Is every Sabres fan a bandwagoner?

Question

Some of the first television that I watched was hockey, thanks Dad. I've been a hockey and more specifically a Sabres fan since about age 4. There is a large contingent of Buffalo fans using Y! Answers, and most are knowlegable, passionate, long haul fanatics who are embracing the possibliity that it is our year. Yet every Sabre question and answer gets a band wagon or fair-weather fan post, as I expect this one to.

Sabre fans, let me know what makes you a hardcore fan and how long you've been waiting for this much excitement around your favorite team.

Everyone else, go ahead with your unintelligent name calling and city bashing. It's expected and unfortunately it discredits the great game of hockey. Here's to another exciting series. GO SABRES!

Answer 1

Sabres were getting what, 5000 people per game before the lockout. Now that they put up a good fight last year and were at the top of the league this year, they sell out every game. I think that speaks for itself. Maybe "bandwagon fans" isn't the correct term in this case...it's more like "fair-weather fans."



Even if you have been a fan for years, where were you when they sucked? Suddenly everyone is a Buffalo fan...or at least everyone is finally vocal about being one when they used to just hide in the back.



That being said, we know there are plenty of true Sabre fans here, but as with any team and any sport, the obnoxious fans are always the loudest ones, so the trash-talking idiots that only come out after the Sabres win (*cough*T Baggins*cough*) make the rest of you look bad.

Answer 2

Who says being a Sabres fan means you just jumped on the bandwagon? Obviously a solid team that plays an entertaining style will attrack some new blood, but I say there's plenty of room for any and all new Sabres fans. (know your hockey though you newbies) I'm new to Yahoo Answers, but been a Sabres fan since mid 80's. A fan when they've been good and a fan when not so good!

Answer 3

Not everyone is...but there are alot...the thing you gotta ask yourself is where were these people 3 years ago when the Sabre's missed the playoffs?



I know that when the team does good they are gonna get more fans, and thats fine, but dont talk about how you were a diehard fan if you only watch when the team is winning.



I've been a long time Sens fan, even in their first season when they won 10 games, and I know the Sabre's had fans when they were missing the playoffs too...but there are fans out there who are only Sabre's fans now because they are in 1st place and who if the Sabre's lose, will no longer be Sabre's fans



Those are the fans that true fans hate because they dont stand by the team.



And BTW, I wont bash Buffalo for 2 reasons...number 1 its childish and number 2 because they play the Canadian anthem before EVERY game

Answer 4

Don't worry Scotty the band wagon fans drop off when the Sabres lose a game in any of the series. They expect the team to just be a perfect 16-0 in the playoffs. I have been watching the Sabres for years, from the late 70's when I could understand the game....born in 1968.



I get the same with the Yankees, I have been following them since 1980 in the World Series with the Dodgers. I have follow both teams thought the good days and the bad. But never fret the real Sabres fans show up to see our team bring us home the Stanley Cup so that we can be put on the sports map once again. I know the Bandits lacrosse championships don't count but those banners hang from the ceiling proudly and I hope next year we can display our trophy's prould for the fans to see.

Answer 5

I have been a die hard Sabres fan since I was a kid, my Cousin, Richie Dunn (remember him) even played for the Sabres and then went on to be a weather guy on Buffalo TV news.

My earliest recollection of hockey is watching Buffalo VS. The Islanders in the playoffs way back in the early 80's and we were in NY and the crowd was yelling "BAR ***-HOLE" speaking of our goalie Tom Barasso (I think it was the playoffs).

I was born and raised in Buffalo (Mercy Hospital) and lived there until I was 29 when I moved to Clearwater, Florida. As soon as I moved down here I ordered the Center-Ice package even though the season before we weren't even in the playoffs, so NO, every Sabres fan is NOT a wagon jumper.

Every city has fans who will go watch the team when they are good, look at Detroit last year with the Tigers, or this year with the Brewers...PEOPLE LIKE A WINNER.

I also go to both Sabres at the Lightning games down here and they ALWAYS look like a Sabres home game. Watch the game on TV, the crowd is loud and even in the Tampa Bay building all you hear is LET'S GO BUFFALO!!!!

This is OUR year, these are our "Better Days" as per the Goo Goo Dolls song that we hear before home games now.

