Popular Post Uncle Buck Posted January 15, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted January 15, 2021 (edited) First of all, I apologize for the book-like length of this post. My reason for writing it is because a lot of you have noticed that I've been galavanting around the site sporting Jacksonville Jaguars regalia so I figured I should probably create a thread to explain my motivations and discuss it all here, rather than hijacking threads all over the rest of the site. I thought it might also be a good topic of discussion for other people to think about. It all started when I found a hat just like my old one that is lined with 100% imitation jaguar fur. It's very warm, fits my head perfectly, and feels great to wear. It still has a tendency to make a lot of people very angry like the old one did, though. I'm not sure why. As you can see in the picture below, I do still have the same car I've been driving for years. I will NEVER sell that cream puff! Anyway, as a lot of you know, I was a long-time fan of the Minnesota Vikings. I actually celebrated my 50th anniversary of fandom with them this past year. Being one of the "ancients" on the site (as Vike Daddy refers to us) I can actually remember watching the 1969 Vikings playing in Super Bowl IV against Hank Stram and his Kansas City Chiefs! A lot of water has passed under the bridge since that day. As football fans, we all travel a journey with our chosen team. Some roads are more enjoyable than others, but they are all rewarding in their own way or we wouldn't be on this site. As a fan of the Vikings, the road I've traveled with my fellow Vikings fans has had a lot of hills and a lot of valleys. That's all well and good, but what started to wear on me over the years is that those hills never reached the mountain top. They have been a franchise since 1961 and they STILL haven't figured out how to put it all together even one time during that period. To give credit where credit is due, the Vikings are actually one of the most successful teams in the league when it comes to wins/losses and playoff appearances. Their fans have a LOT to be proud of. They have a lot of players in the Hall of Fame, and have teams that a lot of us will remember for a long time for being very competitive and fun to watch. One interesting team stat is that they recently broke the record as the team with the most playoff losses in the Super Bowl era with 30. While that sounds like a bad statistic, it also means that at least they have been IN the playoffs 30 times in the last 60 years. That's darn good. I know there are fans of teams who haven't even made the playoffs in years who will say "what are you complaining about, Buck? Look at my team!" It's hard to argue with them, and I can certainly understand their pain. At the same time, my journey as a Vikings fan has just provided a different kind of pain, with admittedly, a lot more fun days along the way than others may have had. It's hard to explain, but after that playoff loss in 2017, it finally just got to the point where cheering for the Vikings became more of a chore than something that I always used to enjoy. I began to resent spending FIFTY YEARS putting my energy and emotion into a team that was never anything more than a team that other organizations beat on their way to a Super Bowl win. If they had won even a single championship, I would be fine with that and would keep soldiering on for the next one. As it is though, it has almost become like a weight that I have to carry around. I'm tired of it. Tired of trying to argue with other Minnesota sports fans who constantly say "they will never win one." I'm tired of arguing with fans of other franchises who haven't had near as many good players and teams as the Vikings have had over the years, but who just happened to win one. Another sobering thought is the experience of my dad. He has been a fan of the team since their inception back in 1961. He used to get dressed up in a snowmobile suit and head out to games at Metropolitan Stadium in subzero weather with a hot thermos of coffee to keep warm while watching the Purple People Eaters. It has also been our long-time custom to get together and watch the Vikings every Sunday on TV. That has provided me with memories I will always cherish. The sad part of that is that it has become apparent that, barring some kind of miracle, his 60 years of loyalty will never be rewarded with the thrill of seeing his team win a Super Bowl. Seeing his disappointment after the playoff loss in 2017 really started to make me resent the organization. To try and shorten up what has become far too long of a post already, I will let it suffice to say that my feelings for the Vikings have faded in a way that is not unlike a married couple who has been married for a long time and the love has just left the relationship. I was just going through the motions because it's what I always did. It was time for a change of scenery. It was something I thought about for almost two years. Since I plan on retiring down to the one of the southeast states, I figured I would try to identify one of those teams and make them my new sports interest. As it turned out, the timing was such that the Jaguars were doing what I have been wanting the Vikings do - namely, going through a total rebuild. They shipped out a lot of older, high-priced players, and started over with a young group. They went through a brutal 1-15 season, but now, at least they have potential. They will go into next season with a franchise QB, a new head coach and GM, and a huge number of new players. It was a good time to start with them since they were at the bottom. Maybe it will pay off for them, or maybe it will all fizzle out and they will be back at square one. I'm OK with that. At least it will be a change of scenery that doesn't require me to carry around 50 years of baggage. Here is my justification for going to another team. People may say "you aren't a very loyal fan if you desert your team." To that, I can only say that I feel like I gave that franchise FIFTY years. In a league where there are only 32 teams (and for many years there were fewer than that) have the Vikings really earned my loyalty moving forward if they can't win a single Super Bowl during that time? What do you think? Am I justified in changing teams, or am I a lousy fan who has no real loyalty? Edited January 15, 2021 by Uncle Buck 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SalvadorsDeli Posted January 15, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted January 15, 2021 31 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted January 15, 2021 Author Share Posted January 15, 2021 3 minutes ago, SalvadorsDeli said: I only took the time to write it to answer some questions for those who are interested. If you don't want to read it, I'm not losing any sleep over it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalvadorsDeli Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Uncle Buck said: I only took the time to write it to answer some questions for those who are interested. If you don't want to read it, I'm not losing any sleep over it. Lol I'm just kidding big guy. In all honesty I'm not gonna read your whole explanation because I don't think the particulars really matters. It's obviously a little strange to switch fandom and on a board like this where we've all gotten pretty used to each over the years other it may feel especially strange, but life's too short and if rooting for the Jaguars makes you happier then honestly who really cares, just do it. No one's gonna consider you the most legit Jags fan in the world, whatever that may entail, and you're obviously not the most loyal Vikings guy in the world, but again... if it makes your Sundays better, then you're coming out a winner. Edited January 15, 2021 by SalvadorsDeli 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWil23 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Browns fan here. No 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyld Stallyns Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 As a member of this forum who roots for 2 teams, I say, why not both? As you are switching from one of my teams division rivals to my other teams division rival. I say, we are now mortal enemies. