how did you pick your favorite team?

[brinstar]

split off of the "buffalo" thread

go ahead and answer for as many different sports/teams you consider your favorite

i'll copy/paste mine from that thread to get started:

i'm a cubbies fan even though i have only ever been to chicago once (twice if you count my 17-hour layover in o'hare). i love them because growing up we had WGN on our local cable service, and they showed like 75% of all the games. harry carey & steve stone, ryne sandberg, shawon dunston, mark grace, joe girardi, greg maddux, andre dawson, etc etc etc. i spent a whole lot of lazy summer afternoons with my dad watching the cubs. they didn't win then, they don't win now, but i love 'em. always will.

i'm a texas tech fan even though i've never ever been anywhere close to Lubbock. a few years ago when i started getting into football, i watched as many games and as many teams as i could, and their play style just jumped out at me. they are 100% pure offense, spray n' pray, run n' gun, and their spread formation looks like a bunch of air force bombers when they take off from the scrimmage line. they cemented themselves as my favorite team during the 2006 insight bowl, when i talked a dozen friends into watching the game at a sports bar. they were down 31 points to minnesota at the half, and all my friends left but one-- we stayed and watched what turned out to be the single greatest bowl comeback in college football history. by the time the game was over, we were cheering so loud that our entire half of the bar had caught on and were cheering with us. awesome! will they ever win the BCS (or even the big 12 championship)? hell no, not until they get some real defense. but they're my team!

[Jay]

I'm your traditional homer but also I do have some good memories.

I was carried out of the emergency room in a White Sox blanket and grew up in the south side.

First football game I ever saw was the 85 super bowl when I was 3. It's been a downhill thing with football ever since. Call it a 22 year old bandwagon.

First basketball game ever attended was a Bulls game. Watching Michael Jordan play live is something I'll never forget. Not only did I see the Bulls back when they were getting trounced by the Pistons but I also went to the famous "Flu Game".

[Tikker]

Winnipeg Jets (now the phoenix coyotes) used to hold their training camp in regina
first exhibition game I got to see was in 1981, against the edmonton oilers. they had all these young guys, Gretzky, messier, lowe, coffee, etc etc etc

plus a great uncle told me when I was little that Wayne was going to be a superstar, and I should cheer for him (that great uncle happened to be Gordie Howe)



As for liking the Steelers, it was kind of a random thing. I picked up a nintendo tecmo super bowl game, and picked the Steelers. after that I saw a steelers game on TV, and saw Rod Woodson play. I was so impressed with him, I just started to follow the team, and have ever since

[Zanchief]

I also went to the famous "Flu Game".

Bastard

[Naethyn]

Never cared for college football as football isn't very popular in Minnesota. I'm living in the south and its a hell of a lot more popular here. Last fall I got a new roomate and he is a huge Gator fan. I ended up watching all the games with him while I played everquest.

As the season went on I became more and more interested. Tim Tebow became a favorite of mine. It was great to see defenses unsure of how to handle him. Especially when both Tebow and Leak entered the field! Soon I found myself going to espn.com to check the BCS standings. At the end everything unraveled perfectly and Florida became ranked #2. The gators went on to win the championship. Lots of fun.

Then he started watching basketball. The team returned from a previous championship to win the next. I'll admit I didn't get into it as much as I did with Tebow and the gators.

I then moved into a new place who is a FSU alumn. This lead me to a complicated situation as both of them are rivals. He took me to tallahassee to see a home game. We sat in the student section. It was the first college football game I've ever been too. The frat parties rocked also. Not to mention how great of a town Tallahassee is. 4:1 ratio with great drink specials.

I like the gator program, but I also like Tallahassee, a lot. Lol. Not sure what type of fan I am!

[Diekan]

I starting watching the Patriots on a regular basis back in 85 back when Raymond Berry was coaching them. This was when they got beat in the SB 44 to 10 by the Bears. I don't know why I started watching them... they were the under dogs going into the SB... I like the way the modern day Pats stick together. No one's the team "star" - no one hogs the lime light (like Peyton Manning). In fact Brady demands that his O line is with him when does most of his commercial spots... They don't brag, they don't boast, they just go out there and dominate. I would not be suprised one bit if they are the next '72 Dolphins. Who's going to beat them this year? The Cowboys? LOL. The Colts? Maybe, but not likely.

I started following Buffalo when Marv was at the helm. The K-gun, the Thurmonator, the whole lot... I liked to way they played together. I stuck with them through 4 SB loses and all the other garbage they've done to themselves and have been through. But I just can't take anymore.

I've always followed the Indians because I am from the state and could get most of the games during the year.

I follow Ohio State because I know so many people who've gone there, being from there, and so on...
I follow Nebraska because it's one of my alma maters.
I follow 'Bama just because I like 'em.

