Hipster 12s Need Not Apply

I've seen a lot of talk about bandwagon fans on social media this season and its reached a fever pitch the past few days. It typically comes by way of people who feel they've stuck by this team through the lean years and how they're somehow put off by the insurgence of Seahawks swag that's descended upon the people around Seattle.

I'm here to tell those people to get over themselves.

First off-- it's entirely possible that the vast majority of these hipster-12s are among the very same people who bitch incessantly about how the Seahawks get no respect from the national media.  Evidently, these people want only those of us who have notched 10+ seasons of fandom under our belts to support the team while simultaneously expecting the media to cater to this niche group.

I'm afraid you can't have it both ways.

Besides, who really cares when or how someone became a fan? Why do you think the Steelers are so beloved nationwide?  Its because the Steelers' dynasty of the 1970s, coupled with the fact that no one in their right mind wants to reside in Pittsburgh, created legions of black and yellow fans that dispersed throughout the country. 

Football discussion moves to the forefront of the national conversation this time of the year. People who may never have previously experienced football might just now be getting their first taste of the NFL.  No matter where they're from, if you can't fathom the appeal of the group of characters on this year's team-- maybe you're not such a fan after all.

I was a musician for many years, where this attitude is surprisingly far more prevalent, and the territorial don't-like-what-I-like attitude was always frustrating to me. Maybe because, in sports, your enemies are more clearly defined. Maybe the inherent need for competition becomes intertwined with our passion for art and the only way to satisfy those coexisting needs is to be exclusionary.  Hell, I don't really know.

I say, the more fans, the merrier.  The more fans, the LOUDER.  The more fans, the more media coverage. I fail to see any detriment to growing our fan base.  For those of you who have been on this wagon for a long time-- its your obligation to show the new 12s how we do it.  If you're new to this here bandwagon, let me be the first to welcome you aboard!