Why do you root for a non-local team?

[TorinK29]

My "big four" teams that I cheer for outside of where I've ever lived (not counting the Blue Jays)

Football:

1: Chicago Bears: I don't know. I was young, it was an According To Jim phase and I wasn't that much into the NFL then.

2: Saskatchewan Roughriders: I went from hating football to loving it in a year and I had to pick some Canadian team...

Basketball:

3: Oklahoma City Thunder: My dad used to work down south a lot and it sure as hell beat cheering for the Raptors

Soccer:

4: Chelsea F.C.: I don't even know why, but I've sure been one of the most obnoxious fans in Ottawa

[MellowTheMyth]

Growing up in Jackson, MS, there's always been the lack of a major pro sports team my entire life, so I've had no choice lol. But maybe you could say the Mississippi Braves are the closest thing to root for, even though they are the Atlanta affiliate.

As far as colleges go, I grew up a fan of Jackson State as it is the closest college in proximity and many of my family members attended there, So I've always supported them in football and other sports. Second would be Mississippi State, mainly because I'll be starting college there this fall, but I've been following them since the Jackie Sherrill days & the infamous Snow Bowl game with Texas A&M.

In pro sports, I grew up a huge fan of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, and have been, basically a lifelong fan. I owe it to my dad for getting me into football and loved to watch with him. I remember he was a Miami Hurricane fan & he'd follow those guys into the NFL; through that, I found Ray Lewis, and the Ravens and all. So that's where I became a Ravens fan, and I'll never forget being able to witness their 1st Super Bowl season. In baseball, my best friend actually "recruited" me into being a Red Sox fan. Although I don't watch baseball often, I mainly watch them. My hockey team would be the Detroit Red Wings, mainly because I have family that lives there and they're big fans of them. I had always loved hockey,but never really had a team to root for until then.

[hailstateunis]

When my father was young, the only NFL game they got on tv was the Super Bowl, and he became a fan of the Steelers because they were in most of the Super Bowls in the 70's. And he passed that down to me. Also, I live about an hour from the poster above me, so no local teams.

[BLUELANDbeliever]

My family is from Freedom, Pa and growing up we always took trips to Pittsburgh at least every 2 months so they grew on me in that respect. When I was 10, i went to live with my aunt up in Beaver Falls and being fairly close, my cousins and I would often go into the city for games; Pens, Steelers (rarely), and mostly Pirates. I moved back to Georgia when I was 14 and ever since have been a Pittsburgh and Atlanta fan.

Nowadays, with my Thrashers being forced out of the city by its former owners, I consider my 'hometown' hockey team to be the Nashville Predators. I always hated the Hurricanes when the Thrashers were here, and given that Nashville was closer, I picked them.

Ole Miss Rebels, my dad is an alumni and many of my high school friends and teammates went there. Occasionally i'll go out for a weekend to catch a game and visit.

[maz]

I root for non-local teams because, simply, I like the team, or they have a sentimental/nostalgic connection. Occasionally uniforms play a big factor as well.

Football:

Giants - When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the Steelers. Because of that, I developed an irrational hatred of the Patriots that lasts to this day. So when the Giants ruined the Pats' perfect season, well, I fell in love. Then when they beat the Pats again a few years later, that just reinforced it. Plus I'm a Manning fan, and I like their uniforms.

Hockey:

It used to be the Red Wings because of their logo and uniforms and how they used to be a real powerhouse, but that stopped for obvious reasons. Still a Zetterberg and Datsyuk fan, though. Now it's...

Blackhawks - Always liked their speed and skill. They remind me a lot of the Penguins in that regard, and how they climbed out of the basement at basically the same time. I've always been a Kane fan, and now they have another one of my favorites in Hossa. Always liked their uniforms (I actually own a white Hawks sweater). Then they beat the Flyers in the Finals, which solidified me as a secondary Hawks fan for life.

Kings - It started when I was kid because I thought their black and silver uniforms were so cool. Then when they changed to the ones with "Los Angeles" along the bottom I thought that was really cool too (now not so much). Over time I started to like the team itself. I've always liked Kopitar, Scuderi, and Quick. And Carter now that he isn't a Flyer. Then when they caught fire last year I jumped on the bandwagon and never got off.

#Lumbus - They were a cool new team when I was a little kid (I thought their name was awesome), and I thought it was cool to have another team so close to Pittsburgh. One of my favorite hockey memories ever involved them when I was in the third grade and I got to sit three rows back from the glass for a preseason game against them. I've been to three games in their arena, and each time has been a wonderful experience. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate fans. I was at a late-season game the year they made the playoffs and the feeling of excitement and optimism in that building was fantastic. Just too bad some of my fellow Pittsburgh fans haven't been very gracious and caused this board's resident Jackets fan to hate us. I look forward to many matchups against them and trips over there starting next year.

