What is the right reason and amount of teams to root for?

[Jt0323]

I dont get rooting for multiple teams. I am from NY and I became a Yankee/Dolphin/Avalanche fan as a kid. And still a fan to this day. Call it weird for rooting for Dolphins and Avalanche but i have my reasons. I cant imagine rooting for another team even if the Dolphins havent been good for a while. I still root for them. Can't pick another team

[Dexter Morgan]

These threads make me scratch my head. There isn't a "right" reason to root for a team. Does it really matter why you root for a team? and why do you care what other people think of that reason? Fandom isn't a book report, there are no guidelines.

[hailstateunis]

NFL-

Steelers- My dad's favorite team, so I inherited it growing up.

Saints- Closest team to were I live.

NBA-

No real favorite, I usually just pick a team to root for at the begging of the season. This year it's the Thunder.

MLB-

Again, no real favorite, I just have teams that I like and teams that I like. The reason I like most of the teams I like is because I've been to see them play. I like the Braves, Rays, Cards, Rangers, Angles, Rockies, Orioles, underdogs.

NHL-

I don't watch hockey.

College-

Mississippi State- Where my dad went and where I plan on going.

Southern Miss- I live less than an hour from campus.

[bosrs1]

These threads make me scratch my head. There isn't a "right" reason to root for a team. Does it really matter why you root for a team? and why do you care what other people think of that reason? Fandom isn't a book report, there are no guidelines.

Agreed. I mean everyone has their own personal reasons (or at least I hope they do), but almost any reason is a good one. I know for myself my two reasons are geography (either former or current) and family/friends.

Geography Former:

Oakland A's

San Jose Sharks

San Jose Earthquakes

Sacramento Kings (at least until the Maloofs move them)

BC Lions (closest CFL team to NorCal)

Santa Clara Broncos basketball

Geography Current:

San Diego Padres

Lake Elsinore Storm

Family:

New England Patriots

California Golden Bears football

San Diego State Aztecs football & basketball

[HedleyLamarr]

I find the "Lights Out" method of cheering for teams odd. Rooting for teams all over the country, all outside of your local area, and in various parts of the country is weird to me. Part of being a fan of the hometown team is sharing the highs and lows with the rest of the community. After years of being separated from the fanbase as a Columbus resident, I'm really enjoying being a Reds fan in Cincinnati again for that reason.

Root for who you want, but if your favorite baseball team plays 2,000 miles away from you, you're missing out on a lot of the fan experience.

Supposedly Lights Off lives in southern California, so his Chargers and Clippers fandom is understandable. Don't quite get why he supports the Rays. Don't believe the reason why he roots for Boise State.

As we all know by now, Lights Off is a pathological contrarian. He's a reverse-bandwagon rider. He picks teams that routinely suck, hoping they finally become a winner, so he can say how he was "on the ground floor" so to speak. And he's a douche. But I'm not one to say how you can pick a pro team to cheer for.

College teams are different, though. There's only three reasons why you should throw your support towards a college program:

1. You went to the school.

2. You live near the school (within a 2-3 hours drive, or at least within the same state border).

3. You have personal (as in family) ties to the school.

Any other reason is a BS reason, in my opinion.

[IceCap]

I find the "Lights Out" method of cheering for teams odd. Rooting for teams all over the country, all outside of your local area, and in various parts of the country is weird to me. Part of being a fan of the hometown team is sharing the highs and lows with the rest of the community. After years of being separated from the fanbase as a Columbus resident, I'm really enjoying being a Reds fan in Cincinnati again for that reason.

Root for who you want, but if your favorite baseball team plays 2,000 miles away from you, you're missing out on a lot of the fan experience.

Supposedly Lights Off lives in southern California, so his Chargers and Clippers fandom is understandable. Don't quite get why he supports the Rays. Don't believe the reason why he roots for Boise State.

Actually I think he's somewhere in New England. He once said that if the Expos were still in Montreal he'd be a fan because they would be within driving distance. I think he also said he was "a west coast sports fan in an east coast sports fan's body."

I'm not sure what his stated reasons for following BSU are.

