Why are you a fan?

[T-Bonizzle]

...of the sports teams you are a fan of? Doesn't matter which sport, you can list multiple. I find it interesting why people root for different teams.

NFL: Baltimore Ravens - When I started watching football it was the year that they came into the league (I was like 7), so I thought I was new and they were new, it was meant to be. I didn't really follow football, but then a couple of years they won the Superbowl and I was hooked. It was the first Superbowl I sat at watched (though I had an old Packers shirt on)

MLB: New York Mets - This is a theme for a couple of my favorites, but basically I lived in New York and my step-father is an obnoxious Yankee fan, and there's no way I was going to support the same team as him. Also there was the Subway series...and I've been a suffering Met fan ever since.

NHL: Philadelphia Flyers - Replace Yankees with Rangers in the above scenario and that sums it up. Briefly I counted myself a Coyote's fan, but that was before I really followed sports, I just liked the name. The Islanders were an obvious choice but my uncle is a fan of them and I was determined to have my "own" team.

Soccer: Tottingham Hotspurs - Yes football to you Brits . I decided to support them for two reasons. I had a copy of FIFA and they were the first team I browsed that had decent ratings, and I think Hotspurs is the best name in sports.

NBA: I don't really have a favorite team in this sport, as long as it isn't the Knicks. I don't follow this sport, so I'm a fan of whoever is winning (Mavericks, Heat). I'm probably too old to pick a favorite team now to support, making those decisions was important when I was a kid, now, not so much.

Other Sports: Just wanted to add this here if people want to use my post as a template.

GOGOGOGOGOGO

[Doug E Fresh]

NFL: Cleveland Browns - I'm an Ohio native and I grew up in the Browns/Steelers rivalry. It was hot and in my house, my dad would have to leave and go somewhere else to drink and watch the game because mom and dad could not watch football together. I loved how passionate for the Browns my friends and the people around the city were and so it seemed like a natural fit.

MLB: Cleveland Indians - When I was very little, I played ball and when we went to games, we'd go to the Canton-Akron Indians (now Akron Aeros and actually now Akron Rubber Ducks which I hate that nickname) so when a couple of the Canton players made it to AAA and then the league, the Indians were my team. I saw Charlie Nagy pitch in Canton.

NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins - It looks like the odd team out for someone who likes all these ohio things. Hockey might have truly been the first sport I really fell in love with (either that or baseball). Add to that how much of a video game nerd I am and when the Pens had a player nicknamed Super Mario, I started watching immediately. Also, the Cleveland Lumberjacks were a feeder to the Pens at the time and the Blue Jackets didn't exist when I first started watching. I've stuck with the Pens for almost 25 years.

College Football: Stuck up pretentious Ohio State Buckeyes fan at your service.

Other Sports: I don't really care for the NBA but I'll root for the Cavs. I'd be more inclined to enjoy soccer if I didn't live in america because this country does a shit job of its promotion. I'd know more about teams and players if I did.

[Jennifer]

I support Tottenham cause my dad would probably disown me if I supported anyone else. But in seriousness in terms of my football fannishness I do enjoy Spurs a lot... we're always doing something exciting, for better or for worse we're rarely boring to watch.

I casually follow Barcelona in the Spanish league but would not call myself a dedicated fan - I just enjoy watching them play.

To indulge my nerdishness, I do actually support a professional league of legends team >_>. Fnatic are my guys, mostly cause they represented Europe at the world championships, but I've got more into following them since then.

[T-Bonizzle]

I gotta add AFC Wimbledon as my wildcard. They are fan owned, and thus cool.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles. Boring that I picked the home town team but I didn't have a dad in my life and my uncles were my father figures always told me no matter what, we root for Philly. I was lucky enough to start following sports when the Eagles stopped sucking and Andy Reid made them contenders.

NBA: Sixers, just as I was starting to follow Basketball, the sixers were great. AI was the best player in the league and I loved basketball because I was taller than every kid my age so I thought I was going to be 7 feet tall and play basketball for the Sixers

NHL: Flyers. Got the final bit of the Legion on Doom, but not enough.

MLB: Phillies. Every summer, me, my brothers and my uncles would go to at least 3 games. Unfortunately, both my uncles passed away prior to them winning the World Series, which was my first thought when they won.

Soccer: Union, because it's local but meaningful soccer, I root for Bayern Munich because there's no good Irish teams and I really like Mueller.

[Mike Powers]

I am originally from Philly, so I grew up watching Philly sports  teams.  I grew up a fan of the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers.  I still actively root for the Phils and the Flyers.  I've given up on basketball in recent years, because it is not at all the same sport that I grew up watching.  Real fouls don't get called, and bullshit fouls dominate.....but that is for a different conversation.

I grew up an Eagles fan, but by the late 80's/early 90's I became more and more annoyed at how the front office seemed to want to bury their own team.  In 1992, I was actively rooting against the Eagles, without having a real favorite team of my own.  The Cheifs played, and beat the Eagles that season, and for some reason, something about that team struck a chord with me.  It so happened that a few of their upcoming games were broadcast in Philly, so I watched, and I've been a KC fan ever since.

