Switching allegiances?

[Jer15]

I get that, the idea of not having a team locally but switching to them when you do get a team. 

 

For example, in MLS I followed LA until TFC came around. I'm sure you had something similar happen when Orlando joined MLS?

[Gary]

I have lived in the Phoenix area all my life. But born in Michigan. I wouldn't say switching allegiances, but a dual love for both teams. But I will never switch from my Detroit teams or the Michigan Wolverines. Even though I am a Arizona State graduate.

[kroywen]

2 hours ago, mr.negative15 said:

I get that, the idea of not having a team locally but switching to them when you do get a team. 

 

For example, in MLS I followed LA until TFC came around. I'm sure you had something similar happen when Orlando joined MLS?

 

I was largely apathetic about MLS until NYCFC came along. I always *wanted* to support American soccer, but just never felt a connection with any team. The New York Red Bulls never made any viable connection with New York City and never felt like a home team, and their name/corporate sponsorship honestly makes me sick.

 

I had some slight reservations about NYCFC's ties to Man City (as a United supporter), but they were far outweighed by the facts that a.) NYCFC clearly intended to represent New York City and did a magnificent job in connecting with New Yorkers who felt left out of MLS previously, and b.) are part-owned by the Yankees, which helps counterbalance the Man City connection somewhat. I found NYCFC to be a natural fit for me as a fan, in a way no other MLS team ever was or would have been.

[Jer15]

3 hours ago, Gary. said:

I have lived in the Phoenix area all my life. But born in Michigan. I wouldn't say switching allegiances, but a dual love for both teams. But I will never switch from my Detroit teams or the Michigan Wolverines. Even though I am a Arizona State graduate.

I have a feeling this is how my CFL fandom will end up, I'll probably end up just rotting for both teams. 

[PrimalCookie]

5 hours ago, mr.negative15 said:

I get that, the idea of not having a team locally but switching to them when you do get a team. 

 

For example, in MLS I followed LA until TFC came around. I'm sure you had something similar happen when Orlando joined MLS?

Actually, no. I followed OC in USL, and just casually followed the MLS. Then, when OC became a MLS team, I went with them. 

[Sykotyk]

I have three times of note.

 

The most notable and pertinent, was when the Browns left after the 95 season, I followed the Carolina Panthers. I have relatives down in North Carolina, and they were 'new' and without any sort of hatred of them. When the Browns returned, my fandom returned, though I still always cheer for the Panthers to some extent. Though, it's certainly diminished over time. Their loss to the Patriots was a tough blow. Their loss to the Broncos? Not so much.

 

However, the two other situations were:

 

Pittsburgh Penguins --> Columbus Blue Jackets

 

As a kid, I grew up watching games on TV, and we received local cable channel KBL, which was the Pittsburgh area channel and aired both Penguins and Pirates. We also received WUAB out of Cleveland, which aired Indians, Cavaliers, Lumerjacks (IHL), and Crunch (NPSL). So, my fandom was basically Indians and Penguins. I also, as a young kid, didn't realize how little followed indoor soccer was, since Crunch games were on regularly and looked like fun. The Lumberjacks were a similar situation. I remember seeing games against Houston, etc, and thinking they were 'almost the NHL'. Though, that quickly fell apart in their attempt to compete against the NHL.

 

But, as I grew older, the Cleveland/Pittsburgh rivalry started making cheering for the Penguins more and more unpalatable. With the Blue Jackets, Ohio finally had a team, but they weren't ever on television where I lived. Even now, we receive STO and FSN Ohio, but the Blue Jackets games aren't generally shown. When they are, it's on Local Access standard-def airing the Columbus feed of FSN Ohio. But, it became much easier to watch and follow the Jackets and it's been at least a decade since I last cheered for the Penguins in any game. Part of it is easier that every player of that time is gone. Wregett, Jagr, Francis, Tugnutt, etc. These current Penguins just aren't the same team I remember.

 

 

Chicago Bulls --> Cleveland Cavaliers

 

Basketball is one of my least watched team sports. I'll watch March Madness. But, generally, even with the Cavaliers success since LeBron James, I very rarely watch games. In fact, I'm watching NHL games instead of Cavaliers games despite no real dog in the fight in the NHL. The only reason I really watched NBA was Michael Jordan. The news he was 'returning to basketball' had flooded the news, so I watched his first game at Indiana. And as many as I could because of how 'great' he was said to be. And watched as the trio of Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman and 72-10, etc. Three-peat, etc. Once he retired again. My interest in basketball had fallen to nil.

