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  • State of Your Fandom

    Over the last few weeks I have been trying to assess where I stand as a Marlins fan. The last two years have been a roller coaster. The 2011-12 offseason was a fantastic experience and was the first offseason I can remember where I wanted the season to restart in late November.We went into 2012 believing this team was going to enter a period of sustained success that would be a new high water mark for the franchise. When the season began and everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

    I do not think I will ever have the passion that I had for this team between 2003-2012. Part of it is because of what has happened last year and another part is me just getting older and life just getting in the way. I suspect many of us are going through this phase or have already gone through it. But play-off runs can do amazing things and rekindle a lot of emotions-- so we'll see what happens in 2045.

    Last week I was having a discussion in the office about why people follow teams and sports so religiously. I believe that for most people who are not on bandwagons, there is always a moment that captures you. After that you need an occasional reminder of that feeling with subsequent moments to maintain that. The Marlins and baseball have done that throughout the years and I can remember most of them. The no-hitter and Game 3 of the World Series were two moments this year.

    As in everything we do for an extended period of time, the grand scheme of why you do things tends to get lost in the day-to-day. I had a chance to catch bits and pieces of Ken Burns' Baseball series over the course of the week. It is definitely something that reignites your passion for the game, especially the intros to the 1st Inning and 9th Inning. If you have not seen them do so.

    I went to dinner with two friends last night that I "met" on this website in 2007. We became friends in 2010 by pure coincidence because they sat behind me at Sun Life Stadium. (As is the case with everything on this board, it came about in a hilarious fashion as some of you may remember.) I realized that 2013 went by and I saw them a total four times throughout the year. At this point our friendship is not defined by the Marlins but I realized the Marlins played a huge part in bringing us together every other weekend during the summer. The team made you open a day on the calendar to be with these people. Not many things in life do that on a routine basis.

    I realized how much I missed the experience of going to all the Saturday night games, sitting out in the Fish Tank and watching a mediocre to average team because of the atmosphere that surrounded that. I was never one to wax poetic about the sport, but I have come around on that. It is really a sport that warrants it.

    The current state of my fandom is complicated. I will likely amend my embargo of the team as the season approaches and go to more games next year granted StubHub has great ticket deals. But I still really dislike ownership.

  • #2
    I know it annoys a lot of people, but I just don't have that emotional connection with the teams I follow. It sucks that the Marlins are crappy, but it doesn't cause an emotional response in me; I'll still go to games because the stadium is awesome, tickets are cheap and I like baseball. If the Marlins win, all the better.

    So, to conclude, I probably care less than I would if the team was good, but I don't really have the resentment many do. I also wouldn't enjoy a good, competitive team as much as most here would.
    Last edited by Bobbob1313; 12-28-2013, 01:20 PM.
    poop

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    • #3
      Now that I'm back in South Florida, the Marlins are my local team again and the only baseball team I can see myself being really devoted to anymore. The only way I could ever see myself as interested in the team as I am in the Gators though is if there's a change of ownership. The current ownership has left me pessimistic. 2011 was the last time I'll ever have optimism towards the franchise under this regime. It's great if they start performing well, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

      One thing that is different now versus the past is that I have no problem sorta just ignoring the team for the most part if they're shitty.
      Need help? Questions? Concerns? Want to chat? PM Hugg!

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      • #4
        I don't think you have to like the ownership of a team to be a fan. I get that people don't like Loria, and believe me, I'm not a fan either, but I refuse to let him take away my fandom. If you love baseball and the Marlins, then what are you supposed to do? Boycotting the team won't make him sell any faster and I'm not the type of fan that can just go root for someone else. I was a fan of this team before he got here, and I'll be a fan after he's gone.

        So my meaningless recommendation is that if you enjoy watching baseball and the Marlins, then just go enjoy it. You can get in cheap, the ballpark is awesome, the team has to be better than last year, and Loria won't be around forever.
        --------------------
        Originally posted by Bobbob1313 View Post
        I know it annoys a lot of people, but I just don't have that emotional connection with the teams I follow. It sucks that the Marlins are crappy, but it doesn't cause an emotional response in me; I'll still go to games because the stadium is awesome, tickets are cheap and I like baseball. If the Marlins win, all the better.

