OT: Favorite Pro non-football team
So what OTHER teams do you live and die for, or at least root on? Basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, obscure, arena league like sport....even Olympic Team, if it's someone outside the US. (Or you have some really close connection to one of the US teams, other than being an American. Ice Dancers, I'm looking at you). I'd say individual athletes too, but 40 posts saying "Tiger Woods" might not be all that exciting.
Me, I like the Detroit teams, but am more a playoff hockey guy, and a "Tigers have to be really playing for something before I'll sit through a baseball game outside of a park" fan. But I'm a big Pistons fan. The Bad Boys were perhaps the biggest part of my sports formative years outside of Bo. They'll always go down as the perfect team for the perfect town. But the Wallace-Billiups edition was a lot of fun too, defense, and sticking it to the Lakers once more. (Plus I worked for them during the teal jersey years....brrrrrr).
So that's my 1A after Michigan/Football. How about you?
Don't you wish the Olympics could be every year?
Detroit Red Wings are number 1, far and away. It's not even close. I'll root for all the Detroit teams, but the only thing I'd flip a Wings game for would be a Michigan football game.
Also, I'm a huge fan of Everton in the Premiership, and also just a huge soccer fan in general.
Red Wings. Game 6 last year against the Sharks was the greatest sports game I have ever been to. I went to Game 7 against the Ducks a couple of years ago (2009 playoffs) where Clearly scored to win falling over. That game was great and was my favorite sporting event ever due to: awesomeness, hate the Ducks, and fan camraderie (for example, we were underage and had a guy buy us a couple of beers). Yet Game 6 last year blew everything away. It was so loud and electric. Anything remotely conceivably positive got the whole Joe cheering. Even after the Sharks scored, there was about 30 seconds of deflated silence, then everyone began erupting in cheers again to lift the team to victory. When we scored those two goals, I remember feeling that I expected them and they had been a foregone conclusion. Nothing better.
I grew up on hockey and the Wings, so I had to evolve to like football (mainly to like Michigan football), but I sincerely believe the Wings are the greatest US professional franchise ever (ala Dr. Cox):
I'm surprised that there aren't more NASCAR fans out there. It is the #1 watched sport in America and I figured there'd be at least a few MGoMembers that follow it. Being here in Charlotte, NC and having all the NASCAR teams here nearby, its been very difficult to avoid paying attention to it. Luckily, I've been successful thus far!
(Although, I never miss walking around Speed Street at lunchtime every year its here. Its a promotional thing for the Lowe's 500 and the scenery is outstanding. Seeing a bunch of banker suits mixing with redneck tank tops is outstanding!)
Well, it is a University blog...doesn't really go with NASCAR...or dentistry.
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<br>(This ends our gratuitous and unfair cheap shot warning. If this had been a actual cheap shot, NASCAR fans would have been warned to take shelter)
As an advisor by profession, I feel compelled to issue a warning to all those preparing to issue low blows to NASCAR fans. Recipients thereof are extremely likely to run you down in their Pontiac Firebirds as you unsuspectingly cross the street. Consider yourself forewarned!
Favorite non-North American team:
I was born in New England and grew up a Red Sox fan. Moved down to Florida during elementary school and have been a big Heat fan since Dwyane Wade's rookie year. Unfortunately now everyone just assumes Heat fans are casual bandwagoners who only got interested because of Lebron.
Also grew up in New England... love the Red Sox. My first mitt was a Jim Rice model and he even signed it for me at a game.
I used to root for the Heat when Glen Rice played for them, but that was a looooong time ago.
I follow all of the Detroit teams but if there was one other team that really gets me fired up I would have to go with the Red Wings. If they are on TV I watch them, if they come to a city near where I live I go watch them. I follow the Tigers and will check the box scores every day but for me its the Wings over the Pistons and Tigers.
That I'm not really a fan of professional sports. Sure, I've been to many games (not the lions as I have a general disdain for the organization) but I really just have a general apathy to the four major sports.
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<br>Hockey lost me after the lockout, baseball is well baseball, never have really been into following basketball and I can't stand the NFL.
Hey there, Fu! Long time no see. Glad to see your contribution in this thread. Another winner from the FuMan!
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:26 PM ^
How someone labled this "interesting". Indeed.
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:47 PM ^
I would have gone with "Insightful."
(Get it?)
It's the Detroit Red Wings fo sho.
Basically for sports, to me it's 1) Michigan Wolverines, 2) Detroit Red Wings, and 3) Cleveland Browns.
Then there's everything else.
The plain truth of the matter is that if the sports demons came down from the very bowels of sports hell in which reside George Steinbrenner and Arnold Rothstein, and forced every living sports fan to choose just one sports team to follow and could never again root for any others, I'd pick the Tigers. I love me some Detroit sports in general and the many teams of the two colleges that I follow, but my oldest love has always been the Tigers.
The Red Wings by far are my favorite pro team. After that then probaly the Tigers.