 

Cavs games were still on, so if there wasn't an Indians game or a Hockey game, then I'd watch on WUAB or then FSN Ohio. Even at the start of LeBron's time, I still wasn't a fan. And really am not a fan now. I cheer for Cleveland. Them winning is good for the city and fan base. But, it's just not exciting. Watching them win the title last year was about as exciting as seeing Columbus Crew win the MLS Cup a few years ago. Fun, exciting, enjoyable, but just 'meh'. The three Indians World Series losses in 95, 97, and '16 were taken much harder and would have been Earth-shattering had they won. Even that loss to the Cubs after the 2-run home run.... I still think about. And we're into the next season already.

[Jer15]

On 5/19/2017 at 6:21 PM, Magic Dynasty said:

Actually, no. I followed OC in USL, and just casually followed the MLS. Then, when OC became a MLS team, I went with them. 

Fair enough. 

[winters in buffalo]

Not so much at the team level... but I've shifted allegiance to sports over time. MLB has almost completely fallen off my radar (I was a Giants fan in my younger days), while soccer has emerged as my #2 behind hockey over the past few years.  I say MLB specifically, because I still enjoy attending minor league games. 

[Krz]

Switched from teams my dad hated (pistons, heat) this was the early 2000's, to my actual hometown team (mavs)

[tBBP]

On 5/17/2017 at 6:54 PM, Gothamite said:

Fandom is an emotional thing, not logical.  Its like falling in love - the spark is there or it isn't.  You can't force it.

 

If you fall out of love with your long-distance childhood sweetheart, there's no shame in starting a relationship in your new town.  Sometimes it's okay to get a divorce and move on. 

The irony is...this may be about the most logical explanation of an otherwise illogical situation anyone's yet to come up with. So kudos on that one.

 

And I'd say this very thing is what's been going on with me in more recent years, with all the bouncing around I've done.

 

Being born and bred in northwest Florida, naturally I was attracted to in-state teams. In the case of Florida State football and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was more a blood-tie than anything. (Some of y'all know I have a cousin whose now in both teams' halls of fame.) Once the Jacksonville Jaguars came along they became my team B a/ because they were closer in state than the Dolphins and b/ I loved (and miss dearly) their color scheme, logos, and 1st- and 2nd-generation uniforms). I held onto that even during my six years living up in Pittsburgh, and although I do love me some black and yellow (yellow happens to be my favorite color), Steeler Nation never could convert me (though I had much Steeler gear).

 

An odd thing started happening, though, around 2010 or so: that was about time I felt my fandom for the Jaguars fading. Much of that had to do with me landing in Indiana at the time and finding myself near-instantly assimilated as a Colts fan (even while holding onto my Florida roots). They were just an easy team to like--no air of pretention, weren't spoiled with championship success, and of course I was drawn, now that I had a front-row seat, to the beautiful simplicity of their colors and uniforms. That Colts fandom of the past few years has only just now began to yield way to the burgeoning Tennessee Titan fan in me, now that i reside down here in Nashville--and I found that out this past season as, for the first time in a while, I found myself fully invested in a team's full NFL season, in this case the Titans. Even went to one of their games. As for Tampa, the Greg Schiano regime really helped torpedo what Buccaneer fandom I had left in me; the rebranding into the Tampa Bay Alarm Clocks officially killed it. (Now if Tampa were to either revive their previous set or fulfill my mini-dream of returning to the creamsicle orange, I can't promise I might not jump back on that train. )

 

Now, I don't see myself ever renouncing my Florida State Seminoles, but if I did, I can already tell I'd go full-bore Sooie Pig due to the little Razorback fan rising in me (probably due to my job--for most of the past year I've run overnight trips once a month out there canvassing Arkansas...they been working on me out there in Little Rock, Searcy (especially, which has almost become my home-away-from home on those overnighters), and up there in Jonesboro. And, like Indy, I can't even explain the draw; it just seems easy. (And lately I've discovered--and so has my Gator-fan wife--quite the collection of Razorback fan gear in my closet, so...)