By the way, who cares? Anything that gets people into the ghost town that is Downtown Buffalo is good for the city. I've been to the Bass Pro Shop down here in Florida and it is amazing!!! Good luck with that, I only hope that there is enough fishermen up there still to make it work, I do wish they were not going to tear down the Aud to do it, too many memories.

Last but NOT least: I MISS THE FOOD...THE SUBS, WINGS, PIZZA, PASTA and most of all TIM HORTON'S!!!!!!

Answer 6

My brother and I tuned in "Hockey Night In Canada", that was when you need rabbit ears to get the signal from Canada. That's how i started to love Hockey, I was about 10 years old. I am a long time fan of the game, and The Sabre's. I taugh my husband all about the game. For the last 23 years our home is all about the Sabre's. My girls love the game. We are not football people, not even when the Bills are winning. Bandwagon is a word used by jealous fans that are afraid the Sabre's are going to beat there team. Hang in there Sabre's fans, we know who we are! For all those who feel the need, go ahead and trash the Buffalo fans, most of us just laugh it off. If isn't us then the same people will be on another group of fans.

Answer 7

Well, I think a lot of this has to do with they're recent sucess. Buffalo hasn't had a championship quality sports team since the Bills blew it 4 times in a row in the 90's. I'm from there and I only started watching hockey in the past 4 years because the Sabres were doing well. Just look at the last playoff game, sold out the 18k arena and had 10k+ outside of the arena. Half of my friends were watching the game at bars. I've never seen my parents watch a hockey game before, but my mom now has a Sabres shirt and has been watching the playoffs.



It's just a lot of spirit from a town. I live in Boston right now, and near the end of the season people were giving away tickets before the game.

Answer 8

Don't you remember how everyone wanted to be a Bills fan in the early 90's? What happened mid-90's? Only the true fans stuck around. There will always be bandwagon fans for every sports team. Once the Bucs won the superbowl, they started selling out seats. It's a normal thing.

My dad is from Buffalo, and I grew up watching the Bills. I started getting into hockey, and the only logical choice was to be a Sabres fan. This series is going to be exciting!

Answer 9

I may be a Sabres hockey banwagon fan but i am also a Buffalo fan i haved lived here all my life, love it here and think its great when a team from your hometown is close to winning something great so i dont care what you call me I will still support my Buffalo team in the playoffs. A fan is a fan and if just going to the playoffs makes someone start paying attention to them then oh well, that someone could be a fan for life and what team would discredit a fan just because they started watching them in the playoffs. I ama hardcore Sabres fan since last year in the playoffs!!! Go Sabres!!

Answer 10

I have been a sabres fan as long as I can remember, I think I started watching religiously when I was about 6 or 7 years old.



About the "bandwagon" fans: The sabres do have them, and so does every other team that plays well, in any sport. Anytime a local team does well, the fans come out of the wood works to cheer them on. Look at Carolina, they couldn't even sell out game 1 of the EC finals last year, and yet every bar in the cup finals was packed with people wearing 'canes jerseys. It just happens in sports, and becomes more obvious when a team struggles for a few years than comes flying out of the gates, the action gains everyone's interest.

Answer 11

Alot might be, I've been a fan since 96-97, somewhere around there, when the Whalers left, since I used to like Geoff Sanderson, after the Whalers moved, he went to Buffalo and ever since then I've followed them, from the Brett Hull goal in 99 and coming so close in the late 90s before that and recently and some bad years in between, but have always been a fan, this is a great example of a team, they've really never had any super-super stars, I mean Hasek might have been but you know what I mean, it's either this year or never, go Sabres!

Answer 12

No they aren't all bandwagon fans, just seems most of them are lately. Get to the playoffs two years in a row and get to the Conference Finals two years in a row and everyone wants to be your fan. How many are going to be there if the team went 30-47-5 next year? Sure call that unrealistic BUT I'm just saying how many would keep around if they did. Actually if the "fans" would stop acting so annoying then people might stop calling them bandwagon fans. Like that oh we won the first 2 games so we are going 82-0. Yeah right. Also you had fans talking about oh were are the Rangers fans now? Don't put down every other team and you might not get everyone jumping on your case. I'm a Pens fan and don't know of anyone saying I was a bandwagon fan, and yeah we have our share of Crosby/Malkin/Staal fans as well as Bandwagon fans. If you aren't accept as anything more then a bandwagon fan then that probably has something to do with you, either that or it is just saying you are a Sabres fan and people who have nothing better to do then say every fan of that team is a bandwagon fan.

