Your Favorite Teams?

[TheRicSlick]

Kansas- My brother goes there and it's in my home state, so that's an easy decision.

Michigan State- When I was 5 or 6, I played March Madness 2005 for PS2 a lot, and the team I always chose to play as was Michigan State.

Buccaneers- Kinda of the same as MSU, just sub out March Madness 2005 with Madden 06.

Cubs- I don't know why but I have always liked the Cubs.

[Sanic]

Cubs- I don't know why but I have always liked the Cubs.

RDRR

[FGM13]

Edmonton Oilers: My dad's favourite team, closest team, fell in love during the 2006 Cup run

Edmonton Eskimos: See first two reasons for Oilers

Toronto Blue Jays: Canadian MLB team, got interested after the Miami trade. I made a poor choice there, but I'm committed now.

Indianapolis Colts: Kind of a fan, I like Andrew Luck and they have great unis.

Green Bay Packers: They're the Eskies south.

[bosrs1]

I think I've done this before, but I enjoy it none the less...

MLB:

San Diego Padres - I live in SD so they're my local team and fell in love with them and their ballpark when I moved here. Organization in particular treats fans and season ticket holders right for the most part which I appreciated too even if their brand of baseball isn't always the best. I spend more time reading, writing or watching them than any other team both currently or in my life. If I had to pick just one team in any sport, they'd be it. They completely hooked me.

Oakland Athletics - My childhood team who were also my "local" team growing up in the South Bay. My parents introduced me to them having abandoned the Red Sox after the Buckner Boot (as my dad puts it, "that was the last straw") and they remain fans to this day. We weren't big on San Francisco as a family so the Giants were never an option. Today I consider them my "other" team and it works out since they're AL and rarely play the Padres.

MiLB:

Lake Elsinore Storm - Closest MiLB team and Padres long time affiliate in High Single A. I have always enjoyed MiLB games but I was never a big fan of any team until the Storm because growing up the local affiliate in San Jose was tied to the hated Giants. Always a good time when I visit the Storm's stadium (and cheap). Also follow them via internet radio. In fact they were my soundtrack most evenings when I was out jogging this summer on the MiLB app.

NHL:

San Jose Sharks - They were the brand new local team when I was growing up and my first exposure to hockey. Went to games then and still follow them from afar to this day which has become very easy thanks to the internet and NBCSN. Still drive up to LA and Anaheim to see them when I can.

MLS:

San Jose Earthquakes - Local team growing up who I was passively interested in until they shut down in 2005. Got big into the effort to bring them back to the league in 2006-7 and became a much better fan as a result when they returned to play in 2008. Still go up to LA to take in games when they're down my way and/or fly up to take in the occasional game in San Jose. Also follow them from afar thanks to the web.

NFL:

New England Patriots - Grew up in the Bay Area when the Raiders were thankfully gone, and as mentioned SF teams just weren't on the menu. So I gravitated toward my Boston area grandparents team as I developed an interest in football in the 90's. It's something my east coast relatives and I bond over since my immediate California based family loathes the Pats. Strangely I've never been to a Pats home game until this December, but I've been to plenty of away games in the Bay Area and San Diego.

San Diego Chargers - I hesitate to call myself a fan of the Bolts, but they're so pervasive on San Diego TV and radio and among my friends and family in San Diego that I can't help but stay abreast of what they're doing. Been to plenty of games, usually when tickets are dirt cheap on Stubhub. Of all the teams on this list however they'd likely be the one I'd lose interest in if I ever moved to a different city.

NBA:

Los Angeles Clippers - My most recent team acquisition. I didn't really care about basketball until college, and then I became a Kings fan through a Sacramento native friend. However I was never as invested in the Kings as my other teams in part because they were hard to follow in the Bay Area. And during the latter Maloof years it got even worse until they drove me away completely when they announced they were selling the team to Seattle interests. By then I was living in San Diego and I gravitated toward the closest team to fill the void (and San Diego's former team) who were also on local San Diego TV and becoming interesting to watch. Have made the trip up to Staples to see them a couple of times and it was fun, if pricey and getting pricier as they get better and the Lakers tank.

NCAA Basketball:

Santa Clara Broncos - My alma mater's team who are easy to follow on the web.