[J-Reb]

NFL - Washington Redskins were the closest thing we had to a hometown team until the Carolina Panthers came around.  I've been a diehard Redskins fans since the early 90's...but still root for the Panthers when they aren't playing Washington.

MLB - Atlanta Braves.  I couldn't have cared less about baseball until around the early 90's, and the Braves were on TBS every day, so they were easy to track and keep up with.  I was a third basemen growing up and idolized Chipper Jones.

NBA - I follow players, mostly.  Big fan of anybody who played at Duke.

[Gates]

NFL - Washington Redskins. This started when I started playing fantasy football, I think. Had a few Redskins players and I just kind of followed that team closer. Special mention to the San Diego Chargers who won me some money when they went through that spell where they were constantly beating the Colts.

MLB - Toronto Blue Jays. I live in the area and the earliest memories I have of watching baseball was watching the Jays win the World Series in 1992. And then 1993. It's been rough since then, but things are looking up recently. I also worked for the team for a season, which only strengthens it.

NBA - Mostly just follow players and keep myself in the loop, though the past 3-4 years I've been getting more behind the Raptors then I probably should.

NHL - Toronto Maple Leafs. Nothing special here. Live in the area so I'm constantly force-fed Leafs news...just kinda stuck and now I suffer like all the other Leafs fans.

[Cory]

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles - Luckily enough I caught on during their playoff run of 2004. Never watched too much football before this point, but my family is Patriots fans, so I wanted to pick a team that could compete with the Patriots. McNabb/Westbrook/Owens + the fans were awesome and the rest is history. Diehard fan now

College Football: Florida Gators, it was the first team brand item I got as a kid from a family friend that was there on vacation, and as a far got to see IMO the tied for greatest college football player of all time in Tim Tebow lead the team.

MLB: Baseball sucks, Blue Jays I guess.

NHL: Philadelphia Flyers - Being Canadian I've always gotten shit for not cheering for a Canadian team. I liked the Canucks in the 90s with Pavel Bure, but its always been the more physical teams that I enjoy. The Flyers of the 90s were awesome with Lindros/Recchi/LeClair and Ron Hextall has got to be one of my favorite players of all time.

Soccer: Arsenal as a whole, been a fan since 2002, luckily got to see the Invincibles season....Henry/Bergkamp/Vieira. Domestically, Toronto FC....they we're the first Canadian professional team and luckily finally got some ownership/management and are bringing in talent. Internationally its got to be Germany...the most consistent team with a great playing style.

NBA: Clippers & Raptors. Not so much a Raptors fan, just backing the Canadian team, but I only started to watch basketball in 2009 and it was mainly from the March Madness year....Blake Griffin was amazing, so whatever team he got drafted too would be my new team...didnt hurt that Clippers have the all time worst win/loss record so no worries of being labelled a bandwagoner. Now they're easily the most exciting team to watch in the NBA.

[Jon]

NFL: Philadelphia Eagle - When I was a really young, I remember my father (Who is a Redskins fan) watching a Skins/Eagles game on tv. At the time I really didn't know where each team was as I was just becoming a sports fan myself. Green was my favorite color growing up and so as soon as I saw that Eagle green and Randall Cunningham, I was hooked for life. I went through the disappointing 90s and into the Andy Reid era of heartbroken-ness. I will forever be a Eagles fan and I can't wait to celebrate a Super Bowl Championship some day when they eventually win one. A fun fact I later learned was that my Mom's side of the family are from Pennsylvania, so I like to think that's a reason I never steered away from them as well.

MLB: LA Angels - Both my grandparents on my mother's side worked at Angel Stadium in the 80s and early 90s, back when they were known as the California Angels. I use to go to so many of there games and I remember it being so empty, mainly due to how horrible they were. This is my favorite team from any sport and I will never forget our World Series run in 2002. The rally monkey... the Scott Spiezio home run in Game 6... and the masterful performance of John Lackey in Game 7. Hopefully I'll be able to relive that memory again in the future. Even though the franchise has gone in a direction I'm not quite fond of, I still bleed Halo red. And besides, we have Mike Trout. It could be worse.       

NHL: Anaheim Ducks - Was never really into hockey until the very first Mighty Ducks movie came out. I remember how quickly I wanted to start playing roller hockey. I followed them pretty close when they first entered the league... Kariya and Selanne was such a treat to watch. Then we had our near Cup when we lost to the Devils. Of course we captured the Cup in 2007 on the backs of the Neidermeyer brothers, Pronger, Selanne, JSG. It was a fun run that year. We've had some great teams in the last few years, but haven't quite gotten over that hump, but hopefully soon. Gotta love this John Gibson kid.

NBA: LA Lakers - My most successful favorite team. It was pretty rare to grow up in the late 80s, early 90s and not be a Laker fan in Southern California. I grew up a huge fan of Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Cooper, etc... and then suffered through the Ceballous era... before Shaq and Kobe took over the new millennium. I've lost my passion for the game, but I'll still watch it from time to time and most certainly during the playoffs.