Answer 13

My passion for the Sabres began when I was about 9 years old. I've lived between Rochester and Buffalo (about an hour or so away from each) for my entire 21 years. My Mom used to work at a bank and the employees would often be offered discount Sabres tickets or they'd have special M&T nights at the arena. Again, when I was about 9 or so, my Mom got tickets for my family to go to a game. At this point in my life, I knew very little about hockey and actually didn't even want to go to the game because I thought it'd be boring (Boy, was I ever wrong!).



So we get to the game and at first I'm not very interested...that is until I see the checks start flying and the slapshots being fired. By the time the 1st period was over, I was yelling and screaming at the top of my lungs. I've been a fan of the blue and gold (and red and black there for awhile) ever since.



One of the things that I remember most was the playoff run of '99. I usually only got to catch part of the games on TV because of having school the next morning, but I remember waking up every morning and rushing to ask my Mom who had won. Of course, '99 was the year of the infamous "No Goal". At this point, my knowledge of all the rules of hockey was still a bit slim so at first I didn't quite understand, but I remember the video footage being shown on TV over and over again and listening to the sports announcers and newscasters explain the whole thing. I guess the thing I remember most was just the feeling of disappointment and frustration all of western NY shared that year.



As the years went on, my Mom continued to make sure that our family got our Sabres fix and we usually made it at least a game or 2 every season. Now that I'm older, I've made an attempt to continue to learn more about hockey and the more I watch, the more I love the game and the Sabres. My room both at school and at home as well as my closet is filled with everything Sabres. Even during the years where the playoffs were a million miles out of our reach, you'd still see me sporting my Sabres attire with pride. There's just an amazing feeling you get when you're at HSBC and that fog horn blares after a Sabres goal. I swear that place shakes with the roar from the crowd sometimes. I guess there's just something cool about sharing that same feeling of joy and pride with thousands of other people from so many different backgrounds, knowing that something as simple as a sport can unite them all even it is just for 3 periods of hockey. I imagine it's the same feeling for fans of every team in every sport on every level.



Even now that I'm away at college (up in northern NY, past the Thousand Islands), it's always a good feeling to see a fellow student walking around with a Sabres jersey or hat. You may have never met them before, but all it takes is a nod and smile and a "Go Sabres!" to feel like your right at home again.

Answer 14

Come on! How 'bout we give this subject a break?



People are always going to accuse other teams fans of being bandwagon fans.



Hey, they don't like that particular team, how can anyone else?



Teams that start having a winning season will pick up new fans because of the fact that now that the team is winning they are getting more media coverage and that makes people aware of them that might not have been aware of them before. You know the 'casual' fan, one who might take in a game or two a year.



Then the team starts winning so the casual fan starts paying more attention and starts watching more games and the next thing you know they are hooked on the sport. What's wrong with that?



You have to start somewhere.



Nothing wrong with new fans.



God knows the NHL can use all the fans they can get.



So if a team picks up 100 new fans because they are winning and when they start losing they lose 75 of those fans, who cares? They still have 25 more die hard fans than they had before.

Answer 15

Lets just start with my pets names. I have a 7 year old horse who I named Sabre when she was born, I try to name every calf born on my farm after the corresponding name & number of a Sabres player. I own a black and red jersey. Everyone at my house sits in a designated spot during a game if we don't have tickets. I love Buffalo Sabres Fans while at the games!!! We share season tickets between 3 families, and have done so for years. And I bid on Sabres memorabilia on E Bay.

Answer 16

I've been to a few games in the Aud (i was young but i remember being scared my first time climbing the stairs in the 300 level). I remember No Goal I, No Goal II, and the no goal the year before the finals. (the missed icing call against washington!) I still have the mastercard commercial about Dominick Hasek, and how he ****** over buffalo when he left for money alone. Brian Holzinger, Richard Smelik (could never get that spelling right, lol). I went to the home opener of the MMA (now the HSBC Arena). Grant Fuhr, I think i've said enough.