San Diego State Aztecs - Fell in with them through friends and again pervasive presence in the San Diego media. That and they're easily San Diego's sporting high water mark so they're very fun to watch especially in person. Crowds are very passionate and they suck you in.

NCAA Football:

California Bears - With 2 parents who never went to college and having gone to a football free school I didn't have any interest in NCAA football until I met my now wife. Her parents are diehard Cal alumni who brought me to my first college game which was an interesting and very different experience from any football game I'd ever been to. Also gives me things to talk about with the in-laws which is always a plus. Also they're strangely on the radio in San Diego for reasons I've yet to figure out.

NCAA Baseball:

San Diego State Aztecs - Discovered their games one lazy afternoon and love going to this day. Didn't hurt that their coach was the late great Tony Gwynn. He was as interesting to watch as a coach as he had been a player. Just a fun, affordable time at their quaint little ballpark on Montezuma Mesa. Also very easy to follow on the web.

CFL:

BC Lions - Discovered them on my first trip to Vancouver and have been following as best I could ever since. ESPN3 has made it very easy in the last few years with almost every game being broadcast. If I'm honest I like the CFL style of play better than NCAA or NFL and I never stop trying to sell others on the northern game's virtues (or trying to get them to watch it).

Other:

Club Tijuana Xolos - As close to a local soccer team as you'll find in San Diego. They're often on TV or ESPN3 for me to follow plus they play a couple friendlies north of the border every year which I always go to and have a great time. One of these days I want to get down to TJ and take in a game if I can ever find my passport. The fans I've talked to say it's quite the experience, almost a hybrid of visiting an NFL game and a typical Liga MX game.

AFC Wimbledon - Became a follower of theirs after I heard their creation story and the sorry tale of Wimbledon FC's demise. It resonated with me as a Quakes fan who has similarly lost my team only to have it come back in a new form. That and their early meteoric rise back to the League was damned fun to watch. Plus I love having an English team I follow that isn't the typical answer when someone asks, like Man U or one of the other biggies.

Yomiuri Giants - My old man got me a Yomiuri cap from a business trip to Japan as a little kid and I was enamored with the strange baseball team that wasn't in the US. Helps that they win a lot too. As an adult the irony of my favorite Japanese team sharing a name with my least favorite American sports team was also not lost on me. Only team I've ever stayed up until 5am to watch play, and win, a championship series on a pixelated and likely illegal feed web feed.

Surprise Saguaros - Being a Padres fan I'm usually starved for baseball I care about in October and November and I fill that need by following the Arizona Fall League religiously. I always gravitate toward whomever is the Padres affiliate that year. Until this year it was the Peoria Javelinas as the Javs normally play at the Pads spring training complex, but due to construction in Peoria the Pads switched affiliation to Surprise for 2014. I suspect they'll be switching back in 2015 after construction is completed at which time my allegiance will transfer back. They're hard to follow except on rare nights the games are broadcast on internet radio or internet TV.

[Sport]

We've done this a thousand times on this board so I won't get into my origin story (I'm from Cincinnati/Columbus)

But since moving to Seattle I've really taken a liking to the Mariners and Sounders. Safeco field is awesome and I love the Mariners' identity. Teal is one of my favorite colors and they're really moving back to it as of late. Also the energy around the Sounders is cool and while I'm not a huge soccer fan I've found myself watching their games on TV. I'm going to try to go to their playoff game on November 10th.

I find Seahawks fans somewhat annoying and jumping on the bandwagon of the defending super bowl champions goes against everything I stand for. Plus I find it's more acceptable to have a second team in baseball than it is in football.

If they ever get an NBA team that'll be my #1 NBA team and if they ever got an NHL team here that'll be my second favorite NHL team.

[monkeypower]

...

[OnWis97]

Very simple for me:

Born / raised / now live in the Twin Cities (Twins, Vikes, Wild, Wolves)

Went to U of Wisconsin for undergrad (Badgers)

Make sense? It is amazing how many people here (MN) think I should prefer the Gophers. And how many people in WI think I should have become a Packer fan on my arrival (though no so with Bucks/Brewers).

