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How Did You Become a Fan of A Certain Sports Team???

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Worked with a dude from Liverpool who talked about the Premier League and Merseyside nonstop. I had never followed the sport so I started educating myself. Once I got a feel for the teams and players it was easy to find my new team - one who had just hired a ginger-haired Scot to manage the club.
David Moyes and Everton have been my team for 10 years now and I couldn't have made a better choice. COYB!!
 
Honestly, when nearly every player on your team is bought from some other city or whatever, I simply cannot understand anyone supporting what they consider to be "their" team. That shit only made sense back in the past when teams were genuinely comprised of locals.
 
storybook77 said:
Born and raised in middle Georgia, and my dad is from Alabama thus fan of the University of Alabama and all of the Atlanta pro teams.
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This, plus dad went to UofA, but I wasn't born in Georgia, though raised there. Liked the Braves for awhile, but now I'm a pro fan-for-hire. Any bidders?
 
Toronto Maple Leafs - Around 1989 I saw a quick blurb about Dave Keon on the TV, my dad doesn't care for hockey so I had to research myself to find out what team he was on so I could see the guy with my name. Years later after watching the Leafs waiting for Dave Keon to appear I became a fan and learned soon afterwards Keon played 20 years before I was even born. :(

Toronto Raptors - Always been a basketball fan, once a team came to Toronto it was logical.

Toronto Blue Jays - Dad was a huge fan, so I naturally loved what he loved.

Cleveland Browns - I was fooled by these assholes. I was a casual fan of the NFL for a few season and decided I wanted to take the plunge but I needed a team to follow. I decided it couldn't be a team that was already up there I needed a team that seemed like it was on it's way up that I could grow with. By chance the Browns came off a 10-6 season behind the cannon arm of Derek Anderson and the immaculate catching hands of Braylon Edwards. I chose them and have been swallowing sadness on a regular basis ever since. :(
 
Suairyu said:
Honestly, when nearly every player on your team is bought from some other city or whatever, I simply cannot understand anyone supporting what they consider to be "their" team. That shit only made sense back in the past when teams were genuinely comprised of locals.
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Most of the time, athletes are "adopted" by the city they're playing for, and vice versa.

Kobe's from Philly, but he's associated more with LA.
 
outside of my hometown teams (toronto), its mostly caused by certain players...

pittsburgh penguins: lemieux + jagr
boston celtics: pierce + walker

that was a like a decade ago, but fortunately the penguins now have crosby, and the celtics now have...well a bunch of good players.

don't follow sports as closely that much anymore. nowadays its a bit hard to get excited about my hometown teams. the mid-90s was soooo good for sports in toronto.
 
Iowa State University: My mother got her job there when I was 2 years old and I graduated college there. I live in a small town 10 miles away from Ames, Iowa.

Seattle Mariners: Ken Griffey Jr. Although it broke my heart, I stayed with the team after he left for Cincy and shunned my childhood hero when I was 15. M's for life, yo.
 
Born and raised in Cleveland so I love the Browns, Indians, and especially Cavs. Lebron is cocksucker number 1 in my book, but if he really wants to come back here in 2 years thats fine with me. I hate every team not from here....as any LOYAL fan should.
 
Born into it I guess. My dad is a Rams fan so I grew up a Rams fan. I still am even though it's really hard to root for them at times. I also was born and raised in LA so I'm also a Dodger fan. McCourt made it really tough to be one so I'm glad he's gone. Hopefully the club can get it's collective heads out of their asses and win something for a change.
 
Born and lived in sfla for thirty years ive been a dolphin, heat and marlins fan. got sick of management, dumped the fish for the rays. Now i live outside atlanta and have a passing interest in the hawks and falcons.
 
I grew up in and still live in Northern Virginia so I root for all of the DC teams. I fanatically follow the Capitals, DC United, and the Nationals. I also root for the Wizards and Redskins but I don't watch those leagues as much. I also take great interest in my college's basketball and football team. I've never understood fans who root for schools like Kentucky/Duke but have never went to that school.
 
My father played for Woody Hayes and with Archie Griffin at Ohio State, and I grew up in Columbus. Didn't have much of a chance to root for anyone else. We moved to Minneapolis when I was a teenager, and really started paying attention to sports, so I adopted the Vikings, North Stars and Timberwolves.

So yeah, my sports life has been pretty miserable.
 