Answer 17

Not all Sabres fans are bandwagoners. But I think there are some who are. Usually the ones who aren't really hockey fans but want to cheer on a team only because they are a team that is doing well and everyone has them winning. I think real fans are the ones who give their respect for the other teams, while being excited over there own team. They do some good natured ribbing to the other teams, but it is not the type other people on here do.

Answer 18

i grew up in a hockey home in Buffalo so the choice was naturally the Sabres. I think i was about 10 when i started paying attention and in my hs yrs i was fanatic. i've always liked the play of guys like Varada and Gaustad who represent what the team is about, heart and character. Watching the development these last few yrs grow into the team we know and love now has been exciting. This is our year, this is a special group. I can't wait for Thurs opener against ottawa. That is going to be intense and a real joy to watch.

Answer 19

I Live In Queretaro, MX and I'm a devoted Buffalo Bills fan before the SB years. By 1998, they began to broadcast NHL games in MX and I obviously became a devoted Sabres Fan.

Now I have NFL sunday ticket and also have a decent coverage of the NHL on Sky.

Go Bills!!!

Go Sabres!!!

Answer 20

I'll just keep it simple, enough has been said to get the point proven.



There is a difference between "bandwagon" fan and "new" fan.



To put it lightlya new fan takes the time to learn the sport, find reason and support to like a team, learn the teams history, appreciate the sport, respect other teams..... a bandwagon fan are the ones buying up cart loads of merchandise, going to the game not know anybody but who they hear talked about that day in the paper, brag to others to try to gain social status, and generally unpleasant to be sitting next to at a game as they cheer and boo just because others in the arena are.



I know everyone has to start somewhere... but I wouldn't jump off a bridge just because everyone else was... well I mean there is soft pretzels and canadian beer....

Answer 21

I've been a Sabres fan since 1986, I admit eventhough I'd watch every game possible (bedtime was always a big issue :() I didnt really care about how well the team was doing- then again being a little kid- I didnt understand anything about hockey except it was one of the few times the whole family got together and had fun (Bills football was the other) Sports was the one thing I could count on being able to spend time with my Dad. It would be just the two of us or all five of us- the first game he took me to was when Clint Malarchuk had his throat cut and for several years following- I was afraid of hockey. We always had season tickets- we would play street hockey and my team would always be called the Sabres. Ive always watched and cheered with the same passion...although Ive only actually known there were rules and structure to hockey (face offs, blue lines, offsides, etc) since the end of Jr High when Teddy Nolan was coach. Since I took the time to learn hockey and the history of the Sabres, I enjoy it that much more. I've had NHL Center Ice since it came out and kept watching even after the '99 fiasco and when the whole Adelphia cable scandel was happening. I still have my LaFontaine jersey and my red n white Rob Ray jersey. Being from Buffalo, I never cared if my teams lost- it sucked big time- but theyre still my boys....its all about loyalty

and yes- Im still a Bills fan too and I dont care who knows it!



oh and I moved away in '97 - for those who think big deal about my having Sabres and Bills stickers on my car and wearing their shirts when its the off season





GO BUFFALO!!!





- for what happened in Carolina last year- it was disgusting, inappropriate, uncalled for and distasteful- I am ashamed that people like that are associated with the Sabres in anyway. It's like the ones who trash talk the other teams in a less than sportsmanslike manner who make the fans like me look bad. So please, dont group all Sabres fans with those jack-a**es who were in Carolina Im not defending them in anyway or giving them an excuse- but every team everywhere has those jerks. I was the victim of Philly fans the same way. Im no angel- but any behavior like the aforementioned is appaling. My opponent ribbing is almost always in the same good nature as veterans picking on the other branches of service. Having been in the military myself- I admit I've thrown out some harsh ones- but in reality I cant say anything cause I have family in every single branch and I couldnt be more proud. Anyway back to hockey- There are a few players on other teams I despise and I'll make that opinion known when I think it needs to be- I watch as many hockey games as I can- no matter who is playing- I havent missed a single playoff game for any team this season. (i LOVE DVR) Ex. I dont just hate Neil (Ottawa) for that brutal hit on Chris Drury on Feb 22, but he hits like that all the time no matter what who the team. Now to an extent- thats what hockey is all about- But when someone makes a hit to deliberately hurt another player- its wrong (Ryan Smyth is another one) .