Sabres - They had some run-ins with the Penguins in the playoffs when I was a little kid, so it comes from sentimental memories. Now, I love their uniforms, became a Ryan Miller fan in the 2010 Olympics, and have always been a Thomas Vanek fan. Went to the Winter Classic there as well as a regular season game last year, and while their fans aren't exactly welcoming or friendly from my experience (granted, being from Pittsburgh doesn't help), I admire their passion.

Baseball:

Nationals - My Uncle lived in the DC area from before I was born on up to a couple years ago, so I've always had a personal connection to our nation's capital in that regard. He bought me a shirt when the Expos moved down there, and I really liked their logo (now, not so much. Glad that thing is gone). The building he used to work in is actually right across the street from their new park just beyond the outfield stands. He retired right when it was completed, so he never got to sneak any peeks out the window at any day games. Always loved their curly W hats. Really not a Bryce Harper fan, though.

Soccer:

Crew - The most obvious reasons: Closest team to Pittsburgh, and they wear Pittsburgh colors.

[Funky Bunky]

I root for the local teams (Ducks, Angels, Chargers, USC), plus the Arizona Cardinals. If I ha to list my top ten favorite sports teams in order, it would be like this:

1 Ducks

2 Angels

3 Chargers

4 Cardinals

5 USC

6 Devils

7 Texans

8 Chelsea FC

9 SF Giants

10 Clippers

[CS85]

To answer this you need to define "root."

[kiwi_canadian]

My reasoning for not rooting for the local team is because I'm not from here. Originally I'm from Victoria and a proud BC guy. Being the craptacular economy that BC has and their lack of teaching position in the Province, I've had to move to Edmonton. I will always root for the Royals against the Oil Kings, Canucks against the Oilers, Whitecaps against FC Edmonton, Lions against Eskimos and so on and so forth. It's a little bit of home pride really.

[bucknut40]

Raised in Dayton, Ohio (About an hour north of Cincinnati) I grew up going to Reds games all the time, I root for the Browns though because of my dad and the Bengals weren't around when he was growing up. I really started watching and understanding football the year Ohio State won the National Title and I have been a die hard fan ever since.

For those of you who follow me on twitter, you have probably seen my battle and hatred of the University Of Dayton. My dad attended Wright State and always took me to there basketball games. Although the fan base in Dayton for UD and Wright State is a huge difference and I took alot of heat from people for rooting for the small school

[Graham_Clayton]

When I was taking an interest in Australian Rules football, the AFL was still called the Victorian Football League. It was a 12-team competition, with 11 teams located in Melbourne, and only one non-Melbourne team, the Geelong Cats. So that is why I decided to follow the Cats.

With Rugby League here in Sydney, I lived equidistant between the Parramatta Eels and the Penrith Panthers, so by rights I should have chosen one of those twpo teams. Instead I supported the North Sydney Bears, as they seemed to have very fans. When I watched them play, I could understand why. They were terrible, and if they actually got into a winning position, they would invent a new and bizarre way to lose the game. Following them was like being a professional masochist!

[AJpackers]

I'm from Fort Wayne, Indiana.... My dad is a Packers fan and it's the only sports team he really likes and watches with any regularity. Besides that he works for the company which was formerly known as Zollner Pistons- the company which originated the NBA franchise now known as the Detroit Pistons back in 1941. Because of this, these are the only teams I have ever felt any real connection to. I've always liked the idea of rooting for teams from a certain area but the Brewers are in the NL which I never watch, so I support Detroit teams (except for the Packers).

[LAWeaver]

Everyone around here in SE Ohio is either a Bengals, Browns, or Steelers fan. I wanted a team to root for that was different. This came around when New England won their 18 in a row. I have been rooting for them since. Plus if a team beats the Pats in the playoffs, I root against them from there on out.

[pluggerplugger1]

NBA: OKC Thunder. I'm currently 18, but in middle school I was reeeeally into playing basketball (despite me blowing at it). Anyway, I was the tallest and lankiest kid on the team. At the time, the U of TX had Durant, also lanky. So I began cheering for him, naturally, and the Sonics and eventually OKC. Me liking the Sonics eventually lead to me liking the Mariners and Seahawks (although my Twins and Vikings are always my favorite teams in their respective leagues. I just 'like' the Mariners and Seahawks).

MLS: Seattle. Honestly, I just like them because of their colors and the fact that it's an American city that gives a crap about soccer haha.

EPL: I need a team to root for! I liked Man City 2 years ago but that was bandwagon-ish of me. I'm in the process of decided between Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs...but I still don't know

Then again, I guess EPL wouldn't apply here, since it is very obviously an 'out of town' league. In the AFL and NRL of Australia, I root for Carlton FC and Brisbane solely off of their uniforms/logos, so there's that.