How You Became A Fan

[HatManTC]

BROWNS: Born in ohio, when we moved to NC we would go to chi chici mexican place to watch the game with the rest of the Browns backers.

Indians: Born in Ohio, went to a couple games at the Mistake by the lake before we moved to NC.

Ohio State: Liked them a bit before the browns moved. then once they moved and i didnt have an NFL team, so i followed college football more. remember watching them play the Sundevils back in 95 or so

Carolina Hurricanes: i worked for them for a few years. got to meet a few of the players.

[tajmccall]

Anything Minnesota- geography.

San Diego Chargers - Uniforms (what can i say, i like squiggly lines)

[Audiodrama]

Red Sox - From Boston. Born into it. All the explanation you need.

Patriots - I actually hated the Pats during the Bledsoe years. Not because I hated the franchise or anything, but just because I couldn't stand Drew Bledsoe. I vowed that, whenever the team got rid of him, I'd start watching again. As luck would have it, he'd be succeeded by Tom Brady.

[rainmaker17]

DALLAS COWBOYS - Grew up in Dallas. I started going to the games as a child with my parents...and still go to this day.

TEXAS RANGERS - Again grew up in the area. I actually remember that sh&thole Arlington Stadium.

DALLAS MAVERICKS - Ah the days of Rolando Blackman, Mark Aquirre, Brad Davis and nasty green uniforms. After all their years of being a laughing stock, it was rewarding to see them in the finals...even if they lost.

DALLAS STARS - I was an Islanders fan as a kid because I sam them play the Russians in MSG. Converted to the Stars the day the moved to Texas.

[hormone]

Born/raised/live near Pittsburgh, PA. I have a lot of relatives in the Tampa/St. Pete area. When I was born, so were the Bucs. As I was growing up, they told me to leave that Browns/Steeler rivalry alone because the Bucs need fans. I liked the orange so I took them in. They didn't have a big college there, so Miami was good and I associated the oranges so I liked them. There were no baseball and hockey in that area, so I go with the home teams of the Pirates and Pens.

[Telemundo219]

Let's see...

New York Mets: I never cared for them until the 97 or 98 season when they started to turn the corner in the right direction. I really knew I was a Mets fan when I rooted for them when the lost in the 99 NLCS instead of the Braves (my favorite team at the time). Ever since that year, I hated Atlanta.

Kansas City Chiefs: I didn't really much about them until like 94 and before them, I like the Giants. They were my brother's favorite team so I just copied him, on I've stuck with them every since.

Portland Trail Blazers: Scottie Pippen was my favorute player (from when he was on the Bulls and Jordan was gone) so whatever team he was on, they were my favorite. That year they got one game from NBA Finals until they lost to the Lakers.

College: Syracuse Football/B-Ball (McNabb and Melo and my brother went there), North Carolina basketball (My team since Vinsanity and Antawn Jamison were there), and Florida football (I started watching Coll. Fball in 95 and I chose Florida over Nebraska eventhough Nebraska beat them).

But like a true fan, I stayed loyal to my teams through worst times and in the best.

[lopernv]

Canadiens: I loved the style of play they had back then, and I hate bandwagons.

Jays: Hometown

Raptors: Hometown

Dolphins: Ronnie Brown.

[winghaz]

Twins, Vikings and any other Minnesota team -- geography. Most North Dakotans root for the Minnesota teams because they are the closest teams to us.

San Diego Chargers (my second-favorite NFL team) -- They were my favorite AFL team when I was a kid. The reason for that: My dad was stationed in the Army in San Diego for a while during World War II, and he and my mom just loved San Diego. They were always telling stories about how nice San Diego was.

UCLA -- I have no idea why, but UCLA has always been my favorite in Division I. Maybe it was the first college I heard of. Maybe it was because of John Wooden and a guy at that time named Lew Alcindor. Maybe it was their colors. I don't know.

Saskatchewan Roughriders -- Even though I'm closer to Winnipeg, there are closer ties between North Dakota and Saskatchewan than North Dakota and Manitoba. North Dakota and Saskatchewan are kind of underdogs in their respective countries who happen to be next-door neighbors. I've made friends in Saskatchewan through the Lions club, too.

[CC97]

Canadiens: I loved the style of play they had back then, and I hate bandwagons.

???