Those are the only teams that I would get truly excited about winning a championship. When they are (almost always) out of it, I "pull for" teams based on having former Badgers, having a player I like, having a long title drought, or even uniforms...but I don't pretend to be a fan of that team. I was pulling for the Royals, but not pretending I was a "fan".

I did go to grad school at Iowa, so do kinda do a "fan light" thing when they are not playing Wisconsin...I don't know much about the teams and just cheer a bit more for them than a "pull for" team. Actually, it's a far more healthy fandom than my Wisconsin fandom.

[Tigers6884]

I'm a die-hard Detroit Red Wings fan because and they're my hometown team and the team I've rooted for my entire life. From an early age, my parents taught me to root for the guys with the winged wheel on their chest.

My grandpa was a die-hard Lions fan, so I'm a fan of them because I have memories of watching games with him (and I also have memories of his humorous swearing tirades after they lost).

I'm a Tigers fan because I remember the games I used to watch with my great-grandpa (he too, would get pissed off when they lost, which amused me).

Since they're an awful team on the court, and their front office staff has done an awful job in this era, my faith as a Pistons fan has been tested, but I still have to be a fan of them as they are a hometown team. If I weren't a Pistons fan, I wouldn't follow the NBA.

The story of how I became a Michigan Wolverines fan is quite interesting. I happened to flip on a University of Michigan football game one day out of boredom. I was blown away by their winged helmet design, as that was not a style I had seen before. I later researched the history of the university and their other athletic programs, and my fandom took off from there.

[nuordr]

For me there are multiple reasons for each sport:

NFL - I grew up a die-hard fan of the Browns and when they left for Baltimore I was heart broken. So I did not have a true favorite team for a few years until I moved the New Hampshire in 2000 and started to follow the Patriots because I liked the last coach of the Browns, Bill Belichick and I have been a fan of theirs ever since.

NCAA - I my household you had a choice, you could pull for the Kentucky Wildcats or you live out in the doghouse (not seriously), but we were raised on Kentucky Basketball as my mother absolutely loved the team and would listen to Cawood Ledford on the radio during every game. My father was also a fan or Kentucky and his motto was simply, UK all the way, U of L can go to Hell.

NHL - After the Browns left Cleveland I started to watch hockey on occasion and I really like Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic and immediately started to pull for the Colorado Avalanche. As I started to learn more about the sport, I started watching more of the Penguins because of Jagr and I became a fan of them as well.

NBA - I really hate the NBA game today, but I still pull for my favorite team growing up; The Boston Celtics as that was my father's favorite team.

MLB - Growing up in Kentucky, one would think that I am fan of the Cincinnati Reds and even though my favorite player (Pete Rose) played for them, I am not a huge fan. My favorite team is the Boston Red Sox because they are my father's favorite team.

[BlackBolt3]

I'll keep it simple:

Panthers/Hornets/Hurricanes(starting to give hockey a shot this year)-Local pro teams.

Wake Forest/Winston-Salem Dash- As local as it can get.

Clemson- Where my brother goes to college, and most likely myself.

Blue Jays- My name is Jai, pronounced like Jay, and 4 year old me thought that was cool.

I also support just about any US national team, too.

There also a few teams I just like, but not not as strong.(Chargers, Braves, Bulls, etc.)

[Still MIGHTY]

Born and raised in Orange County, CA, USA - So, Ducks, Angels, Lakers, Galaxy/LAFC, USMNT. Makes sense.

NFL: Colts - Would've been a Rams fan (and will be if they return), but they left when I was five. Despite going to one game a year, never latched onto the Chargers. When I started paying more attention to football when I got into high school, the Colts were on TV a lot. I liked the uniforms and I like Peyton Manning and the way he commanded the field, so I got hooked. I still root for Peyton on the Broncos, but I'm first and foremost a Colts fan. (Again, however, if the Rams return to LA, I'll pick them back up.) (I also root for the Cardinals a bit, because my family thought it'd be fun to get season tickets when they opened up their new stadium, so I've been to more than a few games including this December's Seattle game. And the NY Giants because of family ties and Eli Manning.)

NCAA: Football: Arizona State - Attended the school. I gave them money, they gave me one hell of an experience and a college football team. (I also root for Texas A&M, as my mother was an Aggie. And a tertiary like of Notre Dame, because of my family and being Irish Catholics)

NCAA: Everything else: Long Beach State - School I'm currently attending. No football team, but they've got everything else, including pretty good basketball teams and a great baseball team.

