Dilemma

[AbbeyBF42]

Not to mention that colleges tend not to move around too much.  They just get rid of programs (I'm still a little sad that I never got to see that Carnegie Tech-Pitt rivalry, not that any of us have ).

Hey Abbey, at least we still have Pitt-Duquesne... Such as it is...

Since when was that a rivalry?

My grandma told me that when she was at Carneige Tech, if you even spoke with someone from Pitt you'd get in trouble with a few students. It went beyond just football, had to be crazy. Now CMU has an extremely minor football program and has very few sports that actually compete outside of school, it's kinda sad. Then again, I don't know who would want to compete in their gosh awful stadium, have you ever been? I remember Maccabi cermonies there *Shudder* it's not a cool place.

[vicfurth]

Go with who wins more...

I'm just playin', mind you. I like Dallas, but I'll always have a soft spot for my Chicago Bulls. I've loved them ever since Bulls-Suns in 1993 (hey, I was six. That's the only time I've liked a team because they were winning). Find a team and stick to 'em like glue.

Oh, and Joel, you want commitment? I got two words... Texas Rangers

[the_cynic]

Find a team and stick to 'em like glue.

I really don't think our society is capable of such a thing.

[plattopus]

It's a bit different when you're on the other side of the world though. Fair enough some people have commitment problems with teams, but when you have no real emotional or physical connection to a team (ie. you just want someone to barrack for), I don't think switching willy-nilly is such a big deal.

I personally don't know which team I go for. I have always been a casual fan of two teams: the Bulls and the Sonics. I liked Seattle because of their colours and partly because of their logo. I liked the Bulls because of MJ, plain and simple. Now I've gotten over the Sonics logo, and MJ is no more... so I could easily see myself changing teams once again. I don't see what's so wrong with that. It's not like I'm hurting any teams by not barracking for them... I can't affect TV ratings or attendance figures.

[the_cynic]

I liked Seattle because of their colours and partly because of their logo. I liked the Bulls because of MJ, plain and simple. Now I've gotten over the Sonics logo, and MJ is no more... so I could easily see myself changing teams once again. I don't see what's so wrong with that.

It's quite amazing to me that people can switch teams just because they like the logo. I just don't get that!

[plattopus]

Well I would have been about 10. It helped that Kemp, Shrempf and Payton were all on the team though.

Now that I can actually follow the game of basketball, I would make a more educated guess on who to go for... but at the moment I'm content just to follow the game as a whole and not one specific team.

[the_cynic]

Well I would have been about 10.

Hmm, I knew all the rules of the game when I was 10. I understood it all.

[-kj]

Well I would have been about 10.

Hmm, I knew all the rules of the game when I was 10. I understood it all.

But were you trying to follow a game half the globe away from you? It's kindof like me trying to keep up with the AFL--I don't really have a particular favourite team, since I don't have any geographic or emotional ties to the clubs.

[Saintsfan]

I kind of have that problem with US sports! I sort of support the Boston teams, except that I have never really gotten into the Bruins (Don't know why exactly!) But I don't really know why! But I have a soft spot for the Bobcats. Part of it is the colors. The Basketball team in the town I live wore orange unis when I was very little (They were sponsored by Ovaltine!!) But I love how the organisation has behaved so far- they seem quite classy for a young organisation. And I hate that the Hornets left taking a pretty cool name with them and leaving a bad one behind for the Bobcats!

[pittunited]

I started following Tottenham Hotspur because I though the name was funny.

[MilTownMVP]

I think that is a bigger problem in hockey within the past decade. The NBA went through a period of at least 20 years without moving a team (not exactly sure when the Clippers moved to L.A.) before the Grizzlies moved to Memphis. I can see why fans would be pissed in the Hornets situation but for the majority, the NBA has great owners who do give back to the community. I think it's the players like Shaq, Michael Jordan, Alex Rodriguez, etc., players who make tons of cash each year really plague sports now. It all goes back to the free agency thing.

Before the Grizzlies, the last team to move was the Kings (KC to Sacto). But yea, now that two teams have moved in the past few years and another one is set to move, people get paranoid and stop supporting teams thinking they'll move. Then the owners want to complain about no loyalty from the fans.

Regardless... I always support the Wisconsin teams in every sport (Packers, Brewers, Bucks). Marquette would be my favorite NCAA team if they played football (even if they are a bunch of punk arse rich kids), so at least for now, it's UW.

