OT: Do you have a "second" college football or basketball team?
Outside of "whoever is playing OSU" or "whoever is playing MSU" or "whoever is playing ND"...do you have a second team in college football and men's basketball? If so, who?
August 22nd, 2015 at 6:11 PM ^
Even then, Ohio is definitely NOT my 2nd favorite team nor are they my favorite MAC team.
That honor goes to the WMU Broncos. Though WMU never has had any long-term success as a program, I can't deny my connection to the school, having spent 4 years there before getting my BA after transferrring away. And with PJ Fleck on the verge of putting something impressive together there, I'm more excited about WMU Football than I have been in a long time.
WMU's got one of those crazy MAC schedules with half of their games on week nights, which will make it easy to catch some MACtion at Waldo or on TV this fall. I'm planning on making the 40-minute drive to K-Zoo for at least 2 of these 3 games this fall: 10/24 vs Miami (NTM); Thursday 11/5 vs. Hoke State; and/or Wednesday 11/11 vs Bowling Green.
So yeah, I do have a secondary team to root for in both football and basketball, and now even in hockey (as WMU in no longer a CCHA rival of Michigan).
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:50 PM ^
I don't know what it is about college sports, but no. I can have and do have "secondary" teams for pro sports, but in college I can't regularly root for anyone but Michigan. I like to pull for the Michigan MAC teams if I turn on a game, or the B1G in non-conference (save OSU and MSU of course, I honestly can't even root for them in bowl games) and in just about any game going on in front of me I'll have one team I prefer to win, but as far as active following, no one but Michigan.
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:49 PM ^
But then Charlie Weiss became their football coach and I had to turn in my rooting letter of resignation to them because....f*ck that guy.
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August 22nd, 2015 at 2:49 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:51 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:51 PM ^
Navy and Vanderbilt.
Navy: I used to love Paul Johnson's flexbone offense there, and wished we had seriously considered him in 2008. They're also so easy to root for. It's literally watching American heroes beating up on Notre Dame with the most fun offense in all of football. What's not to like?
Vanderbilt: I live in Nashville and work for the Vandy medical center. I've gone to a bunch of games since moving here 3 years ago, and got to experience the height of the James Franklin experience. Zac Stacy and Jordan Matthews were really fun to watch, plus it's easy to root for the nerd school of the SEC. The Derek Mason era is going to be rough, but I suppose I'm a fan for life at this point...
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:20 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:52 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:53 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 2:54 PM ^
Nope, never have, never will.
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:55 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:56 PM ^
Butler basketball. My sister and brother-in-law are graduates (were there during the Final Four runs). My family personally knows Brad Stevens. He worked under my father right out of college before coaching full time. My sister often served him and his family at a breakfest place in Indy he frequented.
That being said, Michigan over the bulldogs all day every day.
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:57 PM ^
Football kind of changes for me based on players/who is fun to watch. TCU is probably the most consistent. KSU and Boise are teams I have frequently rooted for. And my sister is a Maryland alumnus and Oklahoma student, so I root for those two teams when they play.
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:57 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 2:59 PM ^
So they grew up my second favorite team. Now I guess it's Wayne State since I went there but I don't have another top 5 major conference team.
August 22nd, 2015 at 2:59 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:00 PM ^
Sometimes I get so drunk that I mistake Delaware for Michigan, so I guess that counts.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:00 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:03 PM ^
Florida.
Here's my cool story bro reason: my mom, my only sister and I all went to Michigan. I think it's because we were subtly brainwashed by my grandfather.
My mom's dad grew up in the Bay City area and really loved UM as a kid. Only problem was that his parents were very strict, fire-and-brimstone Irish Catholics and didn't want their son going to school down in Ann Arbor with the liberal heathens. They actually moved down to Florida when he was in high school to prevent it. So my granddad went to UF, immediately moved back to Michigan after graduation, and the rest is history.
He still roots for Michigan every time we beat Florida's ass in football and basketball.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:04 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:10 PM ^
The second team for me is Oklahoma State University. Two children have graduated from there and I've gone to a few of their games, including one bowl game. But, they are so far behind Michigan in terms of my fandom that I hesitate to even call them my second favorite. Then behind Okie State is Michigan State. I have a daughter who graduated from there as well.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:10 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:11 PM ^
Central Michigan, my other alma mater.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:12 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 3:17 PM ^
That said I grew up a UCLA fan and cheer for them as long as they aren't playing Michigan.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:24 PM ^
I wouldn't call it a "second team" per se, but my extended family is overrun with USC grads who are also USC mega-fans, so say what you will about the fanbase, I've always had a slightly softer spot in my heart for USC for that reason alone. I don't own gear or anything like that, but I mind them less than other people might in the Pac-12.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^
Florida Gulf Coast University
DUNK CITY
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:30 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^
Went to law school there and love the Trojans. I'll be the drunk guy on the South Lawn in a Roddy Piper t-shirt in two weeks time, though I attend way more SC baseball games than anything else.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:34 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 3:34 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 3:39 PM ^
Was crushing an NCAA tourney pool that year through five rounds but the championship game was worth a ton of points. I had the Illini and the guy in (a very distant) second had UNC.
I was young and dumb at the time, so I would have wasted the cash prize on cocaine and strippers. I'm still pretty peeved about it.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:35 PM ^
I'll root for any team in Michigan as long as the result of the game doesn't affect U of M in any way.
I'll root for the B1G during bowl season, with the exception of OSU.
Calling any of them my "second" team is going a little far... but I suppose CMU if I have one. Most of my family are Chippewas.
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:40 PM ^
Football: Oregon because of the offense, Arizona because of Rich Rod
Basketball: I don't really have one
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^
I don't live and die by them like I do with Michigan, but I suppose for the sake of my girlfriend being happy, I enjoy when Georgia does well.
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August 22nd, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
Slippery Rock
August 22nd, 2015 at 3:59 PM ^
Purdue (woe is me). Went to Purdue for undergrad and loved my time in West Lafayette. I couldn't justify spending roughly twice as much to go out of state to Michigan when I could get a great education in-state. Needless to say the last several years of football seasons have been pretty tough.
August 22nd, 2015 at 4:00 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 9:58 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 4:00 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 4:07 PM ^
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August 22nd, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^
That school is pumping money into facilities and athletics like crazy!
August 22nd, 2015 at 4:08 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 4:08 PM ^
August 22nd, 2015 at 4:09 PM ^
Went there for undergrad. They were pretty bad in football while I was there (much better now!) and they've never been good in basketball. But I love 'em just the same.
