Can real fans root against their team?
October, 9, 2009
10/09/09
9:22
AM ET
By Tim Graham | ESPN.com
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
This might not be the best weekend for the Buffalo Bills to present owner Ralph Wilson with his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring.
Ugliness has been building among Bills fans, and after a morning of tailgating and 30 minutes of access to vendors and the concession stands, a potentially unruly crowd might greet Wilson with a rude reception in the stadium that bears his name.
But this event has been scheduled for halftime of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. Wilson better hope his woebegone team puts the fans in a gleeful mood.
Based on submissions to the AFC East mailbag and comments left at the bottom of various blog entries, Bills fans have gotten so sickened they're actually rooting against their favorite team.
They hope it will get them one step closer to a major housecleaning. Bills coach Dick Jauron is pulling down about a 3 percent in SportsNation's weekly NFL head coaches approval ratings.
Joe from Wichita, Kan., wrote: "I hope Buffalo loses the rest of its games this year, and here's why: 1) I can't take getting my hopes up anymore by this organization only to come crashing back to earth; 2) I want my pick of quarterbacks in the next draft; 3) Finishing 1-15 might be the only way to show Ralph that the organization that has had four years to get it right, got it very, very WRONG!"
JSBills5555 commented on a recent Bills blog: "I'm rooting for a Bills loss. Sadly, I would rather see them lose the rest of the games this season than play .500 ball and miss the playoffs again."
Boomer2304 also commented: "Most of us Bills fans are actually rooting for a loss because change is disgustingly necessary right now. ... I will be in attendance Sunday, and if the Bills win I will be crushed because I know it means we are certainly stuck with another season of the Jauron era."
Responding to Boomer2304, a reader with the handle mrlisham wrote: "Dude, I don't care how bad our coaches are or anything. How can you honestly sit there and hope the Bills lose? Be into the playoff picture later in the season is much more interesting to me than being out really early in the season. At least it gives me hope."
This type of feedback leads me to a philosophical question.
Can you, in good conscience, consider yourself a true fan yet want your team to lose?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.


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