The one monkey wrench in all this is the Maple Leafs. I could've been a Blackhawks fan, but I can't bring myself to pull for a Chicago team after hating them in every other sport. I could be a Preds fan since that's my Admirals parent club, but I hate Nashville. I could've been a Thrashers fan since their top guy is a Badger alum, but the Ads rivals, the Chicago Wolves, are the Thrashers d-club. I couldn't go from hating the same guys in the AHL to lovin' them in the NHL.

I was going to roll with the Red Wings since they have somewhat of a decent following in Wisconsin, but I wanted this to truly be an oddball team. So I settled on the Canadian team in the closest proximity to me... the Leafs.

[Saintsfan]

I started following Tottenham Hotspur because I though the name was funny.

And then the frustration began!!!

At least supporting a smaller team like Southampton you never feel like you should be doing better!

[pittunited]

I started following Tottenham Hotspur because I though the name was funny. 

And then the frustration began!!!

I'm used to following teams who struggle in futility. I'm a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.

[Saintsfan]

I started following Tottenham Hotspur because I though the name was funny.

And then the frustration began!!!

I'm used to following teams who struggle in futility. I'm a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.

Well who knows one day Tottenham might improve! Oh sorry this isnt the joke thread is it!!

[pittunited]

As long as Spurs aren't in the relegation fight again this year, I'll be happy.

Growing up, I noticed a lot of kids jumping on whatever bandwagon was hot at the time--a kid who liked the Bills one year would follow the Cowboys the next, a Celtics fan became a Bulls fan, etc. It was like changing fashion... they went with whoever was cool at the time. And that's totally natural, because everyone wants to feel accepted.

I, on the other hand, stuck to my guns and followed my uncool Pittsburgh teams, because I'd followed them all my life and I wasn't going to change just because my teams stunk. My teams were a little part of my hometown that I carried with me all the time, and I would (and will) stand up for them 'til the day I die, through good and bad.

[the_cynic]

Before the Grizzlies, the last team to move was the Kings (KC to Sacto). But yea, now that two teams have moved in the past few years and another one is set to move, people get paranoid and stop supporting teams thinking they'll move. Then the owners want to complain about no loyalty from the fans.

I don't think fans are becoming "paranoid" or panicing that their team is going to move. Which other team are you talking about that's set to move?

[plattopus]

To clarify bs2282, I knew the rules of the game (heck, I started playing when I was 4), but back then there was no cable TV coverage of games, and certainly not any games broadcast free-to-air, so I had to catch NBA Action every Saturday morning to get my NBA news. Without actually seeing full games or getting familiar with certain players from watching them regularly, there's nothing to base your preferences on when you start barracking for a team.

Now that I think about it... I think the reason I like the Sonics was because I saw some footage of Shawn Kemp on a video my older brother bought. Kemp was always my favourite player until I gradually lost interest in the game... so he was probably the main reason I chose Seattle.

Anyway, nowadays all I know is that I don't like the Lakers, the Wizards, Orlando or Memphis. I really couldn't care less about most other teams... I just follow the game as a whole.

[lordholmes]

I'm from the Charlotte region. And was always a Hornets fan. The Shinn/Woodridge regime really turned me off to the team. I was hoping those two would sell the team, had that been done Charlotte would still have their franchise. After the Hornets left I never followed them again, and actually pulled for them to fail. (I still hoped that even if the Hornets left the city could keep the name like Cleveland did with the Browns )

I support the Carolina region because it's always been my home. With you being outside the US, I guess you have to deiced if you liked the Hornets for the region, or the logo, owners, color, etc.

[Gregmond]

I think I'll follow Plattopus's lead and just follow the league as a whole for the time being. I've always liked the Bulls (from the MJ days) and the Celtics (the history), but for the time being, I'll just try and keep in touch with the lot.

I'm hoping to go to Canada next year, so maybe a visit to a Sonics or Raptors game will win me over!!!

As for the thing about loyalty, I've followed my AFL club since I was 6, and they've been the worst club in the league over the past 20 years. Of course you just don't change club when you have an sentimental attachement to them, but when all your catching is news highlights and scores, it is difficult to get attached.

Thanks for all of the opinions, very interesting reading!

Cheers,

Greg