The Fan Preference Question

Last year, I posed a pretty interesting question to readers that I had heard on a generic sports radio station while driving, essentially wondering what type of team fans would prefer to root for or call their own. Only two choices were given and we got a slew of fantastic responses. The question, ultimately, is whether you would prefer to root for a team that would consistently win between 83-93 games over an eight-year stretch, making the playoffs quite a bit but never winning a championship, or a team that would win 1-2 championships in that same timespan but stink in the other 6-7 seasons, winning 72 or fewer games?

Really, this boils down to how much emphasis we place on both the regular season and the playoffs. Your fair weather fan or Average Joe is unlikely to care much about the regular season, making his answer obvious, but the more dedicated fans will often view 140+ games in a season. Heck, I know I’ve watched 95% of the Phillies games since 1999 and a slightly lower percentage the few post-strike seasons prior. It is very difficult to watch that many games for a crappy team while simultaneously staying interested. I know I sure struggled when the Phillies were throwing out Mike Grace, Carlton Loewer and Garret Stephenson.

My perspective on this question has shifted since a year ago, given the World Series title won by the Phillies last season. Back then, I was unsure of my answer, leaning towards the championship side strictly because I was yet to experience a championship in any sport. Having experienced it, though, without suggesting in any way that the feeling was less than great, I am now leaning towards the regular season team. I really do feel that watching a team with a .550+ winning percentage on a nightly basis, given how much I dedicate to the sport, would be my preference. The regular season lasts six months. The playoffs last about three weeks.

As important as those October games are, I love the grind of a regular season and being able to watch, and enjoy, games each night. If my team lost all the time, I fear that, even with my level of dedication, I might tune into other channels as the 6th and 7th innings rolled around. Then again, Braves fans can attest to the fact that winning all the time but failing in the playoffs can grow tiresome, which throws another wrench into these gears. Regardless, I’ll pose the question once more: do you care more about the regular season or the post-season? And would you prefer a team that wins 2 championships but goes 72-90 or worse in the other six seasons, or one that averages, say, 86-76 over that stretch, making the playoffs most of the seasons but never winning it all?