I only really watch hockey so I root for the Canucks. Wouldn't support any other Canadian team, especially from the hurtin albertan province.
 
My Dad played football at LSU and so I was raised a fan.

Before I didn't care too much about football till I went an saw an LSU game in person. after that I started watching
and that was the first year the Patriots won the Super Bowl, they were the team I rooted for. So I also became a fan of them.
 
To start, I live in Virginia Beach and have been here most of my life. My mom is British and was raised partly in England and partly in Germany(where I was born). We lived in Italy a few years as well, but I've mostly grown up here in VA Beach, where there's really no 'home team' of any sort.

New England Patriots - my dad was from Boston and was a big football fan(played in high school), so ever since I was a kid, I was cheering for the Patriots, which used to be a painful experience. Its been nice to see them rise to power and objectively, they have one of the most exciting offenses to watch, so I have no qualms about being a Pats fan, no matter how much they're hated now.

Scuderia Ferrari - Formula One is my passion and I started watching casually around 2005. Ferrari's were(and still are) my favorite road cars, so I chose to support them at the time. They weren't very good in 2005, but I soon discovered their racing history and saw what they were capable of in the next few years. I like that the team is the only one thats been around since the beginning of F1, and even before that, the only reason they ever started making road cars was to fund their racing program. They're a very passionate team and I enjoy that.

I've still yet to pick a team to support in soccer. I dont watch MLS, only European teams and international competitions. I'm leaning towards Bayern Munich at the moment, but I've also really enjoyed watching Barcelona's slick passing and Messi of course. I dont want to just pick the 'best' team, though. Bayern Munich is an exciting, relentless team to watch and are from my country of birth, which is a plus I guess. I dont know if they'll be 'my' team in the future, but I'm definitely rooting for them in the Champions League at the moment. I dont like Ronaldo, so Real Madrid is out of the question at the moment. Also followed Everton for a little while when Landon Donovan was there along with Tim Howard.

Most other sports I watch, particularly different racing series, I generally follow individual players/drivers/riders.
 
Borussia Mönchengladbach (Football/soccer) - Because it is one of the local teams where i grew up and since my oldest brother and my uncle both support this team my choice was clear.

I'm also a fan of Liverpool, but only because they have a supporter friendship with Mönchengladbach since the Hillsborough disaster.
 
I follow individual players in rugby union, not really teams per se.

So each season I root for whichever team has the most of my favorite players. This year it's the Crusaders and the Rebels. A few seasons ago it was the Highlanders and the Hurricanes.
 
Cardinals baseball fan since childhood. Its a religion here in St. Louis.

Blues fan, if they win the Cup this year, I'm going to have to call off work for a few days.

And oddly, a Cleveland Indians fan. Loved Major League when I was a kid, and started following them along w/ the Cardinals. Have to have an AL team to root for, and they now have the longest AL drought without a World Series.
 
Born in Frankfurt -> Eintracht Frankfurt (since 1977)

Loved the Niners, hated the Cowboys.
Also always took them in "John Madden American Football" on Amiga -> San Francisco 49ers (since 1992)

Thought having Rodman and Robinson on the same team is hilarious -> San Antonio Spurs (since 1994)
 
LA Dodgers: Brother was a fan of Orel Hershiser since he was a big figure in the Christian community. Had a big poster on his wall. I loved and played baseball and there was no team in Florida when I was very young so I started following the Dodgers. I was too young to truly appreciate 1988 sadly.

Orlando Magic: From Orlando, self-explanatory

Tampa Bay Bucs: Team is about an hour from Orlando.

Florida State Seminoles: I was actually a Hurricane fan when I was really young for whatever reason.. Wide Right I and II were actually a happy moment for me (I think there is still a 6-pack of Coke bottles commemorating the UM championship that followed WR I at my folks' home). My oldest brother decided to go to FSU for college though back in 93/94 so I switched allegiances since I had a personal connection. Ended up going to FSU to see the football games.. was saddled with Jeff Bowden and Chris Rix during my years as a Nole. Sigh. I live in Austin now so I have season tickets to the Longhorns but I'm not necessarily a fan.

Manchester City Blues/Citizens/Whatevers: Noel and Liam are massive fans so I was exposed to them over the years. I've only become a bigger fan of soccer/football later in life so I'm not a diehard by any means but I do follow them closely. Soccer has probably become my second favorite sport to follow nowadays behind college football.
 
