Just curious which teams people root for and why. Do you have a favorite team and root for others as well? Maybe you have a couple favorites, or just one and the rest suck? lol
I grew up a huge North Stars fan, and tried my best to follow the team after they left for Dallas. Back then it was much harder to follow a team out of state, especially as an 11 year old. With the departure of my beloved Stars, I also grew to like the Canadians a bit. Since they were on ESPN National Hockey Night a lot, they were easy to follow. However, that liking faded after Patrick Roy was traded. Shorty after that, the news broke Minnesota would be getting a new franchise! I was pretty excited to get the North Stars back... wait, nope, they chose the name Wild instead. As much as the team name still bothers me, it's growing on me year after year. Either way, I was pumped to have pro hockey back in Sota. I've pretty much followed the Stars and Wild ever since. This year is different though, this year they started playing in the same division, and play each other that much more. I never know who to root for? I've been a fan of the Stars as far back as my memories go, and the Wild since their inception in 2000. Home team? Former home team?
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to hear some stories from others about their favorite team/teams.
Thanks,
Michael
Grew up liking any team Gretzky played for being that my moms family lives in Brantford, Ontario. Started with the Kings as he played for them when I was finally old enough to understand and follow hockey and also followed the Blues and Rangers when he went to them. Never really continued to follow any of the teams though after he left. With the Canadian roots I've also always been a fan of the Leafs as my family up in Canada are pretty much all Leafs fans. When the Florida Panthers opened up shop I started liking them as a home town team. When Mario Lemieux came back, started to like him and the Pens a little bit. After the big strike I stopped liking hockey for a bit, took some time to forgive and get used to the changes. The Panthers had changed a lot and were terrible so kinda stopped following them and came to like the other team in Florida, the Bolts. Liked Lecavalier after pulling one of his rookie cards from UD in the 90s so the seed was planted and then they won the cup and have been a pretty exciting team and have stuck with them since. The Blackhawks have an exciting team as well that I also follow, really like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews as they are fun to watch. As a result of all this, I have a long list of players that I collect lol...
I was a Bruins fan until Guy Lafleur came along. Been a die hard Habs fan ever since. Always liked the Nordiques/Aves as well.
Great topic.
I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, which is about haflway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Football was my thing early on, and with the Steelers winning four Super Bowls in the '70s, of course I was the only, and I mean ONLY, Cleveland Browns fans on the block. So, when I finally came to appreciate the NHL a bit more (thanks, Tom Mees and ESPN) I couldn't bring myself to follow anything out of Pittsburgh...and it just so happens that the Red Wings won The Cup in '97...and I was a Michigan Wolverine fan already (that's another childhood story that just kills my Ohio State clad brothers), so, BAM!
Detroit Red Wings...I got about ten years with #19 as the Captain (and the one Conn Smythe trophey) and that sealed that for me, too. I latched on at a good time, seeing as how the Wings have won 4 Stanley Cups since 1997 (two sweeps) and lost a Game 7 in their fifth appearance (2008, 2009, back to back Cup finals with the Penguins...the irony isn't lost on me).
Just my two cents on the Wild first...
While the team name has always bugged me, I think they have THE best and most thought out logo in all of the four major sports. Every time I look at it I notice something new in it. Everything in the logo has some sort of purpose that all ties into the design of the animal head. If they ever change that logo, I will probably stopped cheering for them.
As for my favorite hockey team...the Detroit Red Wings. Born and raised in downriver Michigan, you are kind of just brought up cheering for them. I am 28, and have got to see all of their recent glory years. There was a time in the early 2000's when I cheered against them (A lot of the fans around that time got on my nerves, it wasn't that I didn't like the Wings anymore, I just liked to watch their fans get angry when they lose, that and they also traded two of my favorite Wings, Chris Osgood and Kevin Hodson, during that time period.)
As for the other sports... In football I cheer for the Bengals and Oregon State Beavers (hence, OrangeBlooded) but as to why I cheer for Oregon State...that is a mini book in itself lol.
Baseball- Toronto Blue Jays, mainly because I remember staying up as a little kid sneaking television past my bed time to watch them win a few World Series titles. They just kind of stuck with me all these years, not a big baseball fan, but I do root them on.
