Nothing is worse than a bad breakup. And I’m not referring to relationships.
Professional sports teams tend to hold significant meaning to most fans. So, when the front office of a franchise decides to relocate to a new city, it is generally a devastating loss to the fan base.
The Oakland Raiders recently announced their relocation to Las Vegas, making them the third team in the National Football League to relocate since the start of 2016. The Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams have also relocated.
Although they will remain in Oakland for the next two seasons, there is still uncertainty on how many people will continue to support the Raiders franchise before and after the team moves to Sin City.
After all, I did compare the situation to an intimate relationship. Would you support your significant other knowing in two years they are going to leave you?
The passionate relationship between fan and team is interesting, because the feelings are far from reciprocated. Yet, people act so smitten toward their favorite team, one would have to question if they believe the relationship is one-sided.
Does a professional team’s owner consider how their franchise’s decisions are going to affect individual fans? Regardless, loyal fans will continue to treat their favorite team as they would their better half.
The first game of the year is like a first date. Fans sit around, waiting for game time, and maybe even try on every lucky shirt in the process. It’s a big deal, and just like a first date, the game will say a lot about how the next one will be.
If a team is winning, everything seems great, but if a team is losing, everything seems discouraging.
Numerous highs and lows inevitably occur throughout a season as well as a relationship, but the way one responds to adversity says a lot about that person.
There is, however, a major difference between coping with a handful losses and losing your favorite team to another city.
Truly loyal fans will support their team despite a losing record, but relocating a franchise has bigger implications. When a team relocates, there is always the possibility the team’s name and logo change, which happened to the Seattle Supersonics.
Completely removing a team’s name and logo is basically wiping away their history. Think about all the times you removed any trace of a relationship, after a bad breakup.
There is no denying that a fan has a valid reasoning for not supporting a team after relocating.
Relocation and relationships can be perceived as either betrayal or business.
Zack Ozuna can be reached at [email protected]