There have been a couple of exchanges in the paper lately between callers and the editorial staff about the Colorado Rockies on a subject that always cracks me up: the concept of "I'm a better fan than you!" Usually going hand in hand with this statement is how long someone's been a fan, as if there is some sort of seniority for spectators. Please.

First it started with someone calling in basically complaining about people jumping on the Rockies bandwagon. I'd quote it but I can't find that day's paper, but it was laughable, and sort of pathetic. Definition of a "fan" or "spectator": a person who looks on or watches; onlooker; observer. Well, I guess those are verbs, but they describe " watchers", not " doers". Now there are some bragging rights, "I watched real good". (Intentional bad grammar).

The editorial staff then wrote a piece apologizing for underestimating the Rockies, apparently they predicted they wouldn't make the playoffs. It was an understandable prediction and only a monumental winning streak proved them wrong. Then, most likely the same caller, thanked the editors for the apology which really wasn't related to their ridiculous point! It was a missed prediction, not a call of "all aboard the Rockies bandwagon!"

I've seen this mentality in hockey as well. Oh the grief we got from those long suffering Canadian hockey fans when the Avalanche plopped down here in Colorado and instantly won a championship. "You aren't real fans, you can't be", stuff like that. Then they'd argue about how long they'd been fans of this team or that, then how many games they've watched, or what memorabilia they owned.

I've also seen it in the hero worship of some bands or artists. Stand in line long enough for tickets or at a concert and this stuff is unavoidable. You know the type, were with them before they "made it", or were cool. Now the rest of you are all wannabes and posers. What's next, fan clubs for politicians? Yikes.

People (of this type), please get over yourselves. Usually we are pulling for the same team, or like the same band or whatever. It's not a bad thing to pull in more, be they fair-weather, occasional, or just trend followers. If you want who you follow to succeed, the more fans they attract the better players they can afford or the better production for their next recording. Unfortunately there are fans that don't want that, they just want them for themselves or how they used to be before they "sold out" to the man.

Will I offend if I say " Let's Go Rockies!"? Too late.

©2007 Chris Rodriguez/Wrongmont.Com
(Chris Rodriguez is a Longmont resident, and the editor and publisher of Wrongmont.Com, a community website that raises local issues to increase public awareness and interest)