One week until Thanksgiving. Please share your family’s sports team’s history.
Goldenage
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Example:
Dad born in 1938 in Massachusetts followed the Red Sox, Bruins, and GB Packers.
Born in 1965 I followed the Sox, A’s, Dolphins and Steelers, but the wishbone and option of NU vs. OU in the 70s and Bama and the SEC passion took over.
Bruins are my jam. Went to many NY Cosmos soccer games in the late 70s and loved Bayern Munich then after they destroyed the Cosmos and still do today.
My boys follow the Patriots, Celtics and Pacers, Bruins and Bayern.
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My father was born in 1949 and loved the Steelers and still does
Here is a fun fact about me.
I was born in 1970.
Around 1975 I'm thinking is the time frame and I was laying on my parents bed watching an NFL game.
A kickoff was returned all the way down to the 5 yard line or something and I remember being excited and asking what team that was and my father said "That's the Dallas Cowboys"
I said "That's my favorite team"
I followed the Cowboys through the Aikman days and to this day I still closet like them but I'm all Patriots and have been since the Grogan days.
Red Sox is my family's other team
None of us are into Btuins or Celtics too much
My father was born in Altoona, Pa. in 1926 and my mother was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1925. They both followed the Indians and told me stories about riding the street-car to League Park during the 1930's depression and just afterwards. I remember as a young child that my dad would be gone on Sundays after church and he wouldn't get home until 5-6 o'clock. After I found out he was at Cleveland Browns games I would wait for him to tell me what happened.
One Sunday when I knew he'd gone to a game I waited and he came home much later and seemed to be in a really, really good mood. I didn't understand till a few years had passed, but he was drunk after celebrating the Browns championship game in 1964. He saved the ticket stub and gave it to me about 20 years ago.
Grew up in Northern Illinois. My whole family were Cubs and Bears fans (except me, I had to be different).
My little league team was the Yankees, so I wanted to be Bobby Murcer (when he was a Yankee). My best friend in grade school moved from Pittsburgh the area and he was a Steelers fan. So when OJ went gonzo on the Steelers , I became a Bills fan so I could say the Bills took down the mighty Steelers.
My Dad was a die hard Cubs fan, but always had the idea that the league would never let the Cubs win. My Dad passed away January 2016, the year they finally won the WS and he did not get to enjoy.
Most of the family became Bulls fans upon the arrival of MJ.
My Grandma was a Detroit Tigers fan.....She was born in 1893 and grew up in Detroit. She used to tell stories about the Tigers and Ty Cobb. She would tell about when she was a girl....the kids would go to the Tiger park and wait around outside.... They had no money for tickets.... But!.....After the game started, someone would come out and tell them, "You kids can come inside....but...you all have to sit together. Don't run around, don't get out of your seats...and....Be very well behaved!". .....And she used to tell me about Ty Cobb......She said, " He had a really big car and the kids would wave at him and he would wave back."......I didn't believe her......How could anyone ever see TY COBB?!?!.....IMPOSSIBLE!...... Then one day I looked on the internet for Ty Cobb photos.....There it was!.....The Big Car!!
Grandma was telling it the way it was.....
When the Tigers went to the World Series in 1968(?)......She was so excited!..... We had no electricity connection on the ranch at that time.....But my father who was an electrician, got a small T.V. and somehow hooked it up so she could watch the series...... Battery?..... Anyway, I miss her.....A French Canadian girl who somehow made it out West......Made the best doughnuts EVER and boy did she love those Tigers....She also kept a loaded shotgun by the kitchen door.....Just in case some traveling salesman might show up!......Wonderful Woman.....She used to play the piano..... Us kids would stand by in the light of a kerosene lamp and sing...Home Home On The Range,.....A Bicycle Built For Two,.....and.......TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME!......I still have that kerosene lamp....I'm looking at it right now.....Memories......God, How I miss Her.....
