I guess that can be true depending on each person's definition of a fan. Some think their trips to the ticket office and to the store to load up on hats, shirts, flags and magnets earns that status. FOR ME you cannot buy FAN status anymore than you can buy patriot status. Fans, real fans, can become discouraged, can allow themselves to reduce their active involvement in gameday activities, avoid water cooler discussions by applying discretion to not double down and join in on their teams shortcomings and failures, even step away for a while from ANY sports involvement, but they cannot go to the ticket office and store and and transition into a REAL fan of another school. Become a fan and then go shopping or you are probably wasting more money.
A high percentage want to publicly dollarize their decision and that should be a clue too. Not sure value proposition is a factor to a real love for and commitment to a program. Loud and proud is good and a real fan indicator, loud and obnoxious not so much. I have had to sulk after losses, am saddened by all of them, but cannot cheap shot anybody in orange for failing in an honest attempt and have never considered sporting any color other than BIG ORANGE no matter where we are on the trend curve.
Christmas day one of my best gifts was a collection of some special hats acquired from the estate sale of a long time and obviously dedicated VOL.
