10 years ago, being a fan of the soccer team FC Barcelona was extremely common. Why wouldn't it be? They were a team with 11 of the most famous names in the sport, including a star player of our generation, Lionel Messi. The famous players, combined with the multiple trophies they won every year, meant that it was an easy team to follow as a fan. More importantly, it was an easy team to like, even if you didn't necessarily consider yourself a "fan." I personally saw many of my friends jump on the bandwagon of success when things were going right for Barcelona. It seemed like they had all forgotten about the loyalty they had to their own teams, only because it meant they would feel more joy from rooting on a very successful one.

But what about in 2019? A lot of those same people are now supporting the new best team in the sport, some abandoning any teams they have supported in the past. While I do respect the right to watch and enjoy the game in any way you see fit, there is something to be said about the two different feelings you can get from being a fan. There is the feeling of being loyal to your team, and the feeling of being a glory hunter. A feeling that you never experience if you are on the bandwagon, is the feeling of struggle.

Struggle is one of the major feelings that us fans experience while supporting Barcelona in 2019. Watching them lose to teams vastly inferior them, make poor financial decisions, and win a trophy only once in a blue moon really puts a negative impact on our emotions within the fandom. But all the negatives that come from supporting a team when they are playing poorly, is easily out-shined by the feeling you get when your team makes it back to the top. FC Barcelona causes a lot of angst amongst us fans, but overall, being a fan is such a great ride, I can see why so many people hop on for it.