Turning against a team

[gosioux76]

I think it's hard to turn against your team when you're tied to a region geographically and there are no other options. I don't find it surprising, for example, for a New York area fan to switch from the Rangers to the Isles or Devils -- simply because they're nearby options.

I was born and raised in Minnesota and will never truly care for teams other than the T-Wolves, Vikes, Twins and Wild. I cheer for the University of North Dakota in college sports because i attended the university. I cheer against the University of Minnesota in college hockey only because they're UND's rivals in that sport.

But I would be hard pressed to abandon a Minnesota team for another team.

I've lived in Pittsburgh now for four years but find it hard to cheer for the three pro teams here. That's entirely due to my strong ties to Minnesota.

[See Red]

It's not so much that i turn against my favorite teams, and it's not because they win.  For my favorite teams, I'm die-hard.

But for teams that i LIKE... I like em' until they become good and their fans get egos.

I liked the Rams.  Their fans got egos.  I liked the Patriots, their fans got egos.  I liked the Bucs, their fans got egos.  I liked the Ravens.  Hell, same with Miami, then Ohio State, and now LSU.

It's just that at some point, you get sick and tired of listening to their fans and just hate to associate yourself with them.  Or in one case, I got sick of listening to the Bucs PLAYERS.

You'd think all the years that these teams had suck might humble their fans when they taste success... but nope!

[winters in buffalo]

The beloved ESPN.com Page 2 did an article on this a while back...

Rules for being a true fan

Great article, but I have to disagree with #5. If it's your favorite team that's the road team, be obnixious as hell!

If my team only comes to town twice a year, you better be damn certain I'm going to do my best to make it sound like they're at home.

[tmorss9]

I'm the only person I know that just leaves a team when they get good (My MLB team growing up was Atlanta, until they traded Dale Murphy). Like Joel, I was a wings fan until they got good and the sheep began flocking to JLA. I'll always be a Tigers fan somewhere in my heart, but that's just family tradition. I've actually changed teams a few times, but now I seem to find myself drawn back to the teams i started with.

And for the record, don't be obnoxoius as hell if your cheering the visitors... Red Wing fans warped my 11 year old mind one night when they spit at my mom because I was wearing an LA Kings jersey one night when the reunited Wayne & Jari show came to town. I never thought politely clapping was that much of a problem.

[Brian in Boston]

Within the realm of a team's sports management decisions, the only reason I could see to stop rooting for a club would be said franchise's relocation. In fact, when Ken Behring announced that he was going to move my beloved Seattle Seahawks to Los Angeles in 1996, I began laying the groundwork for a rooting interest in a new NFL "favorite team". I just couldn't see myself rooting for a team that had abandoned its fan base. Given that I didn't want to be accused of making my selection based upon a team's prior track record, I decided that I'd adopt one of the expansion franchises. I selected the Jacksonville Jaguars, as their head coach was former Boston College skipper Tom Coughlin. As it happened, the Seahawks stayed put, both in Seattle and this fan's heart. Though I must admit that I still have a soft spot for the Jaguars.

Brian in Boston

[CJR]

I'm the only person I know that just leaves a team when they get good (My MLB team growing up was Atlanta, until they traded Dale Murphy). Like Joel, I was a wings fan until they got good and the sheep began flocking to JLA. I'll always be a Tigers fan somewhere in my heart, but that's just family tradition. I've actually changed teams a few times, but now I seem to find myself drawn back to the teams i started with.

And for the record, don't be obnoxoius as hell if your cheering the visitors... Red Wing fans warped my 11 year old mind one night when they spit at my mom because I was wearing an LA Kings jersey one night when the reunited Wayne & Jari show came to town. I never thought politely clapping was that much of a problem.

My former roommate switched from the Wings to the Islanders in 1996. He refuses to root for good teams because he's afraid of being labled a bandwagon fan.

And hearing the story of your bad experience with Wings fans makes me ashamed to be one. I always thought that it was only the other teams fans that were like that until this season (that story from long ago just adds to the stuff I've seen this year). Wings fans have been getting worse and worse. I just hope the lockout next fall chases away the idiots that give the rest of us a bad name.

[Nate15]

As a native New Yorker (and my father's son), I've always been a fan of the Yankees and Rangers (and to a lesser extent, the Giants and Knicks).  

To be fair, the Yankees have made it very easy to root for them.  

But I consider myself a hell of a Rangers fan, because I've continued to stick with them during this time (the last time they were in the playoffs, I was in fifth grade!).  I still watch practically every game, and go to a few each year.  

If only they would learn to run a freakin' organization.  I hate being the joke of the NHL.

Anyway, I could never see myself turning my back on any of my teams (especially the Yankees and Rangers).  I see that as the easy way out, and sports fans should earn the glory they get when their team wins, not just take it every five years or so because they jump around with their allegiances.

[NJTank]

Just wait until the Rangers bring in Mario, they could compete in old timers games and regular games all at the same time.

[mac]

I'm a Cincincinnati Bengals fan, guess witch one I voted for

[clyon81]

Once I stopped liking the Niners, I started cheering for the Patriots for two reasons: their new logo and Drew Bledsoe.

I consider myself a homer. I find it hard to believe that people, who have the option, would not be homers. Obviously if you moved, depending on circumstances, this would vary.

