Sports Team Question

[G✇JI☈A]

Hypothetically; say you follow a sports team. Lets say for example the 'New York Giants', You have followed them for most of your life. Your hometown is in New Jersey and it's close to Giants Stadium. And then one day the NFL decides to give the state of New Jersey it's own NFL franchise.

What would you do from the options above?

Saying this cause next year and in 2012 the Australian Football League will be bringing in two new teams. Both in areas that are relatively close to areas that already have a AFL team. So loyalties from the supporters are going to be tested.

So what do you think? Would be interested to find out how you guys answer.

[Red Impact]

That issue happened here with the NBA. Most people threw their lots headlong with the new team. Me, I still have another team I support,but I support the new team as well.

[default]

I don't see an issue either way. I think 100% loyalty is great, but I don't see a huge issue regardless as long as people are honest about it. Growing up here in Central PA, I know quite a few people that support both the Steelers and Eagles. I also know quite a few others that are just fans of the game and watch whoever is on. My grandfather, for instance, is extremely knowledgable and has easily watched more football than anyone I know. Outside of always tuning into Penn State games, he has no favorite in the NFL when it comes to teams. My dad is the same way in a sense, although he usually only watches the night games and he's more vocal about liking teams that play well. However, he's never bought a jersey or cap or anything.

And besides, it happens with college a good bit. A lot of people end up supporting more than one due to area/childhood/going there (or family.)

[Milkman Norm]

In the United States I think the answer we depend greatly on the region. In your senario I could not see Giants fans, fans of a team that has been around since the 1920's, jumping to a completely new team. However if the NFL awarded let say Arizona a second team I could see marginal Cardinals fans jumping to the new team, because so many Arizonians have moved from other states and probably retain some loyalty to their old teams anyway.

[MolotovMocktail]

Well, seeing as how in the NBA we have the Warriors in Oakland, and people are talking about a team being moved to San Jose, this might be something I'll have to deal with. I guess I'd stay loyal to my existing team, but also show some support to the new team as long as they are not playing the existing team.

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

I was a Bulls fan during Jordan's era, then I moved onto being a Hornets fan when the Hornets were moved to OKC for a few years, and now I'm a Thunder fan.

I still like the Hornets and Bulls a little bit, but now I have a home town team.

But I guess that's not really a good example as until we got the Thunder I wasn't mega huge into the NBA.

A better thing would be to see how I would react if the NFL gave Oklahoma City their own team. Cause I'm a diehard Cowboys and Broncos fan, but at the same time I want to actually be able to go to an NFL game. I don't want to have to drive 3 hours down to Dallas to see a game......

[Branimal]

I'm a large Toronto Maple Leafs fan and where I live, I have zero change of ever seeing a local NHL team.

That being said, we have a local junior team that plays here in the CHL - so, I support them.

[i.Sarita.com]

I don't get why you have to be a fan of a team just because you live near them.

[Deleted]

Stay a fan of the team you've followed all your life and support the new local team if they're any good. You can like more than one team; if they play, hope for a good game.

[DrewVonAwesome]

To me it's important to support the local team, they're the ones who will bring in income to your city, not the other team.

I mean I'll still support Seattle Sounders FC, but now that my hometown has it's own MLS team, the Sounders are now officially on the backburner.

[fw91]

Stay loyal. I'm a Mets fan my whole life and I was born after 86, and grew up into the yankee dynasty. if I haven't left them by now, I guess I never will, o and the fact that I live in flushing makes me feel like I have to love them unconditionally

[HMARK Center]

New Jersey/New York had a situation like that in hockey. The Rangers have been around since the Original Six era of the NHL, yet in the 70's Long Island got the Islanders, and in the 80's New Jersey got the Devils.

How people either switched allegiances or grew to love one team over another is always an interesting story to hear about. Some simply lived closer to the new teams, were able to go to more games, and thus got to know the players, the organizations, and the little nuances of those teams better, and thus became fans of the new guys. Others were never hockey fans in the first place, but now having a local team encouraged them to take up an interest in it.

In other cases, the fanbases, especially the Devils', started very young; many Devils fans are the sons/daughters of Rangers/Isles fans who grew up getting tickets through offers from their schools, having more access to the Devils (e.g. my high school was less than a mile up the road from where the Devils used to practice), seeing them win and getting to know the players, etc. Most of those kids are now 18-29 years old, and hardcore NJ fans.

I can honestly understand most situations like that. Even if I had any love for the Rangers (and I unequivocally do not), it'd be hard for them to beat out the Devils for me due to the fact that all I need to get to a Devils game is 20 minutes to drive into or near Newark, as opposed to setting an hour aside to get to the train station and travel into Manhattan. Most of the other fans are Jerseyans, so I get to talk with them and have some instant camaraderie, as well.

So yeah, I don't blame anyone who finds themselves around a new team's culture and personalities more often and ends up taking a liking to that team.

