Pro sports fan

[Maister]

Let me say up front that it really doesn't 'bother' me even slightly - more curiosity as to your responses than anything else......but why would anyone root for a particular professional sports team? I can understand rooting for one's alma mater because one spends their formative years building associations there, acquiring knowlege, spending one's life savings, etc. One can, in a sense, be said to be a product of that institution, so loyalty stands to reason. Professional sports teams on the other hand - apart from the price of the ticket, one has no 'investment' in it (one notable exception - the Green Bay Packers). I could understand rooting for a pro sports team maybe 60 - 70 years ago where the athletes were largely recruited locally, because one could then argue one is supporting their fellow Chicagoans or Detroiters or Michiganders or whatever. Nowadays, if there's an athlete on a sports team that hails from the same state it would be considered more a coincidence than anything else.

Theoretically, one should enjoy viewing sports dispassionately and value observing a sport for the excellence exhibited in play - so whoever is the #1 team and exhibits the greatest skill should therefore be everyone's favorite to watch - right? (that or whoever's got the coolest uniforms/helmets)

 

[NHPlanner]

The pro sports franchises in Boston/New England are ingrained into the culture....you can't help but become a fan.

 

[Repo Man]

I think that everyone wants to be part of a community and rooting for sports teams is a great way to feel like they are part of one. You are essentially rooting for the uniform more than the actual players. If you are a kid and you meet a few players it makes it even easier to root for a team. If you are a fan of the Packers and you are down in Florida on vacation and you walk into a Packer Bar you are instantly welcomed by complete strangers just because you are a Packer Fan.

If a team is winning it makes it even easier to root for a team. Anyone who has had a sports team go deep into the playoffs probably noticed that their City (or in the case of the Packers, the entire state) has a level of excitement not usually seen.

Plus sports is something that is a great topic of conversation. If you are at a party talking to someone and the conversation gets dull you can start talking sports.

 

[Maister]

I think that everyone wants to be part of a community and rooting for sports teams is a great way to feel like they are part of one. You are essentially rooting for the uniform more than the actual players. If you are a kid and you meet a few players it makes it even easier to root for a team. If you are a fan of the Packers and you are down in Florida on vacation and you walk into a Packer Bar you are instantly welcomed by complete strangers just because you are a Packer Fan.

If a team is winning it makes it even easier to root for a team. Anyone who has had a sports team go deep into the playoffs probably noticed that their City (or in the case of the Packers, the entire state) has a level of excitement not usually seen.

Plus sports is something that is a great topic of conversation. If you are at a party talking to someone and the conversation gets dull you can start talking sports.

Interesting answer. The points you bring up are all true. It seems that an interest in a professional sports team can be an element of one's personality (we do tend to define ourselves by our likes and dislikes) and can give one a common referrent or common ground topic one can use in ones' interactions with others, thereby making an individual one of 'us' (as opposed to 'them')

 

[boiker]

Maister Why pick the underdog as your favorite team. I think a lot of it has to do with seeing the little guy succeed. It's even here on this board.

Often you'll read: "Don't shop at "mega-store elite plus sized", instead shop at mom and pop. They may not be cheaper, but it's a local family and their service is top shelf. When they do well, you'll feel all warm and fuzzy. You can say to yourself, "I was there...shopping that store..when it was just a little-bitty 100 sq ft store with 6 items for sale." Now they're succeeding thanks to my support.

With sports teams: "I can't root for the Yankee's they've already won the world series over 20 G-D times. Now, the Red Sox, Cubs, or White Sox.. they're all falling just short.. havn't won a world series in over 80 years. They're due. I'm going to support these "little guys" and hope they pull through. And when they finally win the world series I'll be able to say, "It was a tough time, I didn't know if they could hold out.. but they finally did it.. thanks to the support of fans who believed in them...

Also, I think allegiance to a team is established during your impressionable years when you may only want to root for a winner. I started rooting for the white sox when I was 5 in 1983. The sox cleaned up their division...won the first 2 games of the ALCS and only needed one more... Then they dropped 3 straight to the Orioles. Plus that had an "awesome" jersey.
http://mlb.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pMLB2-1484419dt.jpg
It all comes down to interests. A substantial portion of the population is interested in competitive sports.

Of course there is no personal investment, but why not support one side of an event of healthy athletic competition.

 

[Planderella]

I think that everyone wants to be part of a community and rooting for sports teams is a great way to feel like they are part of one. You are essentially rooting for the uniform more than the actual players.

Also, I think you are rooting for that community's particular way of life and/or culture.

If a team is winning it makes it even easier to root for a team. Anyone who has had a sports team go deep into the playoffs probably noticed that their City (or in the case of the Packers, the entire state) has a level of excitement not usually seen.

That's also the case when a team is not winning. Look at the New Orleans Saints. They can't seem to make it past the first game of the playoffs, yet the fans are still die-hard. Even during the "Aints" years and when the fans wore brown paper bags over their heads, people were still there supporting the team in their own special way.

 

[Maister]

Maister Why pick the underdog as your favorite team. I think a lot of it has to do with seeing the little guy succeed. It's even here on this board.

Often you'll read: "Don't shop at "mega-store elite plus sized", instead shop at mom and pop. They may not be cheaper, but it's a local family and their service is top shelf. When they do well, you'll feel all warm and fuzzy. You can say to yourself, "I was there...shopping that store..when it was just a little bitty 100 sq ft store with 6 items for sale." Now they're succeeding thanks to my support.

With sports teams: "I can't root for the Yankee's they've already won the world series over 20 G-D times. Now, the Red Sox, Cubs, or White Sox.. they're all falling just short.. havn't won a world series in over 80 years. They're due. I'm going to support these "little guys" and hope they pull through. And when they finally win the world series I'll be able to say, "It was a tough time, I didn't know if they could hold out.. but they finally did it.. thanks to the support of fans who believed in them...

