Playing the bandwagon card?

[Curly Bill]

Why are some posters on here so quick to call anyone who dares to criticize some aspect of OUr football team a bandwagon fan? I admit that some fans go too far in their criticism, but equally irritating to me is those so quick to call anyone who questions what we are doing a bandwagon fan.

Those of you so quick to play the bandwagon card please explain...

[StoopTroup]

Curly...

I don't know how much of the game thread you've read....

Some folks were saying this was over in the first half.

Even though it seems we've lost now, I like how Halzle and the Team pulled together in the 2nd half. There are still some positives here.

OUr Defense really pulled it together in the 2nd half.

The Venables thread is a pretty good example of more knee jerk reactions IMO.

It's sad to see Sooners act that way IMO.

Therefore...you have the term Bandwagon.

Oh...and BTW...we're within a score here now as I type.

BOOMER SOONER ! ! !

[Stitch Face]

"Bandwagon fan" indicates someone who disassociates themselves from the program during a down time. Obviously you can't tell who's who the night of a bad game. All those going ape**** tonight may be here day-in and day-out after the game and through the rest of the season come what may and that's great.

But when a fan[atic] is happy as a lark while we're winning and then goes ballistic, calling for coach firings and ****ing on anyone around them as soon as we lose, it makes it look like said fan only supports the team when they're winning.

There's a difference between "hmmm...our soft secondary poses problems" and "FIRE TEH VENABLES & BOBY JACK RITE - IVE SPENT ALL MAH MONEY ON OU GAMES & SHIRTS AND I WONT TAKEIT!!!1!!1

[SoonerMom2]

Second half we looked a lot better but we got hosed once again by Tech replay official and the Bible crew. It was a touchdown -- even the dumb announcer that couldn't get Sam Bradford's name right said it was a touchdown.

Holding all night against our line and holding Walker so their quarterback could score and nothing called. Didn't even reply Kelly's catch, etc. No pass interference calls against Tech when it was obvious. Typical game at Tech and Leach has the nerve to talk about being hosed.

Still think Leach threw the tantrum to get this Bible crew from Austin as he knows how we get hosed by Bible. Big 12 sucks big time when it comes to officiating. Tech is right up there with Oregon as far as I am concerned. ATM is right about how playing at Tech you get screwed by officiating.

Think fans have a right to criticize but that doesn't mean we are not going to hang in until the end hoping for a miracle. Our defense look very good in the second half considering how much they were held to keep from getting to the quarterback.

When your starting quarterback goes down and the backup goes 3 and out, it is tough on the defense. Halze getting sacked and settling for a field goal hurt as well. When a starter goes down it takes a lot of air out of the team and you could see it. I think all in all the guys did a very good job in the 2nd half -- they never quit which means a lot.

[sooneron]

Some people deal differently with tough situations. You can't expect them to act like you do. It's retarded. My Dad is a tried and true Soonerfan since he was single digits back in the 50's > Sooner grad in the late sixties. He probably would have been baned for the way that he was talking to me on the phone. :eek:
Saying that someone whose behavior that you don't agree with is not a fan is stupid. Some people need to vent and their significant others don't want to hear any of it. So it's done on here.

[Animal Mother]

You can criticize but giving up in the first have is the epitome of bandwagon whining. Saying that Halzle sucks is more of the same. You can say what you want and then we get to slam your obvious bandwagon petulance. I saw OU come back against the Aggs in ‘83 down 20-3 with 7 minutes left in Stoolwwater, so if your slamming includes giving up when the game isn’t at zero than you get no respect or sympathy from me.

[StoopTroup]

With the last TD...we should have been taking the game to OT.

The review was awful.

[Curly Bill]

I agree with the way you guys are defining a bandwagon fan, but in many instances it is used on/against those who, while I don't personally know them, don't seem like bandwagon fans to me, but more like real fans who have a valid gripe about some aspect of OUr program. The fact that the term is used so often on here gives it about the same credence as when someone plays the "race card" these days.

I will agree that the Venables thread is pretty heated, but I think rightly so, and I don't necessarily think someone calling for his firing, or questioning his coaching ability is a bandwagon fan. They may go too far in your opinion and maybe even in mine, but I think their gripe is vaild, and to voice it does not in itself make them a bandwagon fan.