College teams are different, though. There's only three reasons why you should throw your support towards a college program:

1. You went to the school.

2. You live near the school (within a 2-3 hours drive, or at least within the same state border).

3. You have personal (as in family) ties to the school.

Any other reason is a BS reason, in my opinion.

Agreed.

[FGM13]

I don't approve of bandwagoning or of cheering for over than 4 teams in the same league, even though I bandwagon once in a while myself.

NHL

Edmonton Oilers-My Dad is a diehard Oilers fan, and living in northern Alberta, they're the closest team.

Winnipeg Jets-I jumped on the Jetwagon last summer and have been a fan ever since.

MLB

Toronto Blue Jays-They are the only Canadian team. I was just a loose follower until this summer, when I really got into baseball.

Cincinatti Reds-I am a huge fan of Joey Votto, since he's Canadian, and I feel pity for a team stuck against the stupid Cardinals.

NFL

Houston Texans-I don't really follow the NFL until the playoffs, but if I had to choose one team it'd be the Texans.

CFL

Edmonton Eskimos-Same reason as the Oilers.

Toronto Argonauts-I gotta cheer for Ricky Ray, and I also love Chad Owens and Chad Kackert.

NBA

Haha, no. I hate basketball.

[mjrbaseball]

I don't believe in having more than one favorite team in each sport. However, when I watch a game, I will inevitably find myself rooting for one team or another; I am almost never neutral.

Of course, if the outcome of the game somehow affects "my" team, the decision is easy. (Sometimes not so easy, like when the Yankees are battling the Orioles for first place, and Baltimore is playing the last-place Red Sox.)

But this past summer, I was visiting a friend in Washington and I found myself cheering for the Nationals to beat the Giants. Maybe I got caught up in the crowd. But since it did not affect the Yankees, how could it hurt?

[GuitarPunk2512]

mets, islanders, jets for me. i know i like all the losers who do nothing but embarrass their fanbase year after year, but i just cant like the other teams, just somethign about them i find no interest in.

[spartacat_12]

I noticed people liking the Nats because they used to be the Expos... well, I can top that: I actually rooted for the Expos and went to a game. Crappy stadium, crappy team, everything had to be said in English and French, but it was definitely a cool thing to check off my bucket list.

My first ever major league game was Expos-Dodgers at the Big O. This combined with the fact that their AAA team played in Ottawa made my entire family Expos fans. I lost interest when they moved but a part of me was rooting for the Nats this year. As far as reasons for cheering for a team go I don't think there are any really wrong ones. The important thing is the level of commitment. Don't call yourself a fan of a team unless you are actually watching their games or following them online if you can't watch the games. With that being said you should only be a fan of one team per league. Any more than that and you are just contradicting yourself. This doesn't mean that you can't like other teams, you just shouldn't call yourself a "fan" of them. While I absolutely hate the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans, I have more respect for a Leaf fan that has stuck with them than someone who grew up in Toronto so they like the Leafs, but also loves Sidney Crosby so they also cheer for the Penguins, and has family in Detroit so they are a fan of the Red Wings too.

[RoughRiders99]

Now it's deep into the NFL playoffs, with only 8 teams left.

As I stated in my original post, I was following the Vikings.

Now that they're out of the playoffs. I'm not really sure who I'll root for, but I'll still watch the games/playoff just for the fun of it.

But I was wondering about you guys....if your team's out, then who do you root for and why? Are those reasons valid or not valid?

Just thought it'd make for a good discussion.

[Rockstar Matt]

Good question.

I tend to root for teams with players I like, uniforms I like, or for teams playing others who I hate, just to see them lose.

Example: this year I was rooting for the Seahawks because they were playing the Redskins. Or the year before that, I rooted for... *gulp* the Patriots because they were playing the Giants.

Since the Cowboys didn't make the playoffs, and the Redskins were eliminated, I'm rooting for good football games instead of a particular team.

With that being said, I'd rather see the Packers, Niners, Seahawks, Ravens and Broncos win the Super Bowl instead of the Patriots, Falcons and Texans.