Soccer: English Premier League: Manchester United - This is the kind of stupid one haha. Got hooked on soccer from the 2006 World Cup. I had also recently seen the movie Eurotrip. In that movie, the characters stumble into a Manchester United supporters bar. At the time, I thought Manchester United was a completely made up and fictional soccer team. When I found out that they were a real soccer team, I knew I had to be a fan. So I didn't pick Manchester United because of the history and the titles and the traditions or any of it, but because I thought it was a joke haha

Soccer: Scottish Premier League: Celtic FC - I have Scottish heritage, and my family is Catholic, and I also have Irish heritage and liked Robbie Keane. All signs point to Celtic.

[smzimbabwe]

NFL: Chargers - when I was first getting into football, my dad bought me a preview magazine. The cover article was "Why Fouts is better than Bradshaw". As my dad was a Steelers fan, I wanted to root for a better team and that seemed to be the one.

NHL: Penguins - I like Penguins, so despite my 5th grade classmates strong efforts to make me an Islanders fan, once I found out there was a team called the Penguins, they became my team.

MLB: Giants - I don't know why I picked them back in 1982 when I started watching baseball. I just did and have followed them ever since.

NCAA: Washington - Attended there. My dad didn't want his kids to root for a college team until we went to a school, so I never had any interest in college sports until my senior year in high school when I knew I was going to go to UW.

I don't automatically root for USA national teams. It depends on the sport and who they are playing.

[Gothamite]

I would never second-guess anyone's reason for choosing a team, but I cannot follow a team I don't have a geographical connection with.

Milwaukee Brewers: I grew up shuttling back and forth between Milwaukee and New York, seeing games at County Stadium and Yankee Stadium. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Yanks, but the Brewers will always be my team. Even if they seem determined to wear those stupid uniforms.

Green Bay Packers: Even though they were terrible when I was a kid.

Arsenal: My wife's old neighborhood in London. One of my favorites as well. If I'm ever lucky enough to live in England, it'll be somewhere near to Ashburton Grove.

New York City FC: My new great love. My hometown club. I started getting interested in MLS a couple years ago, and tried to adopt a couple clubs. Since New York didn't have a local club, I looked around the league. The Union, because I love what the Sons of Ben have done, or the Timbers because I went to school in Oregon. But neither of them felt organic; it was too forced. I had no real connection. But then NYC finally got a club, and I've been rabid ever since.

I don't have any college teams anymore, as I find the whole system abhorrent. I also don't have an NHL team; Milwaukee didn't have one, and the Dolans are such scumbags that I wouldn't think of supporting the Rangers even though I lived within walking distance of Madison Square Garden for almost a decade. I suppose with the Islanders moving to Brooklyn, I could start with them, but I'm not sure that there's any room in my life after the Brewers, Packers and City.

[Lee Noire]

People always make this confused face when I tell them I'm a Clippers fan, but I really am. It was the first live game ever went to with my dad (a die hard Laker fan btw) and moments like that just stick with you when you're young. Q, Odom, Maggette, Miles, and Brand. They weren't good, but were fun to watch.

[tBBP]

I don't really know that I consider myself a trueblood fan of any teams these days...let's just say there's some I pay more attention to/maybe might just care a slight bit more about than others...

FLORIDA STATE...actually, this is the one "team" of which I still remain and will be a devout trueblood. Blood ties...two of my cousins went through there; I myself bery nearly did. One found his way into minor-league baseball; the other just recently got inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Which leads me to...

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS...blood ties. That team's all-time leading tackler also happens to be my blood-cousin. The HoF'er I mentioned above? Same guy. But even before he was drafted young pre-adolescent me was drawn to all that super-loud orange, what with being a Florida native and all. These days I ain't near the trueblood I once was...since my cuzz got cut them Glazers been doing everything they can to p*ss me off-& I won't even bring those current abominations they call unif--ugh.....

