Why are you a fan?
Axtell
Posts: 10,037 ✭✭
in Sports Talk
What makes you root for the team(s) you do? Is it because your father/brother/family rooted for them? Are you close geographically to that team?
I have been a fan of the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Bucs for as long as I can remember.
Initially, I liked the Red Sox because my favorite player as a kid was Wade Boggs, so naturally, they were my favorite. As time went on, and my focus expanded from just one player to a whole team, I found myself in a dilemma.
Locally, everyone here roots for the Giants and A's in baseball, and Raiders and 49ers for football. Never one to follow the crowd, I thought to myself which teams were the worst, as I figured they could use another fan as much as any other team. In baseball that was Seattle, and football, of course, was Tampa Bay.
At my old job, everyone was a huge 49er fan, so it was the sweetest of victories in 97 when, on opening day, the Bucs held the 9ers without a touchdown for the first time in forever en route to victory.
So what was it about your team that led you to their side?
I have been a fan of the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Bucs for as long as I can remember.
Initially, I liked the Red Sox because my favorite player as a kid was Wade Boggs, so naturally, they were my favorite. As time went on, and my focus expanded from just one player to a whole team, I found myself in a dilemma.
Locally, everyone here roots for the Giants and A's in baseball, and Raiders and 49ers for football. Never one to follow the crowd, I thought to myself which teams were the worst, as I figured they could use another fan as much as any other team. In baseball that was Seattle, and football, of course, was Tampa Bay.
At my old job, everyone was a huge 49er fan, so it was the sweetest of victories in 97 when, on opening day, the Bucs held the 9ers without a touchdown for the first time in forever en route to victory.
So what was it about your team that led you to their side?
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Mets having season ticks with my pop when i grew up made me stay with them forever!
Same thing for the Phils, except they never beat anyone in the mid 70's ... but my Dad loved em. So I became a Phillies fan.
However, at the same time my aunt and uncle lived in Ct. In 75, as an 8 yr old kid, I visited them for 2 weeks in the summer. The Red Sox became my "second" favorite team. When I talked to my Pop-Pop about it, all he talked about was Dimaggio and Williams back in the day. He said Joe D was the best ever ... and so I became a Yankee fan. The Yankees were more about their history and my grandpops stories. My dad never liked them, so I decided then and there that I would only root for them if they played anyone but the Sox and the Phils.
That ended about two years ago ... and now there are only the Phillies and the Red Sox.
dgbaseball,
Do you have good season ticket seats? Did you ever watch "Fever Pitch". It's a great movie and funny. In the movie Jimmy Fallon's character has season tickets he inherited from his Uncle right behind the Red Sox dugout and some rich guy offered him $100,000+. I guess fans and corporations keep their season tickets form year to year. I was able to get very good Season Ticket seats 5 rows in back of Field Level but those were the best available.
<< Sorry kid, I'd like to answer your questions and have some actual Sports Talk on the subject, but your constant inane postings make it impossible to have a reasonable conversation. Thanks for the movie review though.>>
Very well. You are just sore that the Red Sox are folding.
My dad played hoops under Joe Lapchick at St. Johns in 1940. Then we had WW2.....after he got back from the War, he played on scholarship for the same school that I played hoops for 30 years later. We shared a love for basketball. In the 70's, we never missed watching the "NBA Game of the Week" on Sunday/CBS together. No cable then. That broadcast was it. Celtics ruled....Knicks secondary as far as rooting.. Russell, Havlicheck, Jones, Nelson, Howell, Reed, Frazier, Barnett, DeBussierre... I rooted for all...believe it or not. They were from the East. We had a love/hate relationship with Wilt and the rest of the league.
Football wise....and I am not a knowledgeable fan today....I grew up rooting for the NY Giants. This was where I lived .... Allie Sherman was a neighbor, Sam Huff was in the "Dads Club" at my school, Kyle Rote lived a block away and Frank Gifford was a customer of mine when I was a kid working the cash register at the local supermarket. Later, I loved the Giants for the key years with LT, Simms, Bavarro, Parcells, et at....but do not have an affinity now.
Bottom line, I'm a fan because of my dad. I was fortunate enough to have attended the 1999 All Star Game at Fenway Park....which is a highlight for me.....and called him from a pay phone while the "Teddy Baseball" ceremony was going on. He was watching it at the same time on TV.....and together, we wept. Why?????????????????? Because that's what it's all about.
1976 was a very sweet year when Chris Chambliss hit a walkoff Homer against KC to send the Yankees to the World Series for the first time in 12 years.
Gemmy - I also enjoyed those years.
<< <i>Hometeam is always first - Cards/Rams/Blues and since I grew up on the Illinois side of the river I pull for the Illini. >>
Absolutely. Except for that part about the Illini. However, I secretly root against Mizzou most of the time. My NCAA loyalty is with my beloved alma mater.
in baseball, I've always liked THE BIG RED MACHINE. Those were the days as a kid seeing Johnny Bench and Pete Rose, etc......on tv. (I've never made it to a Cinci game-it's 3 hour drive).......When the Indians started to be noticed in 94 they sort of grew on me as well. It's a little over an hour to Jacob's Field and I can regularly get (4) Free 38-45.00 seats.
College Football......Buckeyes and I truly hate the Wolverines as any true Buckeye fan should.
Basketball was the Minneapolis Lakers. Why I do not really know except for the reason that the Kid from Cabin Creek ended up with them. That guy could play ball. Hustle on both ends of the court. Elgin was pretty cool also. Nowdays I really have no idea who is on the team. The sport has regressed to whiners and is hardly ever watched.
Football was and is the 49'ers. R.C.Owens and the Alley Opp still sticks in the mind. Hopefully soon they will dig themselves out of the sellar again.
College sports has and always will be the Oregon Ducks. Local team and I guess in the beginning the suffering from lack of wins was the drawing point. No one in their right mind would root for the Beavers anyway.
My family is good friends with the former doctor for the Sox (late 70s-early 80s). He gave us great seats one time - front row, first two seats right next to the Sox dugout, currently the "owner's box" seats where that tool Ben Afflack sits. Anyways, I think it was 1976 or 1977. I was a kid at the time. My one memory from the game was yelling out to Jim Rice during warm ups for an autograph as he was walking back to the dugout, holding out my program for him to come over and sign...
"How much you gonna f***ing pay me for it?" and he walked on by.
Swear to God. Looking back, I'm sure he was having a bad day or maybe hurt or something. But regardless, he's been (and remains) my #1 favorite player ever since that day.
The Sox teams of the late 70s had a lot to do with solidifying my allegiance, particularly guys like Rice and Lynn and Evans and Fisk and George Scott and Eck. Was also a big fan of Bill Campbell for some reason. I've always hated Yaz though. I remember my dad loved Bill Lee in those days (and who didn't...) as he had a particular affection for the lefties (Parnell and Spahn are probably his favorite Boston players of all time) since he was a lefty pitcher himself. In little league...
<<"How much you gonna f***ing pay me for it?" and he walked on by.....>>
A great way to endear oneself to their enduring fans. By the way, I am in the camp that says Jim Rice should be in the Hall of Fame.
<<But regardless, he's been (and remains) my #1 favorite player ever since that day.>>
A glutton for punishment.
<<I've always hated Yaz though.>>
Why did you hate him if you are a Red Sox fan. I even admired him and his acoomplishments as a Yankee fan.