[MellowTheMyth]

NBA:

Chicago Bulls - I grew up a huge Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen fan, so it was only right for me to root for the Bulls. I guess you could say I've been a lifelong fan anyways.

Oklahoma City Thunder - Big fan of Kevin Durant in his lone year at Texas and I've continued to follow him since. Definitely love the way OKC has emerged as a young force in the league.

NFL:

Baltimore Ravens - Have family that lived close to Baltimore & attended the games, so I root for them as my favorite.

New Orleans Saints - They are the closest thing to a local team for someone who lives in Mississippi. Great offense, horrid secondary though, lol.

Houston Texans - Similar to OKC in how they've built themselves up & I'm a big fan of Foster and Andre.

MLB:

Boston Red Sox - I've never been the biggest baseball fan, but I follow the Red Sox by way of my best friend who got me on track and I've never really been fond of the Yankees.

NHL:

Detroit Red Wings - Family in Detroit and they got me hooked to the Red Wings.

College:

LSU - Got hooked to them back in '03, as a kid, when they won the title, and since then, I've always rooted for them.

Mississippi State - I live in Mississippi and I despise Ole Miss. On top of that, I hope to be attending there in the fall.

Jackson State - Nearby HBCU and a few people in my family attended.

Northwestern Oklahoma State -Related to Daryl Richardson (uncle), former LB of the 1999 undefeated team.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Surely it's acceptable to like a team for their logos and colors, right? I think everyone in my third grade class like the Bengals because tiger stripes, Thundercats and Battle-Cat!

[illwauk]

College teams are different, though. There's only three reasons why you should throw your support towards a college program:

1. You went to the school.

2. You live near the school (within a 2-3 hours drive, or at least within the same state border).

3. You have personal (as in family) ties to the school.

Any other reason is a BS reason, in my opinion.

Man, a lot of Catholics who don't live in Indiana are gonna be pissed.

[max]

1. geographical proximity

2. family history

3. previous geographical proximity

4. what follows these criteria?

[OnWis97]

I don't believe in having more than one favorite team in each sport. However, when I watch a game, I will inevitably find myself rooting for one team or another; I am almost never neutral.

Of course, if the outcome of the game somehow affects "my" team, the decision is easy. (Sometimes not so easy, like when the Yankees are battling the Orioles for first place, and Baltimore is playing the last-place Red Sox.)

But this past summer, I was visiting a friend in Washington and I found myself cheering for the Nationals to beat the Giants. Maybe I got caught up in the crowd. But since it did not affect the Yankees, how could it hurt?

I think that is a little different. You are not "claiming" the Nationals as "one of your teams". You are not saying "I am a Yankees fan and a Nationals Fan." I go to a lot of ballparks and my wife tends to cheer for the home team, whereas I pull for whichever team (or stay neutral) same as I would if watching on TV.

I am now pulling for the Texans (JJ Watt, Owen Daniels, Garret Graham), Broncos (Jim Leonhard) and the Seahawks (John Moffitt, Russell Wilson and Chris Maragos) because they have former Badgers (throw in Niners third-string QB Scott Tolzein). But I am not going to run around the streets naked with green and blue paint on celebrating the Seahawks super bowl (an exaggerated version of how I'd act if the Vikes actually won the super bowl). I am not going to buy a shirt and claim that I am some big fan of the team. That's reserved for the Vikings (sadly).

Those other teams I "pull" (as opposed to "cheer") for fluctuate based on players, championship droughts, stadiums, etc. But that's just based on my preferences in championship runs. I have one team in each sport.

[BigBubba]

Now it's deep into the NFL playoffs, with only 8 teams left.

As I stated in my original post, I was following the Vikings.

Now that they're out of the playoffs. I'm not really sure who I'll root for, but I'll still watch the games/playoff just for the fun of it.

But I was wondering about you guys....if your team's out, then who do you root for and why? Are those reasons valid or not valid?

Just thought it'd make for a good discussion.

With my sad-sacked Leafies out of the playoffs for the past eight years ( ), I usually end up cheering for the teams of players that I like (eg. Pittsburgh for Crosby and Malkin), teams playing my rivals (Habs and Sens), or teams that I just like (eg. Vancouver). Same goes for the Blue Jays as well.