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS...this happened a/ due to Tony Dungy going there to coach after Tampa fired him, b/ Peyton Manning, and c/ me having lived 10 minutes down the road from Lucas Oil most of the past four years. The funny thing is up until i got exiled to Indiana the Jaguars were my team B (Florida thing again...plus up til about '03 or so they had the best brand identity/uniforms in thw league, my opinion)...but just like the Glazers are doing now, Gene Smith and Jack Del Rio ran me off with their inane stupidity; that '09 identity change was the last straw. (Yeah I went there...haha.)

PITTSBURGH PIRATES...historically I've never been all that big a baseball fan, though that has changed in recent years--in almost direct correlation to my declining interest in the NFL it seems. I always did favor the Pirates' uniforms, though, especially since yellow is one of my two favorite colors (the other being orange), so once I moved up to Pittsburgh in '03 I pretty much became a bona fide fan, even got myself a personalized authentic jersey. (Now all this was back in '03, when that team was beyond garbage.) Ever since then I've always had a soft spot for them; still do.

---------------------------------------

I've never really had a favorite NBA team, but if I did it'd probably be the Pacers. Even back when MJ was running things I found myself paying more attention to Reggie Miller's s!-talking self, alongside the Davis brothers, Rik Smits, Mark Jackson and co. Plus the Flo-Jos...probably my favorite NBA uniform ever. And of course, again, alnost four years living in Indianapolis also helped that along.

That said, switching to soccer now, had I not been sent away from Maryland to the cornswath, I'd probably still be a Son of Ben. I was one during the Union's inaugural season--i was there when they opened PPL Park, there for the home opener, still have the jersey, scarves, various other team paraphernalia--but its hard maintaining fandom of a team halfway across the country especially with limited TV coverage...but crazily enough, TV coverage is exactly how I became a fan of Argentina. Back during my first deployment for some reason we got a lot of international games broadcast to us. Most of those involved Argentina and it just stuck. (That I was involved with this hot little Argentine chick while I was still living down outside Baltimore only solidified that. Sho' miss them days...)

Far as pucks...I've always liked watching the sport, though admittedly I've had trouble picking up the game itself. Its getting better though. From all the time spent living in Indy along with a chance encounter with one McCarthy down in Nashville I considered jumping on the Beej bandwagon (i mean come one, they're nicknamed the BEEJ!)--but, now that I'm actually living down in Nashville and especially since the Ford Ice Center (the Predators' new Community Center/practice facility) is literally a two- or three-minute hike down the hill from my place, I can already sense a little Predator fandom growing within....

[48erhater]

NBA: I cheer for the Jazz since I'm from Utah. I grew up watching the local broadcasts. As a kid I was wondering why the Jazz were always on tv but no other teams were. I didn't realize that all teams have their own local broadcasts.

NCAA: Same with being from Utah I cheer for the Utah Utes.

NHL: I would play NHL 97 and 96 on the Sega Genesis. I played with my cousin and we would always play as the LA KIngs. I've liked them ever since.

NFL: When the Buccaneers got their new stadium I saw it on tv. Being a kid I loved how they had the pirate ship in that stadium. I'll always be a fan. Even through these rough times.

[The Mojo Maniac]

MLB: Mariners -- I grew up with them here in the Northwest. My dad watched them on TV and listened on radio, and I've never known any other way.

NFL: Seahawks -- Same as with the Mariners; I simply grew up on 'em. Didn't follow football much til I was 12 or 13, but since a short time after that it's been all Hawks, all the time in the NFL for me.

NBA: Blazers -- I followed basketball very closely when I was 9-10, but over the past decade-plus, I've really soured on the NBA because of the insane egos of so many players in the league. It's just become ridiculously individualistic IMO. But when I do get around to watching NBA, it's the Blazers for me. They've been my team since the Sonics were stolen (we don't talk about OKC in my house ) and I'm very familiar with the PDX area, as I go there to see close relatives at least once or twice a year.

NCAA: Washington State/Boise State -- The former because I actually loved their colors and helmet logo from a very young age (and I identify with them geographically), and the latter because my alma mater not far from Boise didn't have a football team. So I simply adopted BSU as my home-away-from-home favorite. And these aren't a conflict of interest, since they never play each other.

[JTernup]

For any team that I support that does not live in the locale; here's why:

Man City: Used to like Utd (lolwut). Found out City was rising up with the $$$, I jumped bandwagons from that point on.

