By: Sara Sanner
Anytime someone or some group does well at a sport or competition, an interesting phenomenon is presented for everyday people. This phenomenon is known simply as the “Bandwagon.”
The bandwagon effect, also known as “cromo effect” and closely related to opportunism, is a phenomenon that people often do and believe things merely because many other people do and believe the same things. The phrase “jump on the bandwagon” first appeared in American politics in 1848 when Dan Rice, a famous and popular circus clown of the time, used his bandwagon and its music to gain attention for campaign appearances. As campaigns became more successful, more politicians strove for a seat on the bandwagon, hoping to be associated with the success. Later, during the time of William Jennings Bryan’s 1900 presidential campaign, bandwagons had become standard in campaigns, and “jump on the bandwagon” was used as a derogatory term, implying that people were associating themselves with the success without considering what they associated themselves with.
Today, the bandwagon effect is most noticeably present in sports. When a team does well, more and more fans join the cause. The largest and latest example is with the New Orleans Saints football team. Often called the “Aints,” they have never been to a Superbowl. That is they have never been until this past season. As the Saints went on a long winning streak with a record of 13-3, things looked promising for a Superbowl run. Many people came to this assumption and then the bandwagon grew. When a bandwagon grows too large, the hating begins. Those who were fans of a team before they began winning usually despise bandwagon fans. This causes three interesting effects.
First, many original fans try to single out bandwagon fans. This often leads them to accosting anyone they did not already know was a fan, which causes trillions of pointless arguments.
Secondly, bandwagon fans try to hide their identity out of fear of being found unauthentic. In order for their fan status to remain hidden, they learn statistics and unique stories of their new favorite team to commit to memory. So when an original fan tries to sniff out bandwagon fans, a bandwagon has the chance to prove they’re an original fan.
The third effect of a large bandwagon is the honesty it can create. Once there are enough bandwagon fans, many decide to admit they are one. They simply claim they like this team because they win, and that people should be okay with this.
These effects can be noticed on social networking sites like Facebook. After any large game or election, people change their statuses appropriately. Writing about the Saints for example, people put famous slogans such as “who dat” and post-game scores. Others write comments such as “I’m so tired of bandwagon fans,” and the like.
After the New Orleans Saints concluded their season with a Superbowl win, the following day Saints “fans” donned their only team t-shirt to show their pride for the team’s success. Authentic fans didn’t even bother to criticize the bandwagons then due to the overwhelming number of bandwagon fans gained by the Superbowl victory and also by the commotion and feelings of excitement from the win. Now that the thrill of the Saints’ victory is old news, the followers known as “bandwagon fans” have silenced their once fervent voices and I’m curious to see how their participation will continue next season if the team is not as successful.
I, personally, do not think anyone should look down on bandwagon fans–that is, as long as those fans are honest about their affiliations. Everyone should encourage more people to be fans of their team, not encourage more liars.
