We all have our favorite sports teams. Whether the sport be football, soccer, basketball, hockey, or baseball; we all have our favorites. Some teams are better than others, that’s always a given. But, it’s the teams that are truly awful that are the ones that are most fun to be fans of. Here’s a short list of why it’s the best experience. We’ll start with the most important reason.

1. NO BANDWAGONING.

No one likes a bandwagon fan. You know who they are. You can spot them from a mile away. They’re the ones who are die-hard fans of a certain team, but once another team starts performing better than that team, they’re magically fans of the new team. They are literally the worst type of fan. They’re obnoxious about who they’re “fans” of, and will constantly insist that they’ve always been a fan of that team. However, when you’re a fan of a bad sports team, you don’t have to worry about that. No one is jumping on the bandwagon to be a fan of a team that doesn’t play well. So you never have to deal with people claiming to be fans of your team, when you know they really aren’t.

2. If you find someone else who is a fan of your same team, you instantly form a bond.

Personally, I’m a Cleveland Browns fan. If I ever meet someone who is also a Browns fan, it’s like we’re instant best friends. You bond over the fact that you both like a team who stinks. And then, you form an even better bond because you’re fans of the same sucky team. It’s a perfect way to make new, lasting friends.

3. Victories actually mean a lot to you.

Victories mean something to every team’s fan. It’s a win! It’s a permanent record of the fact your team played better than the other team that game. It’s a time to be able to gloat about your team. However, when you’re a fan of a team that is awful, and you actually win a game; it’s huge. If a good team wins, it’s nice for them. They’re excited. But that’s the extent of it. If your team stinks, and you win; it’s amazing. You feel alive. You’re given a sliver of hope. It means much more to us than it does a fan of a good team.

4. The jokes about your team make you laugh; they don’t offend you.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told a joke about how bad the Cleveland Browns are, and genuinely laughed about it. They’re funny! They don’t offend me, because I know we stink. It’s not news to me. So, when someone posts a meme about how bad the Browns are to my Facebook wall, or tweet it to me; I laugh. Nine times out of ten, they’re hilariously accurate anyway. It’s hard to get offended by something that is accurate.

5. When you do win, you get to hate on the team who is actually good.

This one might be the best one. When your team actually wins against someone; you get to unleash all of the built-up gloating you’ve had to deal with from everyone else. You spend the whole week before the game thinking about the different things you might say. Ever seen the part of Kevin Hart’s stand-up where he talks about the one time his mom ever let him cuss, and he said just about every cuss word under the sun? That’s how we are. We let out everything. We bash on the team’s performance, the players themselves, and even the stupid mascot they have.

6. When you get to hate on a team, it actually offends the other person; which makes everything funnier for you.

This one goes along with #5. When you win against a good team, and you hate on their team, the other person gets mad. It’s hilarious to you, because you’re used to the trash-talk. You’re used to your team being called losers. But, when someone else’s team loses, they aren’t used to it. They don’t usually get called a loser, so they get offended. This makes you laugh because you’re somewhat surprised that they are actually taking you seriously. It’s even funnier because you can’t believe they can’t take what they dish out to other people.

7. You will never be called a bandwagon fan, when (if) your team gets good.

I can’t complete this article without coming back around, full circle. Bandwagon fans are one of the worst parts about sports. But, because you’re a fan of a bad team, you never have to deal with them. Not even when your team gets good, too. No one is going to call you out and say you’re a bandwagon fan, because you’ve been a fan for the long run. And everyone knows it. You’ve stuck by your team’s side through thick and thin. You’ve prepared for (and dreamed of) the day your team would finally make it big and be good. The day it comes, relish in the glory. Enjoy it while you can. You never know when the next good year may be.

All in all, being a fan of any team (good or bad) has its ups and downs. But, it’s the downs that makes being part of the fan-base so enjoyable. It’s the bad years that separate the genuine fans from the fake ones. And after the weeding out, you will be surrounded by true fans of your team; and what more could you ever ask for?