[Guest]

The reasons why so many are Angels fans are pretty simple. Anaheim serves all of Orange County (which IS considered "greater LA" by some. Go figure) and even Southern LA County, where LA does not. Now im not gonna argue the whole Anaheim is a suburb BS, but I will tell you this. No person in Orange County who has any sort of sense is gonna drive up to Los Angeles to catch a sporting event when there is a ballclub in their backyard. Its a bastard to get up to Los Angeles from here, not like your basic sunday afternoon drive through the countryside. Its crowded, dangerous, dirty, ugly, ect ect ect. Id rather drill screws into my toes than make the miserable commute from Orange to LA county. It Can literally take five to six hours to get from here to LAX in bad traffic and vice versa, and its just over 40 miles. And then when you get there it can take another two hours to park and get to your seat. Last time I went I was at the bottom of the revine an hour before the game started, and didnt get to my seat till the fifth inning. Indescribable horror unless youve accually done it. To go through that, and then to spend four inings dealing with some of the biggest scumbags youll ever meet, even if your on their side, is less than pleasing. then you gotta reverse it all.

But you can still watch the Dodgers on TV or listen on the radio. I'm a midwesterner, so I probably have a different perspective on sports than Californians do, but I would do everything in my power to get to Dodger Stadium at least once. Sure, maybe it'd be easier to get to Angel Stadium, but there's something so ersatz about the whole Angels thing. Only the Dodgers really matter.

[Seadragon76]

I've been a true blue fan of the Seattle teams since I was born. It's been in my blood for over 20 years, despite my presence in the craphole that is Big Ten country.

I've seen the best (2001 Mariners, 2005 Seahawks, Sonics in the mid 90's) and I've seen the worst (1994 Seahawks, early 90's Mariners and the current Sonics team) and I have stay through thick and thin with my teams. No one can ever take away my pride in those teams, weather they succeed or fail.

As for the U-Dub, as it is known in the Northwest, it is also a natural transition to root for the Dawgs. Again, I've seen the best days (Don James ring a bell, Weasel fans? He used to own Schembechler's old wrinkly ass just about every year in Pasadena!) and I've seen the worst (1-10... That I'll never live down). Iowa State was only taken as to more or less 'fit' within the people of Iowa... That and my god willing hatred towards the Big Ten. But, I am only a 'closet' fan, so to speak. My number one live will always be Washington.

The Carolina Hurricanes came out of sheer desperation. I couldn't get myself to even think about rooting for the Dead Things, even when I did live in Detroit. At first, it was the Colorado Avalanche that I rooted for, then it was the old method of 'Anyone who plays the Dead Things.' Then, I noticed the Hurricanes playing Detroit a few years back in the Stanley Cup Finals. It gave me an idea: Why not the Canes? That patience wore off as they hoisted the cup last year.

[zig]

New York Mets - when I was very young I was a Yankees fan. But that was until i was around 5. I soon became a Mets fan mainly because that my family were Mets fans and my brother really got me going.

New Jersey Devils - Basically the same reason how I became a Mets fan. I was a Rangers fan until I was around 5. In 2000, I got a 6 game pack for my birthday and I loved it. Since I was 5 the Devils have been my favorite team except for a few years when I liked the Penguins .Even through the Penguins years I remained a Devils fan.

Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 97 for the Sega Saturn. When my brother got the N64 he left me the Sega Saturn. I played that game so much. I played with the Penguins so much that I still remember the games starting line up... Jagr...Lemiuex...Anonymous D...Zalapsky...Francis...Barrasso. I soon got a Jagr poster. When the Penguins got rid of Hedberg, Kovalev, Straka, Jagr,Lang and more I stopped following them as much. I am starting to follow them this year though.

Denver Broncos - More Video game related stuff here. This time it was Madden 2000. I would always pick the Denver Broncos, the best team in the game, and my brother who was much better than me was forced to pick the game's worst team, The Browns, to keep it even. I learned to love Terrell Davis from that game. One Christmas my brother got me a Davis jersey which I guess was huge for me then because it still fits me today. My first year of really following the Broncos is when Griese started. He had a good year and the Broncos made the playoffs. Since then I have followed them.

Michigan - My brother had always like U of M his whole life. He finally went their which was huge for him considering that Michigan was the one college he always wanted to go to. It rubbed of on me and I cheer for Michigan.

[PaperAirplane31]

New Jersey Devils - Basically the same reason how I became a Mets fan. I was a Rangers fan until I was around 5. In 2000, I got a 6 game pack for my birthday and I loved it. Since I was 5 the Devils have been my favorite team except for a few years when I liked the Penguins .Even through the Penguins years I remained a Devils fan.

Are all the Devils fans on this site ex-Rangers fans? Have some faith people!

[zig]

New Jersey Devils - Basically the same reason how I became a Mets fan. I was a Rangers fan until I was around 5. In 2000, I got a 6 game pack for my birthday and I loved it. Since I was 5 the Devils have been my favorite team except for a few years when I liked the Penguins .Even through the Penguins years I remained a Devils fan.

Are all the Devils fans on this site ex-Rangers fans? Have some faith people!

Well it worked out for the best...in my case

I was very young when I was a Rangers fan. 96 might have been the last year I liked them.

I tried to like the Rangers a little last year but it was too hard and I couldn't do it.