[tulsaoilerfan]

I agree Curly Bill; as long as people don't go ape**** over something, i think they have every right to voice their displeasure; i stayed watching till the bitter end hoping they would come back but thinking this game was over in the first quarter; i don't think that makes me a bandwagon fan

[StoopTroup]

Unfortunately when someone starts a reasonable argument such as Maestro did...Noobs and Bandwagoners pile on.

Starting a thread about it during the game is ridiculous IMO.

The Game Thread is a great place to have a small meltdown if you need to vent...however tonights Game Thread was pathetic considering how the 2nd half turned out.

This is a World of first impressions also...

Some folks need to learn to be a better poster and Fan IMO.

When the going gets tOUgh...the tOUgh get going....

[Stitch Face]

to voice it does not in itself make them a bandwagon fan.

Agreed; as I said- whether or not someone is "bandwagon" depends on how they act in the days, weeks, months following a letdown, not by how crazy they go during the game. A particular criticism may or may not be valid, but that's a separate issue from why some people act like troglodytes in response to a game not going "their" way.

[RacerX]

Hey Curly, I've got an idea. What don't you post in every thread about this and maybe start some more threads about it.

That'll be awesome.

[pott_2]

Also, why the hell is everything thing the ref's fault. I agree that we have had some "questionalble" go against us in the past few years. We lost a game. Note the we in the previous sentence. The refs did not take it away from us. We were outplayed and outcoached. Why all the excuses?

[Curly Bill]

Hey Curly, I've got an idea. What don't you post in every thread about this and maybe start some more threads about it.

That'll be awesome.

Thanks for your valuable input...might just take you up on it.

[SoonerFanatic]

The refs completely blew the Johnson TD...two hands on the ball and a foot in the end zone should equal touchdown, regarless of what happens after that. I was really surprised that play wasn't overturned.

But did anyone else notice how FAST they conducted that replay???

Who knows what would have happened if that catch had been ruled a TD. All I can say is that I would've liked to have had the opportunity to find out!

Also, bravo to the team for fighting back to within one score. That says a lot right there!

SF

[PhilTLL]

Also, why the hell is everything thing the ref's fault. I agree that we have had some "questionalble" go against us in the past few years. We lost a game. Note the we in the previous sentence. The refs did not take it away from us. We were outplayed and outcoached. Why all the excuses?

This was one of the few times I really felt the officiating was visibly, repeatedly awful. I realize English's absence was half our problem with QB pressure, but the other half was the constant and obvious TT holding, the calls for which came rarely--and the paranoid side of me notes when they did was usually when we couldn't use it on 3rd downs, long 2nd down incompletes, already-busted plays, et al.

S'what happens when a single coach in the conference is well-known for dissecting every call, missed call and near-call and never shutting the **** up about it - crews will err on the side of caution because they don't want the spotlight on them.

[Curly Bill]

Hey, quit stealing my thread to bag on the officials. I hate them as much as the next guy, and more then most, but they did not cost us this game!!!

[PhilTLL]

Hey, quit stealing my thread to bag on the officials. I hate them as much as the next guy, and more then most, but they did not cost us this game!!!

Of course they didn't, we should never have been behind and all that, but officiating was definitely the wasted frosting on our dropped cake of a game tonight.

[tulsaoilerfan]

It's the Big 12, we are the only team that gets called for holding; didn't you guys get that memo? ;)

[Ever]

Nuh uh, sorry. The very fact that people are making coherent and at least slightly informed arguments about the way things are going shows they're not bandwagon fans. Calling a game in the first quarter isn't being "bandwagon" either. Pessimistic, yes, but not bandwagon. The feel of a game is easy to predict - simply watch how the players react. If they feel like they're going to lose or that the game is getting away from them, then it can be perceived on TV.

Furthermore, I will not be lumped into the bandwagon category like a mere t-sipper because I watch enough to know when something isn't working. Bandwagon means I'm only interested when we're winning. I'm supportive of the good things and I condemn the bad. The defense scheme was bad tonight, just like it was bad a week ago against Baylor and against Tulsa.

The idea that these coaches and players are above reproach is what fosters clubs like TAMU. It's wrong, it's unhealthy, and ultimately kills a good program. You're welcome to accuse us of being quick on the trigger, but we am NOT riding a bandwagon when we don't kneel before the gods that stomp along the sideline or bestow commandments from the booth.

[sanantoniosooner]

raising a white flag in the first quarter/half is for wussies. I don't care if they are loyal wussies or not.

There should be a breathalyzer on some peoples keyboards.