Soccer: I call myself a Arensal supporter, but to be real honest, I'm not a huge EPL fan due to the lack of coverage we get in the states. When I went to my first Portland Timbers game (before they joined the MLS), I was hooked! I had never had so much fun at a sporting event before. The beer... the chants... the flag waving... the hooligans! It was a blast. And nothing in the States beats a Timbers/Sounders match. Last season we had a really special year, but didn't quite make it to the MLS cup. But I take pride in the Timbers being one of the best and most loyal fanbases in the MLS.

College: Oregon State baby. No... that's not the Ducks. It's the Beavers. Growing up I was always a USC guy and even when I was in high school I favored the Ducks over the Beavers even. But it wasn't until I went to school at tOSU (Yeah, that's right Doug!) and fell in love with our fanbase and the team. It's hard to be a Beaver fan sometimes as we don't get the best recruits, but we have this family like atmosphere where we tend to play better then we really are at times. My most fond collegiate athletic moment was watching the rise of our baseball program into a national powerhouse now. We single handily put northern college baseball on the map and that's just so cool to me. Our back-to-back National Championships in 2006 & 2007 was a incredible and I was lucky enough to be in Omaha for the 2nd one. One day I hope our football team can take home a national championship and our once proud basketball program and regain its footing. Other then the major 3 sports... we have a top notch gymnastics and wrestling program.   

[Ty]

NFL - I'm not a fan per se but growing up, I used to play Madden a lot. Dallas Cowboys were the funnest team to play with for some reason (I liked short passes and for some reason, they just were set up that I could throw lots of short passes)

NHL - Montreal Canadians. I grew up in the hometown of many of the Broad Street Bullies (Bobby Clark, Reggie Leech, Eric Nesterenko, Gerry Hart, Ken Baumgartner among many others) and so, even in the way I play, I grew up respecting the tough style of hockey. Montreal always seemed to have a way to overcome those teams. I grew up respecting how they always seemed to compete despite not having the Crosbys and Malkins on every line and just seemed to always have exciting games. Doesn't help that my parents tried to turn my into a Jets fan by bringing me to a MTR - WIN. MTR won and I started paying attention to them.

MMA - Arlovski - Great intimidating guy.

[Dorling]

Booooooo to all the Tottenham fans.

[T-Bonizzle]

BOOO TO DORLING

[Justin]

College: South Carolina Gamecocks - I was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina so rooting for the Gamecocks is a way of life.  I also cheer for my alma mater, Coastal Carolina.

NFL: Washington Redskins - My brother is a few years older than me and was a Redskins fan so naturally, since I looked up to him I became a fan as well.  My appreciation for the team furthered when Stephen Davis played running back for them since he was from South Carolina.  I also keep track of the teams that guys I went to college with play for, which include Mike Tolbert, Jerome Simpson, and Tyler Thigpen.  And to an extent Josh Norman, but he came after I graduated. 

MLB: Atlanta Braves - Closest team to where I lived and my grandmother was a diehard fan.  I used to go to three or four games a year, but haven't been in a couple of years.

NBA: Charlotte Hornets - I don't really have a team, but my favorite player is Carmelo Anthony so I root for the Knicks.  I've been in Charlotte now for four years so I have adopted them as my team.

NHL - Not interested

Soccer - Not interested

[¿PapaPancho?]

1. The Arizona Diamondbacks - Always was the rebel growing up.  My family is/was diehard Angel fans.  I grew up just 10 minutes south of the stadium and while I always went to watch games there I never took to them.  While visiting family in Arizona we went during the first season watching the Arizona Diamondbacks play and as someone said being a fan from the team from the very 1st year was too much to pass up.  Baseball has always been my favorite sport and I've followed them hard since jump.  The family has forgiven me.

2. The Los Angeles Clippers - Don't label me with the name of bandwagon because THEM'S FIGHTIN WORDS.  Growing up in the shadow of LA Lakers fans I despies that purple and gold team.  1992 was my big year as Danny Manning took off.  I can rattle off names that mean nothing to even the most die hard NBA fan but to they were my favorite.  "The Polish Rifle" Eric Piatkowski; Marko "Somehow I married Adriana Lima" Jaric; It wasn't until Elton Brand, Sam Cassell and Corey Maggette put it all together that I ever had something to actually root for. [Fuck you Raja Bell btw].  Now of course the team is riding high and there's a lot more fans now ending my long running Fantasy NBA Name [LastClipperFanAlive].

3. UCLA Bruins - How can you not root for the most winningest institution of ALL college sports?  Accolades. Check.  History. Check.  All time greats.  CHECK.  The fact that I went to the school only amplified my Bruin Pride. 

4. Mexico National Soccer Team [EL TRI!] - Having dual citizenship you think I would feel more conflicted about this but HELL NO!!!  Nothing gets that national pride roaring like the green white and red streaking across the open field. 

5. San Diego Super Chargers - I was really late in the game for football.  As a kid I watched football but never really gravitated towards a team.  Everybody in my youth was either a Packers, 49ers or a Cowboys fan but I really never stuck to anything.  But when I started playing Madden consistently and I got to run as Ladanian Tomlinson ... whooo yeah I rode that Charger team!!  I've never traded in my colors for another team after that.