[Gidan]

Lived in CT and the when it came to local teams, we had the Hartford Whalers, then with a stretch we had Jets, Giants, Pats, Yankees, Mets and Sox. My family wasn't big on football and I just started watching Pats games, and as long as the giants are not playing the pats I like them too. My grandfather was a die hard Yankees fan so just started watching those games with him and have been a Yankee fan since. As for hockey, I would say I am a Starts fan simply because the Whale left CT and I moved to Dallas. I still watch Carolina from time to time but I would watch a Starts game over Carolina any day. For college football, UT works for me, they are what I would consider the local team.

[Ouchyfish]

Miami Dolphins because i was born near there and lived there until I was 10. (I was born like 2-3 weeks after they won the super bowl during the perfect season.)

Auburn Tigers because you have to pick one if you're going to live in this state. Also, I lived there for about 4 years while my brother was attending and went there for 2 years as well. Beautiful place.

Saint Louis Cardinals because back when I living in the fuckin sticks of Alabama the only entertainment I got out there was AM 1120 baseball games of the Cards. So I listened to every night game (God I miss listening to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon call the games) because Saint Louis AM couldn't be picked up during the day. I used to pray for West Coast road trips because the later at night they played, the clearer the signal. (Never cared for the Braves, though my mom loves them and has since Dale Murphy's days)

As a side note, I think the reason I despise hispanics to this day is due to the fact that their god damn Cucaracha music signal from their AM station God knows where would usually override the game signal during a CRUCIAL play.

Sorry for the long winded post lol..

[Diekan]

On a derailing note. Can anyone find a pic of Lisa Olson? For those who don't know -- back in.... ohh hell I forget the year... 90? 89? anyway she was a sports writer that was in the locker room of the Pats after a game and claimed sexual harassment when some of the players walked around naked in front of her and made comments and off color jokes. They got fined and the team got smacked with a 50,000 fine as well. I think they settled with her to the tune of 250k...

Anyway, I wanna see what this chick looks like. I can't find any pics... anywhere.

[Ouchyfish]

I heard that Victor Kiam liked Zeke Mowatt's penis so much he bought the team.

[10sun]

On a derailing note. Can anyone find a pic of Lisa Olson? For those who don't know -- back in.... ohh hell I forget the year... 90? 89? anyway she was a sports writer that was in the locker room of the Pats after a game and claimed sexual harassment when some of the players walked around naked in front of her and made comments and off color jokes. They got fined and the team got smacked with a 50,000 fine as well. I think they settled with her to the tune of 250k...

Anyway, I wanna see what this chick looks like. I can't find any pics... anywhere.

http://www.nydailynews.com/img/static/c ... _olson.jpg
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/col/olson/index.html

[Ouchyfish]

Unless the audience has seen the old Kiam shaver commercials I guess my stolen joke won't make much sense. =p

[leah]

i don't really have a favorite team but i used to really hate the huskers b/c i was born on january 2 and i'm pretty sure most if not all of their nat'l championship games were on my bday.

me: hey so-and-so, wanna go bowling or something for my birthday?
so-and-so: i would, but we're watching the husker game tonight
me: CURSE YOU, HUSKERS!!

(rinse and repeat)

also, the day i was born in 1984, the 'skers were playing in the orange bowl following a perfect season and lost to miami by one point. perhaps i jinxed them. :D

i won't lie, though, i love watching husker games now. i used to eschew everything husker-related, but since moving to lincoln, i couldn't help but get into it--the mania is kind of contagious! plus, going to games is really fun . . . i will be going to the OSU game on saturday, in fact (even if we're going to get our shit pushed in . . . sad pandas)



oh, and other favorite-team-discussion-related thing: when i was younger, i would watch hockey with my brother and our dad, and i remember we really liked the redwings. can't remember why, for the life of me, or anything about the team really, but that loyalty lives on.

[Ouchyfish]

i was born on january 2 and i'm pretty sure most if not all of their nat'l championship games were on my bday.

They played a lot on 1/2 but I think only one national championship fell on 1/2.

[Tikker]

Unless the audience has seen the old Kiam shaver commercials I guess my stolen joke won't make much sense. =p

it just wasn't funny


and wtf, you mean remmington shavers

[Ouchyfish]

Unless the audience has seen the old Kiam shaver commercials I guess my stolen joke won't make much sense. =p

it just wasn't funny


and wtf, you mean remmington shavers

Kiam used to do the commercials saying he loved the remington so much he bought the company. That's where the Zeke joke comes in. It was a misquote of his commercial playing off the reporter crying over seeing Zeke's pecker.