Stevie Y - the Captain
Datsyuk - the human highlight reel, most exciting player ever to lace 'em up
Lidstrom - the perfect human
Zetterberg - probably the games most complete player, tireless worker and chemistry with Pavs off the charts
Howe - Mr. Hockey
Probert - Heavyweight Champ
Kocur - right there with 'em
Cheli, Vlady (tragic, woulda been one of the best, what a competitor!), MIckey, the Dominator, the Mule, Homer - the swede who can't skate but piles up points on raw courage , (would you stand in the way of a 95 mph slapshot while being cross-checked in the back by some 6'3" 230 lb dude on skates?), how could I forget, KRONWALL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgsied-_URM&NR=1
Detroit Tigers by far
- MLB: Tigers
- NHL: Red Wings
- NBA: Wizards
- MLS: DC United
The Cubs. KNVB. And the Flint Tropics.
Best halftime entertainment ever.
Tampa Bay Lightning and the Cinci Reds.
Detroit Red Wings, natch.
I've found myself watching rugby recently. Admittedly, I have no idea what the f-ck is going on but it looks really cool and the players are beasts (picture a bunch of Mike Martins running around without pads, laying each other out).
Sure, I root for the Red Wings first, but it's a fucking crime that the Leafs have been so bad so consistently for so long. The management there rivals Matt Millen in incompetence. I hope I get to see a Wings-Leafs Stanley Cup some day, not least because we'd get to see Don Cherry spontaneously combust live on-air.
Because otherwise the Stanley Cup would never get there!
*rimshot*
My list, since you've removed the Lions...
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Detroit Pistons
Until Joe D traded away Chauncey for Allen Slimerson and signed a bunch of re-re's for way too much money, the Pistons were #1.
/teasing - but not really
Some Trojan love? how about saginaw catholic central? you know why the call idiots 'homers' right.
well thanks too FuManBlue. now I'm a fan of what ever team and sport that is from!
Then its between the Lakers and Yankees
1a. Wings
1b. Lions
2. Tigers
3. Newcastle United
meh. Pistons
raised in Chicago since i was 6 years old. 1984 when we arrived in the windy city which was an incredibly exciting time to get to know the Chi. though it doesnt apply to the convo here, i should say as far as i remember, I have always been a Bears fan due to my love for Walter Payton and adopted the monsters of the midway as my team and shortly after experienced a superbowl victory.
Then It was MJ time. Micheal was larger than life. he ran the city. he was the greatest. The Bulls were a huge part of my life as a child and into my teens. I was so spoiled and didnt really know it when i was young to witness such greateness. I was like the Bulls machine never stopped for a decade. Derrick Rose has reignited the passion that has always been there through the down years. He is the luckiest kid on earth. playing infront of his hometown family and fans. miracle pick at no1 in the draft that the Bulls had a 1.8% chance of landing! Bulls for life!
These days i live in Portland, Oregon. I still have not fully adopted the Trailblazers though the fans here are great and pack the place (once they got Brandon Roy).
But I never had a love for soccer like i do know. I have grown to love my Portalnd Timbers Mls club PTFC baby. RCTID but anyway. the fans man! unreal atmosphere here in soccer city! rowdy. the Timbers Army support fans are the pride and joy of Mls at the moment. singing from before the game till it ends non stop. 18000 deep now at the park singing in unison. it is quite beatiful to experience. il link a vid you should check out this crowd. this is how we roll.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s50SvZm9jQE
Go BLue!
Being from the southside of Chicago, I'll have to go with White Sox, Blackhawks, Bears, and Bulls (in that order).
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. San Francisco 49ers
Wings, Tigers, Lakers (well just Kobe really), Bayern Munich, Man U (Ronaldo fan, could care less otherwise).
Detroit Lions
...although the intensity of my fandom has faded over time. The Pistons are some distance behind. I never got into the Wings or Lions.
PSG and Arsenal in european football, the detroit teams in everything else, although I watch very little american sports other then college football.
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:50 PM ^
So you are a fan of the two biggest French teams ;).
PSG looks like they'll be a machine now that they have new ownership.
Going to a soccer game at RFK is a trip. The latin fans -- Barra Brava -- are constantly jumping, beating drums, waiving fans. It's loud, it's a trip. It's also a great family outing, there are tons of kids at the game. Even my daughters who are NOT sports fans (other than the sports they play) really enjoyed it. I got into DC United when the Golden Triangle was hopping, and they were crushing even Brazilian teams. Not so much lately. Ahh, good times, good times.
Love the BSG avatar - I watched the series a second time this summer.
Here's my run down:
1. Tigers
2. Wings
3. FC Barcelona
4. Soon to be chosen MLS team
5. Pistons
6. Soon to be chosen NL team
I just moved to the Baltimore area and am looking at picking up either the Nationals or Phillies, or either United or Union. If you have any suggestions lemme hear 'em.
Tigers, no contest. I know a ton of people think baseball is boring, but I'm just a fraction away from being one of those people that fill out the pitch-by-pitch scorecards.
As others, I cheer for all Detroit teams but with the Wings really I only care about the playoffs and with the Pistons it gets hard to watch all the BS that goes on in the pro game.
You said non-football, but I must say the Lions, after all we've been through as fans, should be insanely fun to watch this year.
Tigers. Red Wings. Pistons.
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
Wings. Tigers are a little ways back from them, but the Pistons are lagging behind hard. I'm starting to like the Seattle Sounders as my favorite MLS team. They way their fans are behind them is neat and they have the coolest uniforms in the MLS by far.