FanPost

This bandwagon's getting pretty full...

Hi y'all! Been a fan of this site for a few years, but never really posted much. Anyway, I (like many of you) have been a Knick fan for years. I'm too young to remember a lot about the Ewing-era Knicks (I was born in 1990), but kept watching as a teen, with Marbury and Isiah's raping of our beloved team (and glimmers of hope in the last few years). Through all those years, when I've mentioned I was a fan, I got indifference and the occasional, "Oh...they really suck" comments. Fastward to Donnie dismantling and rebuilding the team to today and...We're good. And, maybe even more importantly, we're exciting.

When we got A'mare, people that I didn't usually talk basketball with were excited. Even non-fans had heard that this A'mare guy (though of course not Lebron) was a pretty good player (though I had to convince some people that...lol). Now we got Melo and I just read that this is the highest rated Knick game since MJ's dropped 55 at the Garden 16 years ago...holy shit.

Case in point: Today, before class, I mentioned to a classmate that, instead of doing the religion reading, I watched the Knick game. He was disappointed that he missed Melo's Knick debut. When I asked him if he was a fan, he admitted he only started following them casually this season. But he was still excited and wanted to know when they played next.

I know some of you feel like, because these people didn't have to (or want to) watch Duhon and Eddy Curry try and not suck, they're bad for our fiercely loyal fanbase. But I kind of like it. As long as they don't pretend that they've been fans "forever," I think it's great. This is so exciting, especially for people with NY roots (no offense to other fans though). I like other people having watched "the game" last night and chitchatting with them about it. I love the excitement and enthusiasm associated with the team.

Look at the Lakers...they've been continuously good for such a long time that their fans are a bit spoiled. Of course they have bandwagoners. But, when the Lakers suck again, I bet a good chunk of those fans stay loyal will stick with the team. Hell, even the Cavs still have some fans! Let's face it: losses and bad trades don't gain fans. They often lose them. I really think it's time for the Knicks to again (finally!) be "New York's team." And that comes with bandwagoners. But, after being drawn in, they become our fellow Knick fans, and hopefully some are here to stay.

So let's embrace the fact that the bandwagon is getting full because we have two superstars and a lot of buzz. Hey, it's better than losing! And when we talk about our fanhood, we can always subtly brag about how we've watched pre-A'mare/Melo, back when all we had was hope and heartbreak.