Great thread idea @Goldenage 👍👍🏈
My dad was from Clarksburg, WV born in 1934, he was a Korean War vet (Army) and a huge Cowboys fan which passed down to me naturally. Mom was from Sayville, Long Island, NY and was born in 1937. Mom was all about her NY Yankees and the Miami Dolphins, she loved Don Shula! I was born in 1967 in E Patchogue, Long Island, NY but soon after we moved to Pompano Beach, FL where I've been ever since! My teams are the Cowboys (NFL), the Braves (MLB). and the Canadiens (NHL), and in college football it's my beloved Miami Hurricanes!
Those Browns teams were amazing.
First Bills fan I ever met. It’s there Year this year.
Love your grandma and old tigers stadium.
Laying on your parents bed is one of the most relaxing and comforting feelings as a child.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, and that is where my fandom lies in terms of the four American major sports.
Born in 76. My Dad passed when I was 5. Have some great memories of him. These include a Red Sox game, and watching boxing and baseball. He loved Jim Rice and got me a signed ball and one of his bats. He was a pretty good athlete I have been told. He did some amateur boxing (golden gloves), and supposedly received an offer to pitch for Harvard. He was a southpaw. He had some demons, and never ended up going to college, or living too long. He died a few years shy of 50. Not too long after he died , my Mom and I moved closer to her parents. To a small beach town where a lot of her family lived also in Massachusetts. Holiday memories include sitting around tv sets with cousins and uncles watching games.
Super Bowl XVII. 1983. Redskins vs Dolphins. I was turning seven. My Mom and I attended a SB party, I believe hosted by one of my Dad's old work friends. This was after he had died. At that time I wasn't quite into the Patriots (this would ramp up two years later during the buildup to our destruction by Chicago). I was playing with some kids, and I remember every time I came into the living room there were men seemingly upset. I think they must have had money on Marino and the Dolphins. Well, seeing the Redskins win turned me into a Redskins fan. That fandom ran sort of parallel with my Pats fandom and completely disappeared by the time we drafted Drew Bledsoe number one.
I played sports into early high school, but I was never a very good athlete. But I rooted hard for the Boston teams. Went to a good handful of games at Fenway and the old Boston Garden. One or two Bruins and mostly Celtics. Saw my two favorite athletes (Bird and Rice) play numerous times. My love of boxing from my Dad included rooting for his favorite boxer, Marvellous Marvin Hagler.
I moved to NYC in 1999. I was living there when the Pats won their first SB, and when the Red Sox won it in 04. I moved to Texas in 06. I still root for my Boston teams, but I am pretty inundated in Mavs and Cowboys stuff to the point that I know them a lot better than my own teams. I really enjoyed being down here for the Mavs title. Dirk always did it right. And two Texas Rangers WS defeats were really something to experience. I watched on the edge of my seat as they blew several chances to win it all. It's different watching these teams. They aren't mine, and I don't feel the joy or pain. But I liked that Rangers team.
Thanks for reading!!
okay, that's enough...for now...lol
Those are FANTASTIC memories. Thank you so much for sharing!
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
My turn. Maternal Grandfather born 1932. Father born 1951. I was born in 77 and have always lived in Central Maine. Dad never really watched or was too into sports except boxing. He was an Ali fan and kept up with him. I got my team sports fandom directly from my Grandfather. He was a big Sox fan stretching back into the 1940s. Of course, Ted Williams was his guy, and he was able to travel down to Fenway and see Ted play in 1949 I believe it was.
sports first started coming into my world in the early/mid 80s. Mostly by listening to sox games on the radio with Granddad, and listening to him talk sports with my uncles. I well remember the 85 Patriots destruction in the Super Bowl, and the terrible 86 world series. As I became more interested in team sports around this time, Dad started watching with me and he became a big fan himself. We went to many many Sox Games at Fenway from the late 80s through the 90s. got to see all the big names from that time period play, except Griffey. we always missed the Mariners for some reason. We were at the game where Canseco came in and pitched and blew out his elbow back in 93. my brother and i saw him jog out to the pen in right field and went down and security let us watch Jose warm up from about 10 feet away, while hanging on the railing.
Dad, myself and my brother started going to Cooperstown for induction ceremonies in 1994. not every year, but we have been to probably a dozen over the years. super fun. a great guys weekend. i have fantastic memories from those times.
