Switching sports fandoms

[FiddySicks]

I always felt that it's cool to have a favorite local team, and a team or two you cheer for casually who's not local, or vice versa.

For example, I'm a Sharks fan first and foremost and have always been a fan, but when I was a young kid and first getting into hockey, I absolutely LOVED the Philadelphia Flyers. It wasn't till Puckguy hooked it up with some Sharks tickets and I went to my first game that I really stuck with the Sharks as my #1. Philly is still my #2 in hockey.

I've always been a huge San Francisco Giants fan, but there was definitely a time when I liked the Oakland A's just as much. Growing up in a house with a dad who's a huge Cardinals fan and a mom who's a huge Giants fan made me try to avoid taking sides come playoff matches between the two. I also worked for the A's for a few years, so it seemed only natural to be an A's fan. It was only when I moved back home in 2008 and didn't have the option of watching the A's (no cable deal up in Tahoe, yet they were still blacked out on MLB.TV) that I firmly decided on the Giants as my permanent #1. A's are still my favorite AL team, and I do have a lot of love for the Cards, but I'll never like either as much as the Giants. Living in Phoenix now and having D Backs season tickets also makes me like the D Backs quite a bit, but as much as I try, it's just not going to ever be the same. I'm always so much more excited for the Giants to come to town than I am for any other team, and it just feels dirty to root for two teams in the same division. But baseball is easily my favorite sport and I can find a rooting interest in any game that doesn't involve the Dodgers or Yankees/Phillies.

I was a big Niners fan when I was REALLY little because of my dad, but I became a Bucs fan really early. Tampa is always gonna be my #1, but the Raiders and 49ers will always be #2 because they're the local teams. They interchange quite a bit due to certain circumstances. Early in the 2000s it was the Raiders at #2 because my cousin played for them, and now it's the Niners because Colin Kaepernick is my favorite player in the league due to the time I spent going to UNR.

For college I've always been a huge Tennessee fan because of family. I've been a Tennessee fan longer than any other team. I also love the U of Nevada Reno because they're the local college team and I went there for a short time. Both of those teams hit the back burner when I got into Arizona State, though. There always seems to be huge contention when discussing the merits of saying "we" or "us" when it comes to sports teams, but paying an institution nearly $20,000 a semester gives you that right IMO.

I've never really cared for basketball, but the teams I root for are the local teams (Kings, Warriors) and whoever Lebron plays for (unless he ever signs with the Lakers).

[DDR]

I've always been a Packers fan so this doesn't apply to me, but I've heard of other people adopting the Pack as their favorite team after purchasing a share of the team. Owning (even a small) part of an NFL team seems like a legitimate reason for switching.

[smzimbabwe]

I would only switch my pro allegiance if one of my children was drafted and played for a different team other than my favorite...

[Sport]

I cheer for probably the worst combination of three professional sports teams. I haven't seen one of my teams advance in the playoffs since 1995 and I was 8 years old.

The only way I'm changing allegiances at this point is if one of them moves. And even in that scenario I'd probably just stop watching that league altogether.

[pcgd]

The closest thing i do is I root for Indianapolis teams in passing now that I've lived here for 6 years. I won't go out and buy any apparel, I don't have season tickets, but if they aren't playing one of my teams, I root for them.

[Cujo]

I suppose my recent post discussing my 2nd Favorite Teams, more or less, belongs in this thread.

NFL #2 - Denver Broncos (raised in Colorado)

MLB #2 - Arizona Diamondbacks (all games broadcast in New Mexico)

NHL #2 - Los Angeles Kings (currently living in SoCal)

The older I get, the more and more I find myself supporting some teams which are a little more local to where I've lived. It's actually starting to feel as if I should've been supporting some of these teams all along. Part of me almost wants to switch alliances because I'm not shy of my local pride, like maybe I once was when I selected my current faves as a teen. I suppose time will tell....