        So, to conclude, I probably care less than I would if the team was good, but I don't really have the resentment many do. I also wouldn't enjoy a good, competitive team as much as most here would.
        I sort of agree with you. I mean, obviously winning is far more enjoyable than losing. But maybe because I'm a Marlins fan with all the trades and all, but I find that I enjoy the building of a team almost as much as I've enjoyed watching them win. I guess it's true of a lot of sports fans these days. LeBatard says that people now enjoy the transaction more than the action and I certainly can see that. A trade or free agent signing is almost more fun then watching that player actually play. I mean, Mariners fans are all excited right now about Cano signing...but once the season starts, they'll watch him play on a daily basis, he'll be a good 2nd baseman, and it will be kind of anti-climatic. The signing and the hoopla surrounding it was the fun part. That certainly was the case with Pujols with the Angels and all of the 2012 Marlins...
        Last edited by fauowls44; 12-28-2013, 01:57 PM. Reason: Doublepost Merged

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        • #5
          The 2006-2012 core was fun to watch develop. 2006 is still my third or fourth favorite Marlins season. But after a while, like that core, if all the building leads to nowhere it is very frustrating.

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          • #6
            The state of my fandom is Florida.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Namaste View Post
              The state of my fandom is Florida.
              You and half of Canada.
              Need help? Questions? Concerns? Want to chat? PM Hugg!

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              • #8
                My love for this team never diminishes, no matter the state of the franchise. I am actually thankful to this ownership group for creating one of the most amazing buildings I have ever seen, and right in the heart of Miami. Many people get caught up in the front office drama because that's the state of sports today - thanks to 24 hour sports networks and the internet we've transcended the "game" and now expect so much more of our teams. To me, baseball is a park game. Less a sport than basketball and football. What I love about the game is its casual nature. I have great times even when the team plays poorly because I go with friends, have beer and food, chat, and the game becomes practically secondary. Especially now with the new park, this is even better. If the team plays well, all the more fun it is.

                I think a major problem with our game is the leadership, or lack thereof, in baseball. The 162 game season is too long, and the 8 teams from the entire league making a 5 game series is just way too few. Moreover, the lack of salary cap and division system make this even worse. I don't blame the Marlins 100% for failing to be "successful" because being so in the MLB is very very difficult and many times is more up to chance than anything else. But this aside aside, I will always love and support this team as long as I see a strong effort from the players on a daily basis. That's the only thing that really turns me off is a lack of effort, which is why I really grew tired of Lomo. I'm dragging this on but I'll just say my fandom is greater now than ever because of the new stadium, it's location and air conditioning, the somewhat positive direction of the franchise, and the rebranding of the team. I think things will pick up for us in the next handful of years, just don't expect us to be the dodgers, angels, Yankees, mets, Red Sox, rangers, etc unless the team is purchased by an owner with billions in assets.

                Go fish!
                --------------------
                One thing i do hope to see in the near future is us finally winning a division - still haven't done that in 20 years...the Marlins really are one of the poorest franchises in sports history, but it's the love of the game and this city that keeps my "fandom" strong.
                Last edited by BigGameFish; 12-28-2013, 09:08 PM. Reason: Doublepost Merged
                STANTON

                Serious fun! GET IT IN!

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                • #9
                  I feel like I enjoy the process more now than the actual results.

                  Also, contrary to what the last poster wrote, I think baseball is probably my favorite sport right now because there's no salary cap.
                  Last edited by Erick; 12-28-2013, 09:37 PM.

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                  • #10
                    I'm nowhere near the fan I was before. I watched all of one game last season and it wasn't the entire thing. My interest in sports all together have waned. Gator football is only thing I still watch regularly but that's more-so a family event.

                    Part of it was that I didn't have cable for 3 years, and it's hard to care when you're not watching. But I was losing it even before that. I became a strong fan of baseball again with the '06 team. And that shit was fun. I didn't go through the heartaches from Loria before. So experiencing what was basically regressing the team rather than progressing the team was just so frustrating. And it's hard to care about something that's frustrating. It's hard to care with Loria at the helm. Which leads me to...

