Now that my hometown (Seattle) has an NHL team of its own, should I stop rooting for these two other teams (explanation included)?

[johnnysama]

Hi, all. Before we go any further, let me explain the sitch I'm in. I live in the Seattle area, and for a long time, I've had to make two with cheering for two different teams (before the arrival of the soon-to-be-coming Seattle Kraken- BTW, I have dreamed of the NHL coming to Seattle since 2006!), and I will explain why.

 

I like both the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. The former, because up until now, they were the closest NHL team to Seattle. The latter, I needed a favorite U.S.-based team to cheer for.

 

So, what do I do now? This has me in a bit of a quandary. Devote myself to the Seattle Kraken, or keep one team, but cheer for the Kraken? (BTW, I have nothing but love and respect for both Canada and Los Angeles). Thanks!

[Wade Heidt]

This is a difficult situation.  I have always loved my hometown teams and remain loyal. 

 

Though I like some teams more than others I cannot get on board with being a huge fan for teams elsewhere.  Though I live in Vancouver now, I lived basically the other half of my life to this point in Regina.  So when it comes to CFL, junior hockey, university sports - I still am a loyal fan of the teams from Regina.  That will never change.  

 

However, for sports that we did not have back there that have teams in Vancouver, I have grown into a big fan of my new hometown teams (except not the Grizzlies anymore because it does not even feel like the same team).  So love teams in my city such as the Whitecaps and Canadians but could never be a BC Lions or Vancouver Giants fan.  It seems confusing but feels right to me.

 

So you know what my answer is Johnny.  You must stay a Canucks fan!  Blue and green for life! 

 

Do what feels right, see how it goes.  You will probably really like the Kraken as time continues.  A team destined to become a huge rival for the Canucks.

 

 

[Dynasty]

It's arguable to say that you "choose" your favorite teams. For my teams, I either had connections via family or I simply grew to like them. I can't tell you who to root for, so honestly, I would just see what happens. You may grow to like the Kraken, you may lose interest in the others, or you may like all of them. Though considering the expected rivalry between Vancouver and Seattle, you might have to side with only one of them idk. Like what was mentioned in the above post, if it feels right to you then go with it. 

[sportsfan7]

Personally, I've always had multiple favorite teams (My hometown and where my family is from). However, there is no question which team is "more favorite" i.e. who I root for when they play each other, and they aren't rivals, so there haven't been many issues (In my lifetime, there has been one playoff series between the NHL teams and 1 playoff meeting between the NFL ones). I do think that being a Canucklehead and a Krakhead (This really got set up nicely) may be a problem, since this could become a rivalry. Ultimately, its more about your gut-feeling and who you start to follow more once the Kraken take the ice.

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

There's nothing wrong with having a second and third team. You can continue to like both the Canucks and the Kings, with the condition that you root for Seattle first.

 

Before I retired from active baseball fandom, I rooted for the Yankees. But the A's, who in my formative years had been so entertaining, so well dressed, and so gloriously mustachioed, were my second team. Then when the Blue Jays came out, their logo and their lettering were just so beautiful (not to mention that they had the good sense to employ the mighty Richard Aldo Cerone); so I took to them, as well. Finally, my love of New York baseball history drew me to the Giants as the team to root for in the National League.

 

For years I alternated amongst the caps of those four teams, and no other caps. The only restriction was that I would not wear the A's cap or the Blue Jays cap on days that those teams were playing the Yankees. Well, one day in around 1989, I slipped up. I left my apartment wearing my A's cap, and realised only upon arrival at the subway that the Yankees and A's were about to begin a series. So I walked back home and changed my cap, and accepted being late for work that day.

 

Anyway, as long as you can keep the schedule straight, you can manage rooting for secondary teams alongside your top team, even if they are in the same division.

 

[BBTV]

On 7/24/2020 at 11:44 PM, Wade Heidt said:

Blue and green for life! 

'

More like:

 

Blue and green for 10 years!  Then Red, yellow, and orange for five!  Then navy and crimson for a few! 

[Wade Heidt]

16 minutes ago, BringBackTheVet said:

'

More like:

 

Blue and green for 10 years!  Then Red, yellow, and orange for five!  Then navy and crimson for a few! 

 

True.  Us Canuck fans have the luxury of different fashion options when sporting Canucks gear.  Has been blue and green the last 13 years and I think (hope) it will remain that way.  Can wear different colours when wearing alternate throwbacks.    I think the Canucks want to keep a consistent look now instead of being the poster child for a team that radically changes uniforms like in the past.