Anyway, I ALWAYS pull for the home teams. Living outside of Milwaukee, there wont be a day I find myself pulling harder for an out of market team for a sport where I have one. My true passion has been the Packers. Milwaukee Brewers baseball comes second. I quit watching NBA basketball, but I still hope the best for the Bucks.

Anyway, the closest I ever came to switching teams, was probably around 1995. I wouldn't call it much more then a trial separation.

My career as a packer fan started in 1991, when I was 10 years old. I watched the 3-12 Green Bay Packers knock off the Vikings in the last game of the season. So technically, it starts exactly in line with the Holmgren area. By 1995, I had high expectations for the Packers, and was very much looking forward to the season opener. When they flopped against the LA Rams, I was outraged. I decided after only 2 seasons, as a 13 year old packer fan, I was going to switch teams. I went out later that day, with my Grandma, and spent all of my Christmas/b-day money on a Drew Bledsoe Jersey, and brand spankin new Starter Jacket. Those where the days, eh? Everybody was sporting logo jackets....anyway... Of coarse I don't follow the patriots, and the next week on, im watching every packer game. The jacket sits brand new in plastic, Im still wearing my old packers one. I remember overhearing the Patriots had a terrible season 5-11 or something, and briefly think about my new jacket, never worn.

Next school year comes along, and im thinking, this Packers jacket has had it, I have a brand new jacket with that kick ass patriots logo on it, why NOT wear it, right?

Need I not say, as the year goes on, the packers keep rolling, and im rooting them on the entire way. But for some reason, the Patriots are doing the same...I find myself in a very awkward position. For the last few years, I was getting ridiculed for being a packer fan by the numerous front running Cowboys fans in school. I had to listen to them every time the packers lost to the cowboys. Mad I was soooo mad....

Now the packers are having there best season in 30 years, and Im sporting the logo of some team in the Northeast I don't give a rats @ss about. But it looks cool. heh

Anyway, As the playoffs approach, I find myself wearing my Reggie white jersey, under my patriots jacket. People in school were noticing that. I felt sick about it. I enjoyed the NFC championship just long enough, and found myself starting blankly at the TV as the Patriots defeat the Jaguars to advance to the superbowl. Just my luck. One weak moment in what seemed like an eon ago, and Im not looking at the proposition of wearing the jacket of my favorite teams opponent in the greatest game for the Packers in 29 years, and my young life.

I don't remember praying about it, but only God could have known my anguish. One day getting off the buss, a guy yelled "Nice Jacket!" I seriously almost tore it off, and jumped and spit on it, but I was to disgusted with my situation to move. So just a week before the superbowl, and my grandma brings over two LEATHER packer jackets. She propositions my father to buy one, or both of them. I sometimes consider my father to be a selfish man at times, and knowing he wouldn't buy both of them, and trying them on, I didn't figure to be in the equation. So he says, I'll take that one, and looks at me. He bought just one, but it was for me. The sweet joy! I proudly sported my brand new leather packers jacket, all superbowl week to school. It may have been below zero that week, and that jacket was not exactly a parka, but nothing was going to make me feel cold in that thing.

Ill have to say, in many circumstances in my life, either important or not, I often feel like live throws me a sharp curve, and I find myself hitting opposite handed, and without a chance....But just this one time, life gave me a nice fat fastball....

Sorry for the length, but Nitroseeds comments stirred up some of my own fond memories.

[clyon81]

Caps - first game I ever saw...vs Detroit( and there is no way a self respecting Wisconsinite can root for Detroit) and I've loved em ever since.

Were we seperated at birth? We are like the same person, except I dont really follow the NHL, though I would if we had a team here. I even "picked" Washington as my team more then a few years ago. I guess mainly it was because I had this friend. At we all liked playing hockey, none of us on an organized team though, and it wasent enough for him to just "play". He thought we should also sport team jerseys, and socks to match, with the pads from the waist down. Is that weird?

I chose washington simply because I thought they looked the best, when they came out with that new "eagle" jersey. Its actually very odd to think that Milwaukee doesnt have a pro team, and worse off that our team is an "Affiliate" for a team in Nashville.

[JQK]

I never understood how you could like a team that isn't local to you. Like people from D.C. liking the Broncos, or someone from Seattle liking the Cheifs... i just don't get it...

[habsfan1]

I constantly turn on teams. In the playoffs, I like to root for the underdog or the team who's never won a championship. Unless it's a team from my hometown...Montreal.

Well i actually live in a subburb but anyway...

[habsfan1]

Just wait until the Rangers bring in Mario, they could compete in old timers games and regular games all at the same time.

Mario will never be traded. He has sacrificed so much for the penguins to betray them by now.

However expect the rangers to aquire some stars like Iginla, Modano, Lang and many more...

[Stampman]

Who do the Rangers have that the Flames would take in return for Iggy?

[STL FANATIC]

I never understood how you could like a team that isn't local to you. Like people from D.C. liking the Broncos, or someone from Seattle liking the Cheifs... i just don't get it...

In some ways I sort of agree. I'm a St. Louis fan through and through, cuz I was born her and still live her, and I'm a diehard fan. However, I'm so diehard that if I move I'm not gonna switch over to whoever is local...

[habsfannova]

I go for the locals, except for the 'riders(Because there was no local team at the time in Montreal, and I don't want to hop the bandwagon) and Dolphins (Because all the Patriots fans I know are bastards)

[NJTank]

Who do the Rangers have that the Flames would take in return for Iggy?

Jarmoe Iginla is still in his prime the Rangers won want him for another 5 years.