Colorado Avalanche because of Patrick Roy and University of Michigan for football, hockey, and basketball in that order.
No real reason for U of M just fell in love watching them play.
(12-04-2013, 02:17 PM)OrangeBlooded31 Wrote: [ -> ]Just my two cents on the Wild first...
While the team name has always bugged me, I think they have THE best and most thought out logo in all of the four major sports. Every time I look at it I notice something new in it. Everything in the logo has some sort of purpose that all ties into the design of the animal head. If they ever change that logo, I will probably stopped cheering for them.
100% agree on the logo! I've never had a problem with the logo, just the name. I was scared they were going to drop it off the road sweaters. Thank goodness they didn't.
(12-04-2013, 05:58 PM)onoxxxregretso Wrote: [ -> ]Colorado Avalanche because of Patrick Roy and University of Michigan for football, hockey, and basketball in that order.
No real reason for U of M just fell in love watching them play.
When it comes to college hockey, I'm a huge Gopher hockey fan. I also like to root for the UMD Bulldogs when they're not playing my Gophers. I enjoy watching college hockey almost as much as pro hockey, maybe more. I just wish the Gophers didn't have to leave the WCHA.
It should be fun/interesting to watch the Gophers build some rivalry with BIG10 teams other than Wisconsin... maybe Michigan?
For college football, I'm a fan of Notre Dame, and of course the Gophers (homer). No real reason for the Irish other than the movie Rudy lol. I've always liked the history of the team and the winning traditions. Which hasn't been around in my lifetime watching Gopher football.
(12-04-2013, 03:13 AM)shaunbaus Wrote: [ -> ]Grew up liking any team Gretzky played for being that my moms family lives in Brantford, Ontario. Started with the Kings as he played for them when I was finally old enough to understand and follow hockey and also followed the Blues and Rangers when he went to them. Never really continued to follow any of the teams though after he left.
lol I get the Gretzky thing. I did the same thing with Shaq in basketball. In fact, I only followed basketball because of Shaq. I rooted for the Magic, then the Lakers when he signed with them. After the strike in 99? though, I pretty much stopped following the sport. I still would like to pickup a Shaq auto someday. One of the first things I did when I got back into collecting was get myself a Patrick Roy auto. Man I loved watching Roy in net, a feeling I may never have again.
I was born in Chicago (North Side). Now, even though I live in a different state, I am all about Blackhawks (and everything not White Sox).
(12-04-2013, 08:53 PM)mnc99 Wrote: [ -> ]lol I get the Gretzky thing. I did the same thing with Shaq in basketball. In fact, I only followed basketball because of Shaq. I rooted for the Magic, then the Lakers when he signed with them. After the strike in 99? though, I pretty much stopped following the sport. I still would like to pickup a Shaq auto someday. One of the first things I did when I got back into collecting was get myself a Patrick Roy auto. Man I loved watching Roy in net, a feeling I may never have again.
Funny coincidence about the Diesel lol... Growing up I definitly grew up a Bulls fan because of MJ, after he retired the 1st time in 93 I was pretty sad he left. As a result, having no real ties to Chicago, I switched to Orlando since it was more of a hometown team and because of him being such a beast for them as well as Penny. Jordan obviously eventually came back so I went back to rooting for them with Orlando as a 2nd team. Was sad Shaq went to LA but continued to root for him and hated Kobe when he forced Shaq to leave. After MJ retired again I went back to rooting for the Magic but they fell apart completely after he left and then MJ came out of retirement again so I became a Wizards fan. Abandoned them though fairly quick after he finally called it quits for real lol... About the same time the Heat drafted Dwyane Wade, who I was completely amazed by in his run in March Madness that year, and have been a Heat fan ever since. Loved it when Shaq joined forces and they won the championship in 06.
I've been a Canucks fan my whole life, though in my teen years I developed a liking for the Panthers and, more importantly, the Sens. My Florida love has faded, but the Sens are my Eastern team while the Canucks are MY team.
I recently started a site (blacknblueline.com) with some dedicated team blogs. I write the Canucks, but a couple other guys write the Oilers and Kings, so I've found myself following both teams much more closely this season.