It’s funny how time changes things. We remember the 2000 Super Bowl when the upstart Patriots beat the supposedly unstoppable St. Louis Rams. Oh man, what a feel-good story that was. Now, eight years later, and the same quarterback and coach on the verge of a perfect season and that feel good squad now has all the love and support of the nation that the Empire had from the Rebellion. So is this drop in support a reflection of the team… or the fans?

Between the successes of the Red Sox, Patriots and (this year) the Celtics, it may be that the team’s fans have become too cocky, swinging the pendulum from lovable losers (Bill Buckner, et al) to “those fans” wearing pink hats and faux championship rings. And as we’ve seen with movies about high school, the nerds who get popular too fast always lose their identities along the way (and totally forget that before their run, they sucked).

Indeed, success can demand some emotional recalibration. Sports columnists for The Boston Globe, who for decades could charitably be described as dyspeptic, now must scrounge for material. And even Champagne loses its allure in six-packs.

Wearing a Red Sox cap or a Patriots jersey no longer identifies citizens as connoisseurs of pain, lovable Charlie Browns to New York’s success-swiping Lucy. Boston’s little garage bands have made it big, and the victory parades are crowded with bandwagons.

So would you rather follow a team whose fan base was loved for losing, or hated for winning? And do we feel bad for teams like the Yankees, Manchester United and now the Patriots, who will be loathed by their non-fan base regardless of their winning percentage?

An Uncommon Wealth of Success Hits Boston [NY Times]
Image [deadspin]