Fair Weather Fans

I've always considered "fair weather fans" annoying, mostly because they're not around for the losing, when the rest of us are miserable, but still here.

So imagine my surprise when I was called a fair weather fan over at C. Trent's blog.

Fair weather fan? I've been around through the dismantling of the Big Red Machine, Marge Schott's ridiculous reign as owner, Pete Rose's gambling, the injury calamity of 1989, the Jim Bowden three-ring circus and his parade of 5-tool washouts and pitching retreads, Carl Lindner's nearly-as-ridiculous-ownership, and now, what appears to be the Reds' seventh consecutive losing season.

In fact, the only time I really "went away" was during college, when I didn't have time to follow the games every day. While I was away, they won a pennant in 1995 and made a run in 1999. Fair weather fan, indeed.

No, that's not it. Call me passionate, question my knowledge of the game, call me flat out wrong -- but fair weather fan? That's not gonna cut it.

The context of this came during a debate about why Reds fans boo. Well, lots of fans boo when they're pissed, and in Cincinnati, they have every right to be pissed. I mean, just re-read my third paragraph. It ain't like Cincinnati has a legendary level of positivity. The franchise has been a laughing stock for years.

And guess who's still here.

People are quick to blame the fans for not being supportive. That's just bunk. Give fans something to support besides a parade of incompetent owners, general managers, managers, and players. Give fans something besides racial insults and gambling scandals. Give them something to get behind.

If you want their fandom, you need only exist in a baseball town. People will come. James Earl Jones said so.

But if you want their money, you need to build a winner and commit to winning. You can't just provide the same lip service that previous regimes provided, with the same result. Fans see through that. You can't blame them for complaining.

That's not "fair weather" fandom. That's just capitalism at work. Surely a town crawling with so many conservatives understands basic business. You can't expect fans to line up all smiles for miles to watch a last place team. Won't happen. That shit only works in Chicago, and that's only because of beer and WGN, and the inexplicable notion that it's cool to like the Cubs.

So what do you call a passionate baseball fan who doesn't go away but refuses to attend another game or give the organization another dime until it commits to winning -- really commits to winning? What do we call that?

Can we call that a fan? Sure.

Can we call that a die-hard fan? Why not?

Can we call it a savvy consumer who doesn't want to get duped for a $7 beer and a sunburn? Oh hell yes.

Just don't call it a fair weather fan. Because that doesn't make any sense. Especially in a town like Cincinnati, where there hasn't been any fair weather in years.