Interesting article in the NY Times on this topic. I have only been a fan of QPR for 6 years, so I have had a roller coaster ride of emotions in a short time. This year I have only been able to see 4 games in the US so most of my allegiance has been in following LFW.
Most fans are fair weather fans who lose interest when the team begins to lose. QPR fans show allegiance through good & bad times, and we have had too much of the later.
The term for this type of loyalty to a losing team is BIRFing or Basking in Reflected Failure. These fans start to wear their loyalty as a badge of honor, and develop strong ties to other loyal fans on this site.
The article goes on to state that the camaraderie of losing actually supersedes the sanctity of winning.
The game against Hull was a perfect example of this. Totally frustrating & a real emotional kick in the gut. However, having LFW as a place to vent with other BIRFers takes some of the pain out of losing.
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