If I were to eventually switch alliances, should I feel any guilt or shame for turning my back on a team I've followed for over a decade? For example: If I did fully jump aboard the Kings fan wagon, I feel as if I'd have to explain myself everytime someone would point "Aren't/weren't you a Oilers fan?". Doing that would get real old, real fast. Not to mantion, you could come off looking like a total ass (as if I don't already.) In the end, I'm not even sure if it'd be worth it.

[chuckymack]

I think there are acceptable reasons for switching team allegiance. For example, I was raised a Hoosier fan. However, if I'd have received a football scholarship, you'd better bet your ass I'd have switched teams REALLY quick.

Aside from not being employed by/attending a college or team, I'd consider relocation an acceptable reason to switch.

[Alex Houston]

My dad introduced me to the NFL in 1998 when I was 5/6 years old, he was a Packers fan so just to be different I chose the Bucs (who were a divisional rival til 2002) as my team and I chose Warren Sapp as my favorite player (as my dad's favorite player was Brett Favre). When I got to be 11 or 12 (2004 season) I started to root for the Packers along with my dad, because I guess I was to the age where I wanted to be more like him. And finally after the 2009 season and constant disappointing seasons from the Bucs, I officially replaced them with Green Bay as my favorite NFL team.

When I started following college football (2004 season), I chose Wisconsin as my team since I was born in Milwaukee. However my dad and I took a road trip across the Upper Midwest (summer 2011) including visiting Lambeau Field as well as Camp Randall. Disappointed in the visual lack of tradition and history in the program I decided to change allegiances- I narrowed down my search to Notre Dame (which I eliminated because they weren't in a conference), Penn State (which I eliminated because of the Sandusky scandal), and Michigan, eventually choosing Michigan which I began supporting starting in the 2012 season.

Wait, as a Tampa Bay with similar upbringings (NFC Central divided up the family), why would you go back to the Packers right after Tampa won a Super Bowl?

I had the Bucs as my favorite team and the Packers as my second favorite from 2004-2009. Plus since realignment I couldn't watch the Bucs at all. I'm from Northern Indiana and we only get to watch Bears, Packers, and Vikings games in the NFC regularly on local channels.

Ah, makes alot of sense. I do miss being able to watch Tampa twice for sure each Sunday and then getting them again when the they would play a divisional rival in the early or late games. Granted, the feeds online mitigate it, but still, it would be great if I could just pay a flat rate to watch out of market teams, instead of a bundle just because it benefits the league.

Yeah I get that, what got you into Tampa sports in the first place if you're not from the area?

Sorry, I didn't see that you asked a follow up here.

When I started thinking of a team to follow for football, I considered who I had direct exposure to. The Bears were comically bad all of my childhood and I never got a hook to cheer for them, even when they made their '01 appearance under Jauron. My uncle and cousins are Packer fans and I didn't care to join them there and my other uncle is a Vikings fan, though there wasn't much of a hook there either, even though they were more exciting to watch with Cunningham, Moss and Carter.

That left Tampa and Detroit. I already didn't like the Tigers and Red Wings, so I gravitated towards the Bucs. It also helped that their uniforms were pretty slick and they recruited local talent in Mike Alstott and John Lynch. I was somehow rewarded with their win in '03, but have lost alot of fervor for them because of the inept way the franchise has been handled the last couple years. Gah, Chris Simms, really? I was contemplating a switch to the Colts with Andrew Luck, so at least I'd like a regional team, but I'm giving Tampa another year or two to try and find some direction again, before potentially rethinking a switch.

[Alex Houston]

I cheer for probably the worst combination of three professional sports teams. I haven't seen one of my teams advance in the playoffs since 1995 and I was 8 years old.

The only way I'm changing allegiances at this point is if one of them moves. And even in that scenario I'd probably just stop watching that league altogether.

I admire your commitment. Hopefully, Lumbus starts to generate some more winning seasons, so you can get closer to getting a banner raised in your team's barn.

[Alex Houston]

I always felt that it's cool to have a favorite local team, and a team or two you cheer for casually who's not local, or vice versa.