[PaperAirplane31]

EDIT: My computer is screwy. To see what I posted look at Ziggyluc's quote.

[zig]

Something Weird Happened Here

My post and Paper Airplane's post have been acting weird

[PaperAirplane31]

EDIT: Just delete this.

[zig]

New Jersey Devils - Basically the same reason how I became a Mets fan. I was a Rangers fan until I was around 5. In 2000, I got a 6 game pack for my birthday and I loved it. Since I was 5 the Devils have been my favorite team except for a few years when I liked the Penguins .Even through the Penguins years I remained a Devils fan.

Are all the Devils fans on this site ex-Rangers fans? Have some faith people!

Well it worked out for the best...in my case

I was very young when I was a Rangers fan. 96 might have been the last year I liked them.

I tried to like the Rangers a little last year but it was too hard and I couldn't do it.

So you rooted for the Rangers in the aftermath of their breaking the Curse of 1940 and only attempted to like them afterwards when they made it to the playoffs?

I was like 2 when they won the cup. Back then I didn't really care about hockey. I just said that I liked the Rangers when people asked me.

I rooted for the Rangers a little last year becasue they drafted one of my borthers high school team mates, Hugh Jesserman, and they got rid of some old vets. I tried to root for them but I couldn't within a month into the season.

While I rooted for the Rangers a little last year I still had the Devils as my favorite team.

[sc49erfan15]

San Francisco 49ers - Like Fred T. Jane, my first and only true love in pro sports. I became a 49ers fan during the 1994 season. They won the Super Bowl, and I've been a loyal 49ers fan ever since, through the good and bad.

Charlotte Bobcats - I was a Hornets fan when they were here, but...word. Everybody knows how that turned out. During the Charlotte-less basketball era, I didn't care much about pro basketball, but you could gave called me a split Nuggets/Grizzlies fan, for a few weird reasons...but when we got the Bobcats, I shifted my loyalties back to them.

Carolina Hurricanes - Home region team.

Atlanta Braves - Closest team to the Charlotte area, and I grew up watching the games on TBS.

Winthrop University - Attendance and mascot spirit.

Any other colleges...I really don't have a favorite big-time college sports team. Being from South Carolina, everyone demands me to pick one side of the USC-Clemson and Duke-UNC rivalries...and I can't, simply because I feel no allegiance to either team, and probably never will. If I'm watching a game and a Carolina team is playing, I'll cheer for the Carolina team. I can, however, tell you who I do not like in the NCAA: Tennessee, Gonzaga, Miami, Oregon, Kansas, Nebraska.

But above all else, see the screen name...it's the Niners, baby.

[CZzyzx41]

San Diego Padres: Hometown team. Started following them in 1986 when my dad took me to a couple games. First favorite players were Tony Gwynn and Goose Gossage.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mostly their creamsicle uniforms. They were so different and something about the white & orange just attracted me. I didn't care that they sucked. I liked them anyways. One of the first games I watched was against the Bears. I got to watch McMahon and Payton take apart the weak Bucs defense. Luckily, it is with those Bucs I got to watch them win the Super Bowl in my hometown against the sports team I hate the most. I couldn't have dreamed it up any better.

San Diego Chargers: My very close second favorite team. Hometown team. I didn't start watching them until Fouts final season.

Calgary Flames: My wife's a big fan. Her fandom started purely because she leans a little in both ways (if you get my meaning) and she thought the name FLAMES was hilarious. Since then though she's gotten serious and we'll watch them whenever we know they're on TV locally. We care enough to hate the Oilers and I'll now always hate the Lightning.

Norwich City Canaries: A little over a year ago I started seriously getting into soccer. My best friend was an Arsenal fan (mostly because of an LA bar of the same name near where he lived at the time) so my first instinct was to be a Spurs fan. I didn't want to pick Arsenal, ManU, Chelsea, Spurs or Liverpool so I started looking for other teams that caught my attention. My family ancestors were rectors in the church at South Lopham in Norfolk. It just so happened that at the time there was a team that had just been relegated from the premier league in Norwich City. So there it is. I aligned with them and I'll be there till I die.

Los Angeles Galaxy: Again this is mostly geographic requirement and the fact that I like Cobi Jones and Hartman. The colors match the Canaries (sort of) and the stadium is gorgeous.

Sacramento Kings: OK this is a mix. First, my dad's side of the family all lived in Sacramento and since my parents were divorced and I was just a kid and envied my dad who I didn't live with, It's only natural I grew up loving the Kings and Surge until the Surge folded. I also loved the uniforms. Sky blue, red and white. Nice. Then they switched to Purple, silver and black and things didn't change. Still loved the look. Then my interest in the NBA waned so they came out with the metallic gold alternates. Until the owners sell or move the team I won't care.