Why support the teams you do...

[Cashcleaner]

Had an interesting conversation at work today with the other sports fans and eventually got down to the basics of why we support our teams. As I found out, many people are fans of some teams for some pretty strange reasons.

Anyhoo, just wanted to know who you support and most importantly, why? As for me...

Toronto Argonauts- Saw my very first CFL game when I was 12 at the Skydome between Argos and Ti-Cats. Loved the experience, loved the crowd, loved the game, and have never looked back since.

Ottawa Senators- I was really excited when Ottawa got their expansion team back in 1992 because though I lived not far from Toronto, I was just never a Leafs fan. In general, my family was never huge into sports, and so I always considered Toronto just one team among many in the league that didn't have any significance for me (despite my location). Later on when I developed an interest in hockey, I saw something new with the Sens and kinda adopted them as me team since the beginning.

Hibernian FC- My love for the Green Team began my first year in Edinburgh. I was living with a German flatmate who was in desperate footy-withdrawal, and one night at the local pub he asked a few regulars about the teams in the city. One drunken semi-incoherent conversation later, we found out where to get tickets for the upcoming Hibs/Aberdden match at Easter Road. The next week we stood in the East stand and watched Hibs play (but ultimately lose) a close match. Again, they were the first team I saw play live and declared my support that very day.

Manchester United FC- Not as exciting as the others, I'm afraid. Saw a Manchester v. Arsenal match on the television in Toronto one day (probably around 1995-1996) and asked my friend who he was cheering for. "I'm betting on Arsenal". As a result, I'm a Manchester fan.

[IronChefShark]

Hometown pride.

the only real reason to support a team

[JamesCraven]

I have a feeling that the mods and CC will likely move this to the sports forum.

Anyway, with the exception from 1986 (when Moses Malone and the number one draft pick were traded by the 76ers and I started rooting for the Chicago Bulls until 1998), I have been faithful to my home teams.

[CityOfWalrus]

I actually hate the OU/ Oklahoma Sooners. I hate hate hate them and im not really a Oklahoma State fan either lol

[CC97]

Whatever team is closest to where I live my friends...

Jays, Leafs, Raptors, Argos, Rock, Generals, Bills, and the Orange

[Blackjack76]

Definitely proximity to home to where you grew up. STL Cards and STL Blues (not so much now). When the Gridbirds left, I felt like someone ran over my dog. So when I moved to Tampa when I was 11, I took up the sad-sack, Fruit-of-the-Loom looking Buccaneers. I also adopted the Orlando Magic, because they were only an hour away.

When I moved to Chicago a few years back, I only hated the Chicago teams more (Cubs, Blackhawks, Bears, Bulls). I was brainwashed to be nothing but a STL supporter.

And I could care less about the American League, but that's a different topic.

[JQK]

New Jersey Devils - It's just who i am. Reppin' Jersey.

New York Giants - My father's team. Now my team.

New York Jets - Look Above.

New York Yankees - I had a choice. Yankees or Mets. My sister chose the Mets because they won in 86, and that's just who she remembers. I remember Don Mattingly. Eventhough the Yankees were bad, Donny was my boy, so i've been a Yankees fan ever since.

CollegeFB: Rutgers - Reppin' Jersey

CollegeFB: Notre Dame - Dunno exactly why. THey havn't won much. Maybe it's cause i'm irish.

CollegeBB: Seton Hall - Should've won in '89

CollegeBB: Duke - Because i hated UNLV

[Breakwood]

Habs cause I was born in MTL and It's in my family

Bucs cause when i started liking them they sucked

Wake Forest because I hate Duke and UNC

Lyon cause of Sydney Govou

Jays cause I've lived in Toronto for the majority of my life and acctually remember back 2 back

[Magus]

Thrashers and Texans-it started when i was little, when i had a freind whose brother was a Atlanta Flames fan when they were in atlanta. since then i always followed hockey, after a while since there was no hockey in the south after the move by the Flames, i got disinterested and started watching football. Followed the Houston Oilers until they moved in 97. in 2000, the Thrashers came to Atlanta and followed them since. a couple of years later, the Texans came as an expansion team. Why the Houston Oilers and not the Falcons? More or less it was style. I never liked the falcons look, it always reminded me of gangsta's. Though the new look has me interested in the falcons to some extent. The Oilers look intrigued me. the color scheme sucked but i liked the name oilers, probably going back to when i was in school and learning about oil drillers..

hmmm, post number 666.

[Stampman]

Usually the hometeam, but if there is no home team...

MLB-Jays--

NBA--Celtics--no Raptors when I started--and I was a fan of some of their players

Although I always wish the Raptors well

NFL-Seahawks--as I was growing up they're the team I saw the most, and they grew on me.

[CMUBrent]

Flint Generals--I've been a die-hard Generals fan from Day 1. Actually, I've supported all Flint teams since the Spirits (IHL) were in town. With the exception of 2000-01 and 2002-03, the Generals have been a competitive franchise.

Detroit teams--Gotta support the pro teams from Michigan

CMU Athletics--Gee, I wonder why....

[Dilbert]

Mostly Hometown/Homestate pride.

As for the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks(AHL) I love hockey, and have had season tickets since I think their third season. That and there is no NHL hockey to watch or cheer for this season.