WVU: No idea. It started with the monogram logo. Then the 70-33. Then the obnoxious shirts.

Bosnia-Herzegovina: The names. Dzeko, Pjanic, Begovic, Ibisevic and many others.

Funny how there isn't any Oregon coverage (even Washington for that matter) on any of the TSN feeds.

I knew there was something fishy about you, just stay away from blue moon if I could pick you out as a "rag" they would tear you apart.

[Sanic]

^lol ikr

(damnit, new page)

[BC985]

I was born and raised in Peoria IL, which is halfway between Chicago and St. Louis. A lot of my favorite teams came from my dad and most of them are local. I only cheer for one team that I do not have a geographic or academic ties to. I also like to bring up the fact that I was born in 1985, which were very good times for some of these teams.

St. Louis Cardinals- Peoria is Cards/Cubs battleground. I grew up listening to my grandfather telling stories about Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter, while my dad talked about Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, and Ted Simmons. Ozzie Smith was probably the first pro athlete I ever recognized and became a fan of. Around the age of 9 I found a VHS tape on the Cardinals 100th anniversary and got tied up in the history of the team. One reason chose to go to undergrad at SIU-Edwardsville because I would be close to St. Louis and the Cards. As a broke college student I spent $400 I didn't have to get a brick outside of Busch Stadium with my name on it. I am a Cardinals fan above all else and always will be.

Chicago White Sox- "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." I began following the South Siders in 2000 when they were running towards a division crown. You might not believe this, but I told everyone I knew prior to the 2005 season that the Cards and White Sox would meet in the World Series and I was almost right. Peoria native Jim Thome's arrival only strengthened my ties to the team. Now if they'd only dump Hawk and learn how to build a minor league system...

Chicago Bears- No team has been more frustrating to watch in my lifetime, but I can't imagine cheering for anyone else but Da Bears.

Chicago Bulls- I can't say that I watch the NBA much anymore, but growing up in the mid-90s with Jordan and Pippen was a sports fan dream. I vaguely remember the first 3-peat but I do remember Jordan's retirement, comeback, and subsequent 3-peat repeat. I have a lot of nostalgia for the mid to late 90s NBA.

St. Louis Blues- I wasn't much of hockey fan growing up. The Blues had a minor league affiliate in Peoria but I didn't start paying attention until I was in STL for college. St. Louis has a well earned reputation as a baseball town, but when it gets cold they support the Blues good or bad and I admired that. Plus when the Blackhawks started winning cups it seemed like everyone and their mother became a Hawks fan overnight. That only strengthened my fandom for the Blues.

Liverpool FC- After the 2006 World Cup I started to take an interest in the EPL. Liverpool had a player with the same last name as me, and I had never seen a pro athlete with my last name before. That was enough to decide my fandom and I've been singing YNWA ever since.

NCAA

SIU Edwardsville Cougars- Went to undergrad there. They haven't been D-I for very long with no football team, but I'm looking forward to the day the mens basketball team makes the tourney for the first time

USC Trojans- I am a semester away from my masters from here. "Fight On" has become a personal motto. I am very proud to be a Trojan.

Illinois Fighting Illini- being an Illinois native, I believe that it's only right to cheer for the namesake state school.

Bradley University Braves- Peoria school. Some of my favorite memories with my dad are going to their games when they were a Missouri Valley basketball power in the 90s.

Chicago Fire- State team but if the MLS ever comes to St. Louis I'll probably jump ship since soccer is so big in that region.

Secondary teams I cheer for:

Washington Nationals/Capitals/DC United- I spent some time living in DC and tend to pull for these teams if they're playing.

Baltimore Orioles- I had a great uncle who lived in Maryland and I became a fan of Cal Ripken Jr. when he was going after 2131 consecutive games. My uncle told me he would take me to a game during the 1995 season when my family would be out there to visit. Sadly he died of a heart attack 2 months before we made it out there. Might sound sappy but when I finally made it to Camden Yards in 2011, I bought a ticket a for him.

Tampa Bay Rays- My mom, brother, and grandparents all live in the Tampa area. My brother is a Cubs fan so we were always giving each other a hard time growing up. The Rays have given us some common ground.

St. Louis Rams- I'll watch them if they're on.