[Sport]

I went through the same situation and might be able to help. Granted, I was a kid at the time so this may be a little different than how you feel with the Kraken. In 1997 I was 10 years old and living in Columbus, Ohio. At the time I loved the Colorado Avalanche, hated the Red Wings, and pulled for teams I thought had cool uniforms, which were the Panthers, Sharks, Mighty Ducks, Coyotes, and Sabres. When they announced that Columbus was going to be getting an NHL team it felt like they were meant specifically for me. I immediately dropped any and all allegiances and was a diehard Columbus NHL and then later Blue Jackets fan. The Avalanche are just another team on the schedule for me. 

 

Some people I know who were adults back in 2000 seemed to maintain some allegiance to their old teams, usually Penguins, Blackhawks, or Red Wings fans being that those 3 were closest to Central Ohio. They'd cheer for the Jackets, buy gear and season tickets, and then wear a Lemieux jersey whenever the Penguins came to town. I guess there's nothing wrong with that, but always felt weird to support the home team and then pull for their rival. Me personally, I'd go all-in one way or the other. 

 

 

 

[CaliforniaGlowin]

I like the Kings and Sharks and now Kraken.  I don't care about rivalries. If you like who you like, no reason to stop.

[Fitzy0220]

I have been both a Penguins and Islanders fan since my first Pens game 3/2/80 (was 6). Some people whine and cry and :censored: and moan and say You can't do that because:
-  They are Division Rivals (so what)
- Who are you Loyal to when they both Play each other (Pens of course)
this one is funny to me  considering all the people that are Fantasy Sports Geek Nerds that have zero problems rooting for Individual Players playing against their Team or rooting for an Opposing Defense playing against their Team but have issues with me being a fan of both the Pens and Isles.
So it's perfectly ok to root for the Steelers but also root for Drew Brees to put up 400 passing yards against the Steelers because he's my fantasy League QB but somehow I'm not allowed to root for the Pens to beat the Isles in a 0-0 game that goes to a shoot out??
What's even funnier is that while I was in the Navy, stationed at N.A.S Norfolk Va, I became a Baltimore Orioles fan (Cal Ripken Jr and Brady Anderson), yet because the Succos (Pirates) are so bad, not one yinzer, not any other Baseball fan, questioned why I was an Orioles fan (back in the '90s)

Islanders RW Mike Bossy is the Reason I wore #22 and played RW (I'm a left hand shot though). I was ecstatic when the Pens picked up Isles Center Bryan Trottier

To me, it's ok to be a Fan of other Teams, especially IF that other Team holds some heartfelt meaning to you.

 

[Glover]

I am from Cleveland and cheer for all the Cleveland teams. Love my city and am proud to call myself a Clevelander. Cleveland doesn't have an NHL team, so I am a Hurricanes fan because I lived in the Raleigh area for a while as a kid. I've often wrestled with the hypothetical "what if Cleveland got an NHL team?" question. I don't think this situation will ever become reality for me since Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Detroit all having teams close by. But I can only imagine being in your shoes and going back and forth on who to cheer for. 

 

I've been a Hurricanes fan since 2001 when I was 9 and stuck with them since. I've been with this team through the ultimate highs of winning a Stanley Cup, and the ultimate lows of a nine-year playoff drought. It would be very very difficult for me to just walk away from almost 20 years of fandom. I think I would just have two favorite teams, and I see no reason you can't be a fan of two or even three teams. In the end maybe your focus will begin to lean towards one team and your interest in the others will fade. Nothing wrong with that either, each of us have different emotional connections to teams for different reasons. 

 

[DCarp1231]

I think in your situation because your fandom is seemingly so fluid, it wouldn’t make sense to completely stop liking LA & Vancouver. Right now, I’d say LA, Vancouver, and Seattle are 1A, 1B, & 1C to you. It may take a couple years but I think you’ll eventually find a full fledged #1.

 

There’s also the side of it where just because a brand new team is in your city, it doesn’t mean you need to like them out of necessity.

[Maroon]

I've long believed that nobody can tell another person how to be a fan or what makes up a "true" fan. Everyone likes the teams or players they like for their own reasons. I knew a guy who was a NY Jets, Miami Heat, and St. Louis Cardinals fan and he had both geographical and non-geographical reasons for each team. And none of those reasons were less legitimate than another. As others have said, it really is just up to how you feel. And sometimes your emotions can end up going against what you cognitively think the rational decision should be. You could think you want to be a Kraken fan, but find yourself still drawn more to Vancouver. Or maybe the local passion and fervor for local NHL hockey inspires you to become emotionally drawn to the Kraken above all else. You also could be someone who is comfortable balancing fandom for multiple NHL teams considering that's already what you've been doing.

