As short a time as I’ve been calling myself a bandwagon Warriors fan, I laugh at the reaction of so-called ‘true’ fans after the recent run of Warriors games. Panic, the sky is falling, etc.
I saw the same thing happen to Giants ‘fans’ after they failed to make the playoffs in 2011/2013/2015, and especially when they lost in the 2016 postseason.
Teams go through slumps and other adversity. As a ‘true’ sports fan, I’ve known this for years. There is no pattern. There is no ‘even years for the Giants’ thing. That was a coincidence.
The Warriors may be imploding because of the loss of Kevin Durant. Or not. How about we wait until the playoffs start before writing them off, huh?
Bottom line is that fans who come to a team ONLY when they start winning don’t know how to deal with slumps and losing streaks. They only know the team when they are successful. And sadly their coping mechanism is trying to throw criticism wherever they can, whether it’s the coach or players or even management.
Long suffering Giants and Warriors (and 49ers) fans can cope better, having tasted success, and are happy that their team has won during that ‘long suffering’ phase. I for one was satisfied with the Giants 2010 World Series Championship. 2012 and 2014 were gravy and/or icing. A lot of my long time Warriors fan family and friends were happy with the 2015 Championship, though disappointed with the 2016 Finals result.
There’s nothing wrong with that disappointment, nor am I saying that the teams shouldn’t strive for the big prize. What I’m saying is that you should not expect championships and the accolades to be handed to a team on a plate, before the playoffs or the season even begins. Cheer your team on, through thick or thin. And cherish the moments when they do win big.