Sports fans are a devoted bunch, win or lose. Millions sit in the wind and the cold, watching their team slip ever further from the playoffs—only to come back for more next year. What is it that keeps them going? This book, published just before the Cubs ended the longest active drought in pro sports, features more than 100 loyal followers of 23 teams who explain their reasons for never giving up. They tell stories of devotion and determination: the Toronto Maple Leafs fans who got married, on the ice, before a game; the Sacramento Kings supporters who fought to keep their team from leaving town; and the fans of Mississippi State football with their never-say-die cowbells. For these fans, optimism outweighs disappointment.

Greg Pearson is a writer and editor who has spent his career in newspapers. He lives in Perry Hall, Maryland.

Greg Pearson

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 264
Bibliographic Info: 66 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6679-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2730-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
Of Wrigley Field and Billy Goats: The Chicago Cubs 5
0 for 4: The Buffalo Bills 15
Brew City Blues: The Milwaukee Brewers 25
Honolulu Blue, Sweat and Tears: The Detroit Lions 36
Frozen Passion: The Toronto Maple Leafs 45
In the Valley of the Suns: The Phoenix Suns 56
J-E-T-S: The New York Jets 64
Rocky Mountain ­Not-So-High: The Denver Nuggets 72
Pain on Ice: The Vancouver Canucks 84
The Wildside: The Northwestern Wildcats 92
Fly Eagles Fly: The Philadelphia Eagles 102
Number 19: The San Diego Padres 113
Family Ties: The Kansas City Chiefs 123
More Cowbell: The Mississippi State Bulldogs 131
Land of Snow and Dreams: The Minnesota Vikings 141
Here We Stay: The Sacramento Kings 150
Hot Summer Nights: The Texas Rangers 161
The Ones That Got Away: The Atlanta Hawks 170
Showing Their Stripes: The Cincinnati Bengals 182
Shooting Stars: The Houston Astros 194
Cleveland Rocks: The Cleveland Browns, Etc. 204
Emerald City Ennui: The Seattle Mariners 213
New York State of Mind: The New York Knicks 227
Very Superstitious: Fans Do All They Can 236
Index 241