 

But at least from my perspective I guess it really depends on how passionately you've been tied to your Vancouver and LA fanhood. If you've lived and died with them based off success or failure in the past, I'd think it would be difficult to separate yourself entirely from those memories and feelings. If NHL hockey has been more of just a way to entertain yourself with some rooting interests and you find it easy to sever yourself from those teams, then it could be more rational to go along with the more local team.

 

 

[AnPheitseog]

So, I live in NOVAish and like many people that live here, I'm not from here.

 

I cheer for the nats and would call myself a passing fan of them, despite my other stronger allegiances. The day I leave here? I honestly wont care about them anymore, and I know that. Same with the Wizards. If I happen to move to another MLB/NBA market i'll end up replacing them with whatever team is in said market, but I'll still be strong with my primary allegiances.

[Brian in Boston]

On 7/24/2020 at 7:56 PM, johnnysama said:

Hi, all. Before we go any further, let me explain the sitch I'm in. I live in the Seattle area, and for a long time, I've had to make two with cheering for two different teams (before the arrival of the soon-to-be-coming Seattle Kraken- BTW, I have dreamed of the NHL coming to Seattle since 2006!), and I will explain why.

 

I like both the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. The former, because up until now, they were the closest NHL team to Seattle. The latter, I needed a favorite U.S.-based team to cheer for.

 

So, what do I do now? This has me in a bit of a quandary. Devote myself to the Seattle Kraken, or keep one team, but cheer for the Kraken? (BTW, I have nothing but love and respect for both Canada and Los Angeles). Thanks!

From a purely logical standpoint, one would think that you'd become a die-hard Seattle Kraken fan. Why?

* You're a Seattle area resident who has "dreamed of the NHL coming to Seattle since 2006!" The league has arrived in the city in the form of the Kraken.
* You took an interest in the Vancouver Canucks because "they were the closest NHL team to Seattle". Geographically, a team in Seattle trumps "the closest NHL team to Seattle."
* You initially began liking the Los Angeles Kings because you "needed a favorite U.S.-based" NHL team. The Kraken are U.S. based.

Now, all of this said, sports fandom rarely tends to be a pursuit based upon logic. It is far more often a matter of blind emotion. The head can process all of the facts available, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Perhaps your ultimate decision will come down to branding. Which team's logo do you like the best? Which team sports the most pleasing color palette? Which team's uniforms are the most sartorially striking? Which team has the best name?

[-kj]

On 7/26/2020 at 8:40 AM, Sport said:

but always felt weird to support the home team and then pull for their rival

 

I suppose I was that guy when the Wild started up while I was living in Minnesota.  I'd go to Wild games and enjoyed cheering for them.... unless they were playing the Blues, in which case I was wearing Blues gear.  My situation was a little different, since I grew up in the St. Louis area and became a Blues fan as a kid and as such wasn't keen on giving up my previous allegiance.

[OnWis97]

I actually don't know that you can / should pre-plan this well.  My guess is that you'll find yourself either becoming a die-hard Kraken fan or maybe just enjoying them as as team you cheer for when they're not playing your favorite team(s).  In other words, it'll just happen to you more than it'll be a conscious decision.

 

My experience was when the Timberwolves started. I was in 9th grade and had mainly been a Celtics (good team; nice uniforms) fan.  Granted, I was never a hard-core Celtics fan; they were my NBA team but their championships meant way, way less to me than any North Stars, Vikings, or Twins titles would have.  But once the T-Wolves came, my interest in other teams waned.  I still had others I liked in all sports because I was a kid...but ultimately, having a home team led me to root only for that team.  But you might be different based on how hard-core you are in the others teams, and maybe even the degree to which your friends and family embrace the new team.  Either way, you'll get to go to games...so it's a win.

[tigerslionspistonshabs]

As you can probably tell, I root for everything Detroit except in hockey. That being said, I still wish the Wings well, just not against Montreal. 

[Skycast]

I grew up in south Florida, a lot of that time in the Tampa area and have been a Bucs fan since their inception in 1976. I've lived in Colorado for 23+ years yet I still remain a die hard Bucs fan. I'll watch the Broncos, hope they do well but wouldn't consider myself much of a fan of theirs.

 

However I also have a fondness for the Seahawks since they came into the league the same time as the Bucs...I originally adopted them as my AFC team and still root for them to this day as my "second" NFL team.

[Jer15]

A few years back I moved from Brampton, Ontario to Hamilton......within spitting distance of Tim Horton's field.

 

At that time I posted a similar thread about possibly switching my allegiances from the Argo to the Ti-Cats. It never happened.

I no longer hate the Ti-Cats like I've always been taught to do as an Argos fan. I actually like and appreciate the team's history and, to be honest, I'd rather watch a football game in Hamilton now. 

 

It all happened naturally though and I think the answer as simple or "not thought out" as it may sound is: "Just see what happens". @johnnysama