By 1979, Mr. Kiam had amassed enough money to buy Remington, which had lost $30 million in the previous five years, for $25 million in a leveraged buyout. Mr. Kiam was able to quickly turn around the company. He wrote and starred in Remington commercials that aired worldwide. In his first commercial, Mr. Kiam said, ''I liked it so much, that I bought the company.''

[Tikker]

Unless the audience has seen the old Kiam shaver commercials I guess my stolen joke won't make much sense. =p

it just wasn't funny


and wtf, you mean remmington shavers

kiam used to do the commercials saying he loved the remington so much he bought the company.

bleh, I read it if you were saying they were "Kiam Shavers"

not Kiam doing shaver commercials

[Mop]

Well for football. My grandparents were / are huge packer fans - thus I became one. As for the ravens, living in Baltimore and and being able to experience what M and T offers in atmosphere is outstanding it reminds me off college style games, bands, drunk rowdy people. People almost in mourning every loss.

The giants - well growing up and cutting classes for giants games was always fun. And I never really liked watching american league ball... Tho really now adays with baseball I'll root for who ever the home team is since I can't find myself watching it.

Cal - my main reason for liking them is one of my fav teachers in highschool was a huge Stanford fan... I liked to egg him on so on fridays I would wear in a cal hat - just to annoy him. Started liking the team then. And well - Auburn because I fucking <3'd Bo jackson and Frank Thomas back in the day!

[Harrison]

Massachusetts born and raised, everything Boston and New England all the way through.

[Sithos]

I'm a huge hockey fan. With the Montreal Canadians as my favorite team. My father was from Quebec and was always watching the games and I liked them but at the time I think it was only because my dad did.

But back in 1976 (I think) I was in Toronto's Sick Kids or whatever it was called back then and Montreal had just played Toronto the night before.

That morning the Montreal team as a whole visited the hospital. I got to meet guys like Guy Lafleur,Steve Shutt,Jean Belliveau, Larry Robinson, Bob Gainey, Yvon Cournoyer and many many others who are likely all in the hall of fame. Best part was that they were there for 4-5 hours or so and sat with many of us kids through our treatments or whatnot. We got autographed team and player pictures along with pennant flags with the Montreal logo. I actually still have my pennant with over a dozen signatures framed and on my wall. Through the years though I have lost track of the pictures themselves I was (well my mother actually got them) given tickets to the next Montreal/Toronto game which was like two months away or something but I missed it as I was in and out of Sick Kids at the time and had left the weekend before the game.

My biggest surprise came though when I got home about a week and a half after all this. I had mentioned my love of dinosaurs (what 6 year old didn't love dinosaurs back then?) to Larry Robinson and he and I actually talked about them for awhile. When I got home there was a parcel waiting for me and inside was dozens and dozens of plastic dinosaurs and a 1 page letter. Guess he had gotten our address from my mom and had them sent there.

So needless to say since that day I have and always will be a HUGE fan of them. I had up until that point liked them from a distance because my dad did. But that all changed in one day. You should have seen my dad. He was green with envy

[Gaazy]

What was wrong with you Sith?

[Diekan]

I never understood the thinking that mandates one supports the team(s) from the state in which they're from. Such a very gay rule. We should petition the Commish to do away with such a stupid *rule.* For the Commish is wise... very wise!

Not... THAT Commish...


THIS Commish -->

[Sithos]

I had a kidney problem called Nephrosis or Nephrotic Syndrome. Can google it if ya want, but basically my kidneys didn't work to well and I was losing protein (specifically Albumin) and when it got bad anything I drank basically wouldn't come out and I'd swell up, yay edema. Overall my body was losing albumin (protein that makes the blood stay in the veins and cappilaries) and this caused my blood to actually leak from my veins into the surrounding tissue. So I was always in danger of blood poisoning,internal hemmoraging and all sorts of other fun stuff. Up until I was 16 I was on dialysis to clean my blood and was also taking shitloads of pills

[Haylo]

Football: Redskins and I don't know how long ago it started, I can remember playing with a clown fashioned out of the burgundy and gold when I was around 4 though. The 'skins have won, they've sucked, they've been everything in between. I have no doubt that when i'm 90 i'll still be hollering at the screen over a 'skins game. I can't imagine ever having another favorite sports team. As i've gotten older i've liked other teams here and there but never as favorites. My "2nd" favorite team has been the 'pats since Tom Brady took over for Bledsoe. Everyone else in my family likes the Colts in the AFC, I hate the colts, I love the pats I can't wait till they play each other.

[Diekan]

Don't let fishhead hear you say that or he'll call you a bangwagoner for have a *2nd* team and all. According to him you're only allowed to like teams that you were born near and are never ever allowed to change, no matter what the situation.