[nuordr]

NCAA Basketball

1. Kentucky Wildcats - Growing up in my household my parents always watched or listened the the Wildcat games. There was no other option when it came to basketball. Even though Louisville was only 30 minutes away, I was raised with one motto that I still stick by today: "UK all the way, U of L can go the Hell." Fast forward some 30+ years and even though I have degrees from WKU, and George Washington University, Kentucky is the team that I pull for regardless of their record.

NCAA Football

1. Kentucky Wildcats - See above.

2. Teams from the Southeastern Conference - I am fully aware that Kentucky has traditionally not been great in football. Sure the program goes through spurts where they play good for four-to-five years, but then they falter again. But there is something about champions being in one conference and that is why I love the SEC. One team can be dominate in one sport while playing mediocre in another and the conference is fine with that because not everyone can be the best in both sports.

Major League Baseball

Generally, I am not the biggest fan of baseball because the sports is boring and too slow to watch (but it is fun to coach). With that being said, in my household growing up my father always loved two team, while my mother loved one and out of the three I have traditionally pulled for two of them and they are:

1. Boston Red Sox - My father grew up loving the Braves and the Red Sox and as for me I could never get into the Braves except for Dale Murphy so I started paying attention to the Red Sox and they just stuck with me over my lifetime.

2. Cincinnati Reds - The Big Red Machine is the greatest collection of baseball players ever in my opinion. I love the Reds and when I was a kid, I was a huge Pete Rose fan and to this day I still am.

NBA

1. Boston Celtics - Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson! What more could a kid ask for when it comes to a great collection of professional basketball players?

NHL

1. Colorado Avalanche - In the 1995 NFL season when Art Modell (Douchebag) announced that he was moving the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore a piece of my heart died. So the following year, I did not watch much football and started watching hockey and the first game I ever saw was the Colorado Avalanche and I saw this player named Peter Forsberg that I immediately liked and my hockey tradition started.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins - In most sports I usually try to pull for at least one team in each division/conference and in the NHL, I really like Lemiuex and Jagr from the Pens and I have followed them ever since.

National Football League

I love football! It may be blasphemy for me to stay this, but my love of the sport may be slightly higher than my love for Kentucky basketball. Traditionally, I grew up a fan of the Cleveland Browns mainly because of my father. He always talked about the greatest RB ever in Jim Brown and I immediately started following the Browns. That of course ended in 1995 when the team left for Baltimore. In 1999, I tried to get into the team, but it just was not the same for me and now I would consider myself a fan of many teams starting in this order:

1. New England Patriots - Bill Belichek was the last coach of the Browns and I believe he will do down in history as one of the best coaches ever.

2. Houston Texans - I liked them from day one and the funny thing is that I always hated the Oilers.

3. Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning - Marvin Harrison - Reggie Wayne!

4. Miami Dolphins - Dan Marino, Mark Clayton, Mark Duper, Don Shula!

5. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Rooney family are the greatest NFL owners ever! Class act organization.

6. Tennessee Titans - I loved the early years in Nashville with Eddie George and Steve McNair.

7. Detroit Lions - Barry Sanders, Calvin Johsnon

8. Atlanta Falcons - I loved this team back in the 90's with Jerry Glanville and Deion Sanders.

These are team I despise the most:

1. Dallas Cowboys - America's team my ass.

2. San Francisco 49ers - Montana was good and Rice is the best WR ever, but I still hate this team.

3. Washington Redskins - Not a fan, never have been, never will be.

4. Kansas City Chiefs - Class act owners, just not a fan.

5. New York Jets - Ugh!

[north dakota]

NHL - Buffalo Sabres - local team

NFL - Buffalo Bills - local team

NBA - Cleveland Cavaliers - closest American team to Buffalo, Kyrie Irving is a great player

MLB - Cleveland Indians - my grandpa was a huge Tribe fan back in the day

NCAA - Buffalo Bulls - local team, my dad's school

I just can't be a fan of a team that isn't geographically close to where I live