Gramp and Dad are both gone now, but I love to reminisce over the times we spent at games, watching on the tube and going to the HOF. Man I miss those guys so much.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Sorry about your dad.
I have three boys and almost died.
Very emotional time.
My dad saw Ted play and served with him in Korea. Was at the 67 series and 85 also.
My mom has a picture of her dad born in 1903 pole vaulting in college into a pit of sand. Also we have a couple pictures of my dads grandpa (born in 1884) posing with his town team baseball team around 1914 or so. Especially on my dads side a love of baseball seems to go back a long way. My dad was a big fan of Stan Musial and the cardinals. He was a good athlete, qb and captain of his high school football team. Yearbook pic of him as homecoming king crowning the queen, mr all American boy.😊 my mom had a couple cousins who played with mantle in the Yankees minor league system but I don’t think they made it to the majors.
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Thank you. It shaped me. I believe God doesn't make mistakes. I have 3 kids, and I've had a few near death experiences. I just passed the age my father was when he died, or I will in a few months. This has been handing over me for years, and I am looking forward to hitting 50.
I've noticed that a lot of you guys are from the Boston/Massachusetts area.....You love your Red Sox and I assume you don't like the Yankees...DUH!......SO I've got a story I think you will like.....It's long but be patient..... It all ties in at the end....Here goes....
In 1969 I got my driver's license. The best part about it was that my friend and I who were Dodger/Angels fanatics could drive to the games in Anaheim. It's only 35-40 miles away from here. During batting practice, before the ushers would chase us away, we would sit in the front row next to the visitors dugout. Well, the Senators were in town. Ted Williams was walking by. My friend, who is a baseball memorabilia nut to this very day, asked Williams for his autograph..... No problem. We both got one......What really made an impression on me was how young he looked....You know, anyone over 30 is old to a teenager.....He was a very good looking man....physically fit, tanned, an athlete.... He was very engaging..... liked to talk.....He asked us if we played baseball. We told him we did. My friend was the left fielder and I played first base on our high school team.......So we three started talking baseball...... At some point he must of asked me what my first name was......Anyway, he asked about our game and began giving us pointers for improvement. I told him that I had trouble with hard hit low grounders right on the line......I'm right handed. He told me to play a step closer towards second base than I usually do. He said it would give me a better angle on the ball...see it better....the ball won't be coming straight at you. Wow!....Ted Williams giving me coaching help!....Wow!!!......It gets better......
The next time the Senators came to town, there my friend and I were, in our seats next to the visitors dugout. Williams spotted us and came over for a chat!....He addressed me by my first name!!!.....I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!.....TED WILLIAMS KNOWS MY NAME!!!!...Then he asked how my play at first base was going..... any improvement?.... I was awestruck! He remembered!....I was one happy kid! Ted Williams!!!...... There's more......and a moral to the story at the end...
I've told this before, but it's worth repeating... It all ties in. The All Star game was at Dodger Stadium....1979/80(?) I don't remember the exact year......Somehow, The Lovely Mrs. Hydrant™ and I ended up among a group of oldtimers......I got the tickets for the game from the same friend who was my companion at those Angel games long ago.....As I said, he was and still is a collector of baseball memorabilia. I thought it would be a nice thing to get the old timers to autograph my program then I would give it to him as a thank you present...... So,....here I go......I went up to of all people Joe DiMaggio. He was standing next to Don Newcomb and Roy Campanella was there in his wheelchair..... I asked The Yankee Clipper for his autograph......He said, (exact quote and very surly), "You got a pen? I don't carry that sh*t with me!"........ Don Newcomb rolled his eyes, then reached into his pocket and handed Joltin' Joe a pen......This is where it gets good..The young Lovely Mrs. Hydrant™ took the program threw it on the ground and said something to effect of, " Here's what you can do with your stupid autograph, shove it where the Sun don't shine!".....I remember for a fact that she said, "NOBODY TALKS TO ME THAT WAY!" It was hilarious!!!.... Everyone laughed!......I'm not finished..... There's more......