Answer 22

Sorry...I am a Penguins fanatic. I do like the Sabres and have been watching every move they make since the playoffs started and the Penguins exit. I hope they pull this off because they are a great team. Because I am supporting them...that makes me a bandwagoner...I don't think so...just a girl who loves hockey and wants to see Ottawa get their a$$e$ kicked!

Answer 23

Let's see, I've was born in '77 and have been a Sabres fan ever since I can remember watching games with my mom. I grew up in South Buffalo (Seneca St. BABY!) and I am definitely not a bandwagoner.

Answer 24

No at least not the people from Buffalo but yes I have gotten really pissed off at all the bandwagon Buffalo fans........Ive been a fan since Lindy Ruff was a Sabre and even in Iraq I get up at 3am (7PM ET) to watch my Sabres......Sabres in a hard fought 7.....One Team One Goal

Answer 25

Nah. Some but definately not all. The Sabres have always had a good bunch of fans up there.

Answer 26

let me see, i have every poster that came in the buffalo news on my wall, only 4 more left i think, i watched every game sence the lock-out except about 10 id say. I go to the party every home game outside the HSBC.(sorry i cant afford playoff tickets) i get my face painted up before, any profile on any website(myspace, facebook, yahoo) i have says that im from the city of Pominville. I mean what els can i say? I love my city and i will never move. GO BUFFALO!

Answer 27

I can only speak for my husband who is a Buffalo native. When he lived there, he never attended one single Sabres game, nor did he watch it on TV. He is NOT a hockey fan either, now all of a sudden, here we are in Atlanta GA, he won't watch or attend a Thrashers game, but he is NOW claiming to be a huge SAbres fan.



Bandwagoner, of course he is, and I remind him of that everytime they play and he is cheering over plays he has to ask me about because he doesn't even understand the basics of hockey

Answer 28

I hate the bandwagon Sabres fans as much as the next person, but I wouldn't say ALL Sabres fans are bandwagon jumpers. Just the ones who doens't know the difference between an icing and an offside are. Those are the ones who are cheering just so they fit in. Not true hockey fans at all...

Answer 29

To watch every game, and to have a vicious hangover after the playoffs. born and raised in the B-lo

Answer 30

i have respect for any fan that has been a die-hard fan since they were children but you ahve to admitt buffalo has a lot of bandwagoners that think miller is better than brodeur, briere is better than jagr (in his prime), etc. and it's just annoying to have peopl like that going off about how "their" team is the best ever. so i respect you and all the other fans like you, but i can't stand bandwagoners

Answer 31

I specialize in bandwagoning.



Go Flames Go



oops



Go Canucks Go



oops



Go Senators Go



just in case



Go Sabres Go



It's just all for fun, anyway. No need to get uptight.

Answer 32

Silly comments don't discredit the game. They discredit the person who uttered the words and that's it.

Answer 33

Ok, lets just stop this. This question gets asked every freaking day, and who cares if they are "bandwagon fans".



Stop with this, everybody picks on us wahwahwah stuff. Your fans antaganise like no other. First you constantly rip on the Isles, then major Ranger bashing takes place, now it has started on the Sens. When someone responds against your team your fans whine like their is no tommorow. I guess you take after your coach.



They average fan is just sick of constatly getting told how great Buffalo is. The fans are pretty much the reason I hope you lose.



You have a great team, maybe a team with a chance to do something special. But their is a difference with winning with class and winning like Sabre fans.



How can we feel sypathetic to you? Here is a story of last years Eastern Conference Finals. Your fans show up in droves to Raleigh, good team support that is great. They give out Eastern Conference Final Pint Glasses at the game. After the game, Sabre fans are out in the lot getting arrested for smashing the glasses, breaking windows of cars with Canes logos on them, slashing tires, harrassing little kids, ect. So before you talk about fans not having class look at your sorry buffoon fans. Go ahead all Sabre fans, give me a thumbs down on every post I make from here on out, but look in the mirror before you start calling out other fans.



Sorry if I offend anyone, but respect is a two-way street.

Answer 34

I would say about 70%. they are doing great this year.





GO DUCKS!!!!

Answer 35

If you had a lousy team they wouldn't be calling you anything. Just be glad your guys are still in it.

Answer 36

most of em'