Kansas City Royals: Bad Start Bringing Out the Worst In Fans

They say winning cures everything, but what are the effects of losing? So far, discord over how to be a fan is the front runner among Kansas City Royals fans. It’s been a real bad time for the fanbase to say the least.

The Kansas City Royals have gotten off to a very slow start to the 2017 season. So far, they seem stuck in a nightmarish reenactment of the film Groundhog’s Day. The starting pitching is lights out, the Royals can’t buy a base hit, stars like Eric Hosmer ground out weakly to second base, and the bullpen eventually gives in just enough to allow a one run lead to which the Royals can’t overcome.

While that’s been the story most of the season, the wheels really fell off on Monday night in Chicago, as everything fell apart. Jason Vargas labored through five innings, the defense made an error that cost a run, Peter Moylan got blown up, and yes, an abysmal offense persisted throughout.

While the talk of a successful 2017 has become less and less frequent among the Kansas City Royals fans, that game completely sent some people over the edge.

I’m not talking about the armchair manager who always knows best (a role I’ve played often, but that’s a whole other story). I’m talking about the fans completely abandoning a critique of a play or a decision, and instead turning on each other and the team as a whole.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen ‘true fans’ defined in a number of ways. To some, it means having always been a fan of the Kansas City Royals. To others, it means being a fan of the game itself and appreciate the Royals for what they were. Everyone’s definition is created out of the pride they have in themselves as a fan.