Growing up and reading everything I could get my hands on about baseball, I loved Sport Magazine, I was always led to believe that Ted Williams was a taciturn, moody, S.O.B.......and that Joe DiMaggio was just God's Gift To Earth!!!!
Moral Of The Story.......
Don't believe anything you read and only half of what you see.
Mark Twain
NICE MAN
NOT SO NICE MAN
Hydrant, thank you for writing about your encounters with Williams and DiMaggio, that was a really enjoyable story. 👍
My pleasure Darin.......There were other things about Williams that I left out.....many things..... It would just be too much......
But I do want to add.......He left a lasting impression on me....Such a nice man.....You could see the genuine character of him by looking at his eyes.....he really cared.....
Another thing he told me......about hitting......"Just take your time, be relaxed,.....wait for your pitch".....When I look at his autograph that he gave me it is a perfect reflection of a man with the "Take your time, be relaxed, wait for your pitch" philosophy of life........He signed in beautiful, legible, perfect script.......He wasn't in a hurry, he was relaxed, A man who had the wisdom to be patient..... And wait for his pitch.....I took it to heart.....I think about him often.....Meeting him was a wonderful experience for a young man...
Two more things and then I'm done.....One...He was a SoCal kid, like me...He grew up in San Diego..... So maybe the communication was helped by that.....#2.....He said, "Always a nice level swing."
I'm Outta' Here....
My Dad was born in 1956, we lost him in 2017 to cancer, it was the worst day of my life losing him, I still have my mom and she's 68 years old now and lives right up the road from me so I go see her everyday to make sure she's got everything she needs. I have lived in Greensboro North Carolina my entire life, we didn't have an NFL Team until the Carolina Panthers were established in 1995, so I was never really a hardcore fan of any particular team. My first memory of watching football was watching the 49ers and the Bengals Super Bowl with my dad and the Niners were losing and we thought the Bengals were going to win, and then Joe Montana led the famous drive down the field and scored, I thought it was so cool the way Montana led that drive, and I remember being fascinated how he could do something like that under so much pressure, I was hooked after watching that Super Bowl. I remember growing up, every Thanksgiving all the kids in our neighborhood would get together for our annual Thanksgiving Day neighborhood football game, and my dad would referee us and break up fights when they broke out. I'll spend this Thanksgiving eating and watching football with my wife's side of the family and my side of the family, same as every year. Football and Thanksgiving is a tradition that I look forward to every year. Then after football and eating is over, I'll do the same thing I do every year, get liquored up and pass out in the craziest place possible!
I know that we have a large contingent of members here, and some are here everyday practically and some more intermittently. It is my hope that as stragglers come along and read this, even after Thanksgiving, they write or react to something here.
Well, I agree Showboat......The best way to get new members and keep them?...... EASY! .....Acknowledge their first contributions on the forum..... Just hit the like button!....And respond with a "Welcome Aboard!"...... That's the hook.....It's works on the Coin Forum..... That's what they do over there!......Spaceyduke tried to tell us....awhile back.....Smart man! Let the new guys know that someone is reading their posts....Otherwise,.... They just think they're talking to a Brick Wall!....
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@Hydrant - I really enjoyed your Ted Williams story. I got to meet Ted towards the end of his life. I used to be the curator of the San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum. The museum was founded by a man named Bob Breitbard, who was a high school friend of Ted, and their friendship lasted their entire lives. I had a handful of occasions to sit in on conversations with Bob (we called him Mr. B.) and Ted.
If you have read The Teammates, by David Halberstam, it talks about the end of Ted's life, how Bob Breitbard brought him to San Diego to get better healthcare than he was getting in Florida. Mr. B. paid for everything -Ted's medical care, a condo for John Henry (Ted's son and a real Pop Tart), new computers for John Henry to run his business while he was in San Diego, etc. It was really one of the most touching exhibits of friendship I've ever seen and I will never forget it.
I don't collect baseball, but one thing I have is Mr. B's senior yearbook from Hoover High School in San Diego. Mr. B. and Ted are both pictured with senior class. I think Mr. B. was maybe the more well-rounded student, but Ted knew what he wanted early in life.
Thanks for sharing that Hydrant!