[Discrim]

Cubs-basically I've just been a Cubs fan for as long as I can remember. Might have had something to do with when I started following baseball-the Cubs were on TV more often than the Brewers were back then.

UW Badgers, Packers, Bucks, sometimes Brew: homestate pride, basically. helps that UW's big rival, Minnesota, has the same colors as my next team's mortal enemies (if anything else, makes it all the easier to hate the Gerbils)

Notre Dame: although I remember watching Troy Aikman's UCLA team back in 88 (and, i'm ashamed to admit, even owned a UCLA sweatshirt around that time), Notre Dame was my first true college love. I hate USC football players with every fiber of my body because of ND. I bleed gold because of ND. I am ND.

North Texas football: I have a feeling about UNT, that they're a budding Marshall, the next Boise State: a team that the Texases and Michigans of the world will fear playing because they're full of the talent that wasn't "good enough" for the big shots and wants nothing more than a chance to knock em off. They're not good enough to hang with the elite teams, but you can't accuse me of jumping on the bandwagon here-I'm buildin one of the damn things

Avalanche: I needed a hockey team. The Blackhawks, understandably, weren't gonna be it, and Milwaukee won't be getting a team anytime soon. Part of it was teh logo, i'll admit: the first time I saw it in USA Today, it hooked me. Part 2 was their first game-I watched, and gradually kept watching as the season went on. The rest is history.

Falcons, Georgia Tech-because I was born in Georgia. deal with it. hey payno, to hell with Uga

lastly, Da Bears-everything I know about football, I learned from watching the 80s Bears. Sadly, I only remember Payton's playing days through highlights. I remember Neal Anderson, Brad Muster, Harbaugh, Tomczak, PT Willis, Fridge, Duerson, Singletary, Hilgenberg, Robocop...man, those were the days.

[Suigi]

Basically, I root for all Toronto teams, without fail.

[DEAD!]

I support all Toronto pro sports teams EXCEPT the Toronto Maple Leafs. Funny, MLSE is bascially owned by a group that taks care of union workers. As for the NFL, I admit I'm more of Bills fan because of proximity. I'm a Mississauga Ice Dogs (OHL) fan, being from the city. Also, I'm an Essendon Bombers (AFL) fan. Why? It's a combination of success, logo, colours and tradition.

[Fusebazell]

New York Yankees- My dad's team

Cleveland Browns- Got sick of only being able to watch 1-2 Jacksonville Jaguars games, so when they came back I decided I would watch a team that would actually be on

Duke BB- I just like everything they stand for

Cleveland Cavaliers- Closest team to me

Georgia FB- I like Dawgs

[fiasco!]

MLB

detroit tigers: above all, king of my sports world.

atlanta braves: simply put, they are the closest team to me now that isn't in the AL.

NFL:

detroit lions: i'll never in my life see a championship from them, but i love them just the same

carolina panthers: i live in south carolina...they are on every sunday.

NBA:

detroit pistons: from the days of bob lanier to isaiah thomas to joe dumars to rip hamilton...i love DEEEEE-TROIT BASKETBALL!

NHL:

montreal canadiens: first game i ever saw in person. leafs v. canadiens at maple leaf garden. dryden pitches a shutout and lafleur scores the game winner. i fell in love that day.

atlanta thrashers: exciting young core that has been torn apart by bettman and goodenow.....and i sure as hell ain't gonna watch the 'canes.

premiership:

newcastle united: i love newcastle brown ale. so i bought a maggies jersey. started watching them. thought alan shearer was the shizzle. hate shay given. still enjoy the maggies.

NCAA:

michigan state university: in michigan, you choose very young who you're gonna root for. the majority of people choose the wolverines. i think it's fairly obvious that i rarely go with the majority. and green was my favorite color.

lake superior state university: alma mater.

[Gregmond]

But how do you decide when the league you follow is based in an entirely different country, and you have no connection - (eg. English Football for North Americans, US pro-sports for Europeans/Aussies)?

I like the 49ers ... but I can't remember why. I think they were successful when my family and I did the big US trip 10-15 years ago.

I like the Hornets ... they were born in Charlotte around the same time I got interested in hoops. No so keen now, maybe going towards Bobcats/Celtics!

No favourites in baseball/hockey ... we don't play or watch it here. No favourite in English Soccer ... although I did get to a Charlton game once, so pencil them in for me.

[Cashcleaner]

But how do you decide when the league you follow is based in an entirely different country, and you have no connection - (eg. English Football for North Americans, US pro-sports for Europeans/Aussies)?

Hey, funny you mentioned that. When I had my Xbox in Edinburgh I picked up NHL 2003 for about 5 quid or so (a steal!). Ended up playing it with my flatmate and co-workers, and before long, we were all watching the imported hockey games on Channel 4 late nights. My flatmate Moray played Calgary and started supporting them, same with my mate Paul (New Jersey), Rich (Toronto), and Dave (Chicago).

I guess it's not often people start out playing the video game THEN watching the sport.

[CMUBrent]

Toronto Maple Leafs: Back when there was such a thing as the NHL ( ), Dad and I would watch Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday night, starting back in 1993. Since the Leafs are on at 7:00 practically every Saturday night, I eventually became a die-hard Leafs fan.

Didn't hurt that the Leafs from 1992-94 were solid teams. Great hockey on a Saturday night from Maple Leaf Gardens. Can't beat that.