

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A lot of my friends are definitely fair weather fans and always count on me to keep them up to date. While they are "fans" I cant stand the fact that they hardly watch the games but still comment like they know everything about the panthers. Like someone previously said in this thread we still need to keep them around because they do support the team (only when they are winning) and eventually they will become hard core fans.

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I've been a fan since 95' and have attended at least 2 or 3 games(no PSLs)a season during the Siefert era!I guess during lean years fans endure the pain and anguish of defeat but learn to appreciate good seasons when they come around.of course if a tean has a long playoff dryspell and make dumb decisions the fan base will start to wither away!

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