Like that monkey experiment where they put food on top of a ladder but every time someone tries to get the food everybody gets sprayed with cold water. When they stop trying to get food they take one monkey out and put a new one in who gets beaten up by the others when it tries to get the food. So they substitute in new monkeys until none of the originals are left but they still beat up anyone trying to get the food although they don't know why.
Pretty sure you just described like every sports team with a fanbase. The Football Team of Theseus.
49ers fans love to brag that the 49ers are among the teams with the most Super Bowl wins, but they haven’t gotten one in like 3 generations of players so you tell me, 49ers of Theseus. Do you have any Super Bowl wins?