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49erurtaza Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 You should at least pick a team that will win a championship soon lol jk do you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notthatbluestuff Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 It is of course up to you what you do but I have to question how much, if anything, a Jags Super Bowl win would really mean to you? It might be fun for you to be on the winning side for once, but ultimately it would probably feel pretty hollow if all you did was simply switch teams to have a better chance at winning. Hence, I'd never switch teams. I know you claimed that it's purely coincidental timing that the Jags happen to be going through a total rebuild with extremely talented players coming in, but really that's the reason you chose them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titansfan_13 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Who cares if it's "kosher?" As long as you'll be happy doing it, that's all that matters. I don't think that I could ever switch, but I'm only about 20 years into my frustration 😂 And I would wager you wouldn't have ever thought you could switch 30 years ago either. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted January 15, 2021 Author Share Posted January 15, 2021 9 minutes ago, notthatbluestuff said: It is of course up to you what you do but I have to question how much, if anything, a Jags Super Bowl win would really mean to you? It might be fun for you to be on the winning side for once, but ultimately it would probably feel pretty hollow if all you did was simply switch teams to have a better chance at winning. Hence, I'd never switch teams. I know you claimed that it's purely coincidental timing that the Jags happen to be going through a total rebuild with extremely talented players coming in, but really that's the reason you chose them. I can understand what you're saying. It wouldn't be as exciting if the Jags win one in the next 5 years as it would have been if the Vikings won one in the last 5. Winning a Super Bowl isn't the be all and end all for me. I just got tired of always being on the short end of things. If the Jags continue to be lousy for the next 10 years, so be it. I'll still be cheering for them. You are right that I didn't just throw a dart at a board and choose the Jags. It was actually a number of reasons that all seemed to come together so I decided it was a good time to jump into their boat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted January 15, 2021 Author Share Posted January 15, 2021 Just now, Titansfan_13 said: Who cares if it's "kosher?" As long as you'll be happy doing it, that's all that matters. I don't think that I could ever switch, but I'm only about 20 years into my frustration 😂 And I would wager you wouldn't have ever thought you could switch 30 years ago either. You're right. 30 years ago I had no intention of changing teams. The reason for making the thread was mainly to let people know that I had changed teams, so I didn't keep hijacking other threads talking about it. I also thought it might be something interesting for people to discuss because there may be fans of other teams who are in a situation where they have lost their passion for the game. That's where I've gotten with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They have been so bad for so long that I have quit caring about the NBA. One nice thing I've found in changing to the Jaguars is that my interest in the NFL has really been given a boost with the change of scenery. It wouldn't be surprising if there were others out there who are stuck cheering for teams that haven't given their fans much of a reason to be interested anymore. If there is anyone out there whose interest in the game is leaving you, try getting interested in another team. A fresh situation might make the sport a lot more fun. It has for me so far. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET80 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Ultimately... do you. Who cares what others say, it's your passion. As someone who is probably done with his primary team, I'm probably going to go a different route and stop watching football as a fan of a specific team. I'm always going to be a football fan, so I'll derive enjoyment from any team - be it the Cowboys, Saints, Titans, Jaguars - whoever, I love football and will watch and dive into it from all angles. But, as far as finding another team to devote? I can't. What I had with the McNair's franchise was sacred - I can't replicate that anywhere, I can't fake that passion somewhere else. If you can replace teams in your fandom, good for you - I actually envy you. I simply couldn't do it, but that doesn't mean it's not good. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodjahs12 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Frowned upon but ultimately one less Vikings fan is good for the world so this is an exception 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
childofpudding Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 It's like switching from Burger King to McDonald's - it's **** either way 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwny Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Do what makes you happy. If you were in a terrible relationship that wasn’t leaving you happy, people wouldn’t call you a terrible person for leaving that. But for some reason it’s an issue when it’s a sports team. As a general rule, I just think it’s important to respect the team and fan base that’s been there through all of the ups and downs. When I moved to Chicago, I picked up watching the Blackhawks (I had passively paid attention to the Red Wings prior, but never really got into hockey) and the success they had at the time and the title they won was treated wholly different by me than the success and title that the Cubs won, as I had been a fan of them for my whole life. As a lifelong Jaguars fan, I can tell you that the suffering we’ve gone through for the last 20 years far exceeds that of a team that makes the playoffs every other year and plays competitive football most every week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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