For example, I'm a Sharks fan first and foremost and have always been a fan, but when I was a young kid and first getting into hockey, I absolutely LOVED the Philadelphia Flyers. It wasn't till Puckguy hooked it up with some Sharks tickets and I went to my first game that I really stuck with the Sharks as my #1. Philly is still my #2 in hockey.

Since I've kind of gravitated towards Boston as a potential new favorite, I'm curious - Do you have any Flyers gear or find yourself reading any Flyers websites since you consider them a second team? I'd imagine some friends would give you a weird look to see you rocking a Couture jersey one week and a Hexall jersey the next.

[Sport]

I cheer for probably the worst combination of three professional sports teams. I haven't seen one of my teams advance in the playoffs since 1995 and I was 8 years old.

The only way I'm changing allegiances at this point is if one of them moves. And even in that scenario I'd probably just stop watching that league altogether.

I admire your commitment. Hopefully, Lumbus starts to generate some more winning seasons, so you can get closer to getting a banner raised in your team's barn.

Thanks, but don't call us that.

[omnivore]

I root for local teams I grew up with in the form of the NY Jets and NJ Devils. Baseball makes no sense, but I've always been a Blue Jays fan since my early teen years. It helped that I became a real fan when they won the first of two titles, but I feel like suffering loyally through the past two decades of no playoffs has earned my core fandom. I've considered switching a few times since I didn't grow up there. I've been to like 50 or so home Cardinals games when I lived in the area, plus they're an NL team so it's less like cheating. But I just felt weird about switching. And then I've lived in Rockies country for years too and even saw my first playoff game thanks to them but again just feels odd. I couldn't even root when they were winning. It was just so bittersweet.

So yeah...I think basketball is the only sport where I'm a free agent. I was proud as a Jersey native when the Nets made those finals back to back with JKidd, but never could call myself a fan especially post-moved to Brooklyn even if it's close (and I hated the move, but think it's better for them ultimately...) So I don't know who my rooting interest will be in the NBA unless I end up somewhere that I can connect with a club.

[infrared41]

I've always been a Packers fan so this doesn't apply to me, but I've heard of other people adopting the Pack as their favorite team after purchasing a share of the team. Owning (even a small) part of an NFL team seems like a legitimate reason for switching.

Yup. Count me among them. There's something about those stock certificates that changes everything. Speaking of which, I got my shareholders meeting tickets in the mail yesterday.

It also helps that the Browns who play in Cleveland now are not the Browns I grew up with. I'm still a Browns fan, but it's nothing like it was before the move. Hard as I tried, I couldn't recapture what I had with the original team.

[Nyk33]

The only thing close to switching fandoms that I am doing is becoming a Cosmos fan until NYCFC comes and I have a team in the top division of US Soccer that I can connect to.

[infrared41]

I cheer for probably the worst combination of three professional sports teams. I haven't seen one of my teams advance in the playoffs since 1995 and I was 8 years old.

The only way I'm changing allegiances at this point is if one of them moves. And even in that scenario I'd probably just stop watching that league altogether.

I admire your commitment. Hopefully, Lumbus starts to generate some more winning seasons, so you can get closer to getting a banner raised in your team's barn.

Thanks, but don't call us that.

Ever.

[cameroncrazie07]

I could never see myself ever switching from any of the teams that I follow in professional sports. Never could I root for anyone besides the Cowboys, Knicks, and Rangers in their respective leagues, and in the MLB I'm pretty much set with the Yankees. Although if the Mets ever got really good again like back in 2006 I would definitely find myself going for them in the playoffs if the Yanks were already eliminated. Unlike most of my fellow Yankees fans I don't really dislike the Mets at all. As for collegiate sports some of you may be shocked after looking at my username to hear that I'm not really a huge Duke fan anymore. This is mainly due to the fact that I'm going to St. John's in the fall. I'll root for Duke, but not nearly as passionately as I used to.

[ElwoodCuse]

Every reason for liking a sports team is illogical and nonsensical unless you have some kind of finanical interest or an actual connection with a player or something. Who cares, root for who you want.