The only time I feel it isn't really cool is if the only reason you're jumping ship is that your team is down and the other team is winning. That's just poor form, obviously.

Now, in NY/NJ, I don't use baseball, football, or basketball as examples here. In all of those sports, New York had "traditional" teams (Yankees, Giants, Knicks) that weren't really challenged geographically by younger upstarts (Mets, Jets, Nets), but rather those younger teams were created for entirely different leagues.

In other words, the Mets weren't made to appeal, at least not in theory, to Yankees fans who happened to live in Queens; they were made to appeal to New York National League fans. The Jets were part of the "rebellious" AFL. The Nets were part of the flashier ABA...it was less a geographic thing, more of a culture thing.

It's different in hockey around here, as the Devils/Rangers/Islanders have always played in the same league.

[Cyno]

HMark's pretty spot on about it. My dad's a big Rangers fan, but he grew up in the Bronx and Brooklyn. I was born in Brooklyn, but have lived the vast majority of my life in Jersey. Because of that, I am a hardcore Devils fan first and foremost. Though I stand out from the rest of my comrades in arms in that I show the Rangers respect, mainly due to my dad (I'll tease him about the Rangers sucking, but it's all in good fun). We also share a mutual hatred of the Flyers so it's all good. ;D

Strangely, I never got into the Nets, though that was mainly dad's influence. Basketball was the first sport I REALLY watched and was raised as a Knicks fan before even knowing the Nets existed. I've stayed loyal to the Knicks, though I like the Nets some, too. Though with both teams being miserable lately, I've lost interest in the sport. Which I think is a bit classier than switching allegiances to a different, better team but I digress.

I think this would be a good question to ask people who live in the Tampa, Florida area, actually. Tampa was the adopted hometown of George Steinbrenner, principal owner of the Yankees. Despite there being no geographic relation at all, the Tampa area became a huge bastion of Yankees support because of all the Steinbrenners have done for the city. The Yankees also have their Spring Training camp there. Hell, their stadium there is called "George Steinbrenner Stadium" (and The Boss wasn't particularly supportive of that lol). Then the Rays were created. And they were in the AL East, the Yankees' division. So how many baseball fans in the area stayed true to the Yanks and how many switched over to the new hometown team?

[darkharlequin]

I had this long answer typed up but I didn't want to bore you so I'll make it short. For your answer look closer to home. The A-League introduced a second Melbourne club this year and not only does the original club Melbourne Victory have more memberships than the same time last year the new team Melbourne Heart have gotten a good number for a first year club. It was a gamble and so far it looks to be a success. Now every week there will be an A-League game in Melbourne and the local derby between the two teams is expected to sell out. So basically the new teams on the Gold Coast and West Sydney will increase exposure for the sport and will hopefully cater to those who haven't quite taken to the city's other team. besides even though they're both tough markets the AFL has the money to make it work and I say that as someone who strongly dislikes the AFL.

As for me I followed the Victory and couldn't decide which team to follow so I ended up following both. I own merch from both clubs and watch/listen to both clubs games every week. I'm not the us or them kind of football fan so it suits me fine.

[ToyfareMark]

I'm not a believer in being a fan of more than one team in the same sport/league. Being fans of other players I don't have a problem with, but it just comes off as childish to me when people talk about having multiple favorite NFL teams and such

Its the kind of thing girls who follow sports, but don't really know anything about them do. I see that alot. Now I don't have a problem with someone switiching teams, sometimes you reach your limit and have to move on, but please don't have 5 favorite teams in the same league.

I guess I feel that way because I have stayed with my hapless Lions through Thick and more thick, I balance it out by keeping up with every other team through news and such, but not actually supporting them.

[Impact Zone's #1 DUMMY...YEAH]

I grew up in Maryland right near the MD/DC line, following baseball, football, and hockey.

In baseball, I had the Orioles only, because I didn't move to Maryland until 9 years after the 2nd Senators left Washington, and it wasn't until I was about 30 that the Expos moved to DC and became the Nationals, so I kind of adopted them as my 2nd team.

In football, it was the exact opposite. I had the Redskins only, because I wasn't really following the NFL when the Colts left Baltimore for Indianapolis in 1984. Then the Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens, and I adopted them as my 2nd team, just like in baseball.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Damnit being a Nj area guy I spent too much time and tears to abandon the Vikings now. Maybe get season tickets or at least a few games but damnit I'm at least seeing throughtil Minnesota wins the Super Bowl

[knightboat]

Room Temperature, my brother, this is the year. It's been far too painful in years before, but this is the year that the Vikings win their Super Bowl. The fates have been aligned too heavily for it to happen any other way.

[Bald Bull]

Basically you mean what happened to the city of Houston when the Texans came to town?

[darkharlequin]

Aug 17, 2010 20:03:05 GMT -5 ToyfareMark said:

but please don't have 5 favorite teams in the same league.

Do people really do that? I follow 2 teams in my favourite league but I go all out and not just pay lip service.