Lived in STL my whole life so I naturally love the Cardinals, Blues, and Rams and have a natural irrational fan hatred of every sports team in Chicago. I also root for the Phoenix Cardinals since they were our team when I was a kid. Bidwell can eat a dick.
 
born in Atlanta, parents were braves fans. Moved at an early age but still watched the braves on TBS. And of course it was the 90s so they were in the playoffs every year.

I honestly don't know if I would be as much of a baseball fan if it wasn't for TBS, which is scary. I guess there were Cubs/White Sox on WGN though. Eww.
 
Dodgers: By force; I hate baseball.

Lakers: I live in LA and they sometimes win; Don't care unless they win a Championship because I love riots. Hate basketball too.

NFL: Currently looking for a team.
 
Texas Longhorns (football) - I went to UT, and went to all home games (and many away games)

Clemson and Georgia - inherited, that's where my dad and mom went to school, respectively

Texas Rangers - Going to games

Chicago Blackhawks - Going to games

LA Dodgers - Going to games

I used to be a big Cowboys fan, but they lost me in the 90s. I haven't really latched onto an NFL team since. I tend to root for particular players more than teams. Even so, I enjoy watching games.

I live in LA, but hate the Lakers. I'm down with the Clip, though. I lived in Chicago, but have no love for the Bears. So regional or city affiliation doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be a fan of a team.
 
Cork City Football Club - local team, lived 10 mins walk from TC for many years. Go to most home games.

Ireland - National team, planning my 1st away trip to Germany for WCQ.

Aston Villa - grew up in a Villa-mad household, my first love as a sports team and am a former ST holder and regular day tripper/barstooler.

Cobh Ramblers (RIP) - other local team, they'll be back hopefully.
 
ihearthawthats said:
outside of my hometown teams (toronto), its mostly caused by certain players...

pittsburgh penguins: lemieux + jagr
boston celtics: pierce + walker

that was a like a decade ago, but fortunately the penguins now have crosby, and the celtics now have...well a bunch of good players.

don't follow sports as closely that much anymore. nowadays its a bit hard to get excited about my hometown teams. the mid-90s was soooo good for sports in toronto.
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You'll be miserable come 9.45 Friday night so :lol

edit - oops my apoligies I the quoted wrong person, my reply was directed at the Bohs fan!
 
I live in NY and my family are huge NY Yankees, Giants, and Rangers fans. When I was 8 I became a huge Oliver Kahn fan which made me a Bayern Munich fan.

It's science.
 
We always had shit-assed teams here (Houston) so I have to find reasons to love other people's teams while we run around, unable to find our asses in the dark.

I've always been a fan of the Steelers. When I was growing up, they were to be feared. Consequently, I get along real well with people from Pittsburgh.

I also like Arsenal. Gotta respect people with a big ass cannon on their team flag.
 
leeds10.jpg


Really didn't give a monkey's about football growing up despite my old man being a big Notts Forest fan. In my early twenties in student digs lived with a buddy who was a big Leeds fan. Both of us grew up in Wakefield. There's no pro team in Wakey, so Leeds are our local team. He had it on all the time, started to watch with him, got into it like I never thought I would.

Now I know I will always be Leeds.

FOOTBALL!

Great idea for a thread btw.
 
Indianapolis Colts -- I was a little kid watching the first NFL game I can remember. My favorite color was blue. The Colts were the team with the cool blue uniforms and the horseshoe.

That's it.

The others:

LA Dodgers - Born and raised in LA
USC Trojans - Alum
Utah Jazz - Really loved watching them in the Stockton/Malone era. Was a great era for basketball in general, actually. Never really liked the Lakers.
 
Grew up in the Pacific NW => Canucks, Mariners, Seahawks.

Loved Yzerman, Shanahan, Federov => Red Wings
Needed someone to root against the Yankees before the M's got "hot" (and since they got cold again) => Red Sox
Red Sox => Patriots

I've never been to Boston and yet I like their teams. Except the Bruins, fuck the Bruins.
 
Cute girls look cuter in Flamengo jerseys.

Who doesn't love a team that has St. Paul as their mascot? (Sao Paulo)

Mariners gave away free hats.

Sounders just plain rock.
 
Born in Michigan, but in the part where most people are Packer fans. God, I hated the Packers with a passion that I reserved today for Democrats.
Love all Detroit teams and the Spartans of course, since I went to school there.
Lot of Spartans here, I've noticed.
 
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