                    I don't think you have to like the ownership of a team to be a fan. I get that people don't like Loria, and believe me, I'm not a fan either, but I refuse to let him take away my fandom. If you love baseball and the Marlins, then what are you supposed to do? Boycotting the team won't make him sell any faster and I'm not the type of fan that can just go root for someone else. I was a fan of this team before he got here, and I'll be a fan after he's gone.
                    While I understand what you're saying, in the end the Miami Marlins are a corporation and Loria owns and is in charge of that corporation. The Marlins are his, not ours. If some new dude bought out Wendy's and changed the entire recipe to shit, people wouldn't say "well I'm still a fan of Wendy's because they used to be good even though it's shit now." But there's some strange allegiance with sports teams. I mean, I get it, I personally couldn't root for another team. I also just think it's dumb. Humans are weird.

                    I sort of agree with you. I mean, obviously winning is far more enjoyable than losing. But maybe because I'm a Marlins fan with all the trades and all, but I find that I enjoy the building of a team almost as much as I've enjoyed watching them win. I guess it's true of a lot of sports fans these days. LeBatard says that people now enjoy the transaction more than the action and I certainly can see that. A trade or free agent signing is almost more fun then watching that player actually play. I mean, Mariners fans are all excited right now about Cano signing...but once the season starts, they'll watch him play on a daily basis, he'll be a good 2nd baseman, and it will be kind of anti-climatic. The signing and the hoopla surrounding it was the fun part. That certainly was the case with Pujols with the Angels and all of the 2012 Marlins...
                    And this is also kind of really where most of my limited interest still lies. No other sport has what baseball has with it's ability to use statistics to weigh values, and woo math. I still get curious sometimes about things as evident by the thread I made the other day.
                    --------------------
                    Originally posted by Bobbob1313 View Post
                    I know it annoys a lot of people, but I just don't have that emotional connection with the teams I follow. It sucks that the Marlins are crappy, but it doesn't cause an emotional response in me; I'll still go to games because the stadium is awesome, tickets are cheap and I like baseball. If the Marlins win, all the better.

                    So, to conclude, I probably care less than I would if the team was good, but I don't really have the resentment many do. I also wouldn't enjoy a good, competitive team as much as most here would.
                    Try living in a college town like Gainesville. It's fucking crazy how people get when sports (especially football) have a negative outcome.
                    Last edited by nny; 12-28-2013, 09:40 PM. Reason: Doublepost Merged

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                    • #11
                      The Marlins are almost guaranteed to turn an 8 digit profit every year. In MLB, yes they are in the lower third, but in the grand scheme of sports half the NHL and a few NBA teams are "poorer" than the Marlins.

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                      • #12
                        I feel like what was going on in 2006 was no more exciting than what is going on now for what it's worth.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Erick View Post
                          I feel like what was going on in 2006 was no more exciting than what is going on now for what it's worth.
                          2006 was exciting because of the outcome. But I agree with where you're going with it. I think the 2012 firesale was more than justified from baseball perspective.

                          The problem being, it's more the same of not seeing money invested in the team as we trot out another 40m roster with a mixture of good talent and terrible talent. But to be fair, this FA class blows donkey balls.
                          --------------------
                          Originally posted by Party View Post
                          I do not think I will ever have the passion that I had for this team between 2003-2012. Part of it is because of what has happened last year and another part is me just getting older and life just getting in the way. I suspect many of us are going through this phase or have already gone through it.
                          I also don't think this could be understated. I joined the forum before I could legally drink. I'm now about to enter my late 20's. Priorities, responsibility, so much shit has changed a lot. I think most everyone on here is on a similar age scale.
                          Last edited by nny; 12-28-2013, 09:50 PM. Reason: Doublepost Merged

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                          • #14
                            I still care. Not nearly as invested as days of old.
                            Amy Adams, AKA Cinnamon Muff
                            Logan Morrison: "If baseball didn't exist, I would probably be ... like a curler. Or a hairstylist."
                            Noah Perio
                            Jupiter
                            39 AB
                            15 H
                            0 2B
                            0 3B
                            0 HR
                            0 BB
                            .385/.385/.385

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                            • #15
                              I pretty much quit watching when they're terrible, but still follow along. And it doesn't bother me like it did when I was younger. I watched maybe 15 innings total after the ASB last year, I'd just check the score on my phone from time to time and read the box score/recaps at night, watch MLB.com highlights if any worthy.

                              But, that's pretty much true for all my teams now. Football is pretty much the only sport I'll still watch my team's games regularly when they're bad. And that's only because of the once a week nature of it.

                              The highs are still as high, but the lows aren't nearly the same as they were from say age 13-25. Sports, man.

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