Also, I think allegience to a team is established during your impressionable years when you may only want to root for a winner. I started rooting for the white sox when I was 5 in 1983. The sox cleaned up their division...won the first 2 games of the ALCS and only needed one more... Then they dropped 3 straight to the Orieoles. Plus that had an "awesome" jersey.


Of couse there is no personal investement, but why not support one side of an event of healthy athletic competition.

Wow, these are really good anwers! That also is true - a significant portion of the public likes to root for the underdog. I admit I do it myself, yet am at a loss to explain why.....but let me be a :d: 's advocate - could it not be argued that promoting 'us' and 'them' mentality about something even as innocuous as sporting events is a bad thing. Don't we have enough rancour in our society as it is without adding 'hooligans' into the mix?

 

[Big Easy King]

Look at the New Orleans Saints. They can't seem to make it past the first game of the playoffs, yet the fans are still die-hard. Even during the "Aints" years and when the fans wore brown paper bags over their heads, people were still there supporting the team in their own special way.

The organization becomes a part of the culture. The Saints are as much a part of New Orleans culture as red beans and rice. You become accustomed to it. The recently acquired Hornets have become a part of our local culture as well.

Go Saints and Hornets! :-D

 

[Gedunker]

.....but let me be a :d: 's advocate - could it not be argued that promoting 'us' and 'them' mentality about something even as innocuous as sporting events is a bad thing. Don't we have enough rancour in our society as it is without adding 'hooligans' into the mix?

It does not necessarily have to be a bad thing -- as with all things, some folks take it much too far. Most fans are simply that -- fans that take the winning with the losing but keep their eyes on the bigger issues.

Slightly OT: Did you see or read about the Cardinals at Rangers game yesterday? Some beefy dude decided he had to have a foul ball, so he pinned a 4-year old boy in his seat while he wrestled for the ball. The fans started yelling "give him the ball" but the guy was having none of it. St. Louis outfielder Reggie Sanders personally handed the kid a game-used bat and balls (as did Texas). St. Louis reliever Steve Kline (a lefty, if that tells you anything -- sorry lefties) sent the guy a St. Louis t-shirt on which he had written "Tough Guy" and "Ball Stealer". But the guy had already left. :-D

 

[michaelskis]

Now this is a good thread! (Good Job Maister!)

I think that most pro sports and their athletes are slowly destroying the fabric of today’s society. We are always hearing about sex scandals, drug charges, athletes on strike because of the lack of pay, or worse.

I realize that the athletes where just as bad as they are today, but today it is more welcomed in the media, and they are much more of an influence on society. It is almost understood that if you are a pro athlete, you have a wife at home, and a girl friend (or several) in each city you visit. Furthermore, the whole pay salary and the price of tickets is insane. Little kids pay money to play base ball because it is fun, yet a pro base ball player making millions and millions of dollars to sit on the bench? I personally think that they should change it up so that base ball players make a base of $50,000 (if they show up to 90% of their games). If they start every game, they get $100 per game. If they win, $100, if they hit a home run $50... and base it all on performance standards. And if they are charged with anything more than a speeding ticket, they are benched for 10 games. You know what would happen, ticket prices would go down to like $10 per game, every stadium will be filled to maximum capacity, people would start caring about how they play because there quality of living standards would be affected.

I am a Green Bay Packer fan because I grew up two hours north of Green Bay *in Michigan. It is rare that you hear about a Packer getting in trouble for anything, and you have people who spend their whole career in Green Bay. They give back to the community far more than any other team does, and on game day in green bay, people are at one of three places. At the Field, at a Bar with a TV, or at home with friends and Family to watch the game.

Dominc Hasak got hurt the beginning of the season and gave half his salary back. Not because he was asked, or because he had to, but because he has ethics and morals.

Other than Packers or Wings Games, I will not pay money to watch a pro sporting event. I see were the money goes, and it is far better if it goes to the owner of a local restaurant or bar that has a big screen.

 

[the north omaha star]

Growing in up in Nebraska, there are no major professional sports teams. So everyone gets to pick who they want. The majority of the people pick the team closest to Omaha. Which means you root for the KC, St. Louis, Minnesota and Chicago teams. People in western Nebraska root for the Denver teams. My brother and I usually picked east coast teams because we wanted to leave Omaha so bad.

On the other hand, EVERYONE follows Univ. of Nebraska football. Unless, you're my Mom or my little brother. The entire state is only 1.7 million people and
1,699, 998 bleed the scarlet and cream of the HUSKERS. If Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on a game day was a city, it would be the 3rd biggest city in the state at 78,000 people. The way the residents of Nebraska feel about the HUSKERS is comparable to Wisconsin and their Green Bay Packers.

GO BIG RED!!

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Becuase it is really entertainment. I root for the teams I grew up watching. Kind of a pride issue, I guess. Since I don't live in Minnesota anymore, but still could live there if given the opportunity, I have to be a little more vocal about them. It can be viewed as a hobby of sorts. One actively gets involved in something they like. Why do some people collect salt and pepper shakers? Because it is something they enjoy getting involved with. Now I'm sure drunk collectors of the shakers never get involved in brawls over them, but I'm trying to make the point that you do something you like.

On the other hand, EVERYONE follows Univ. of Nebraska football. Unless, you're my Mom or my little brother. The entire state is only 1.7 million people and
1,699, 998 bleed the scarlet and cream of the HUSKERS. If Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on a game day was a city, it would be the 3rd biggest city in the state at 78,000 people. The way the residents of Nebraska feel about the HUSKERS is comparable to Wisconsin and their Green Bay Packers.

GO BIG RED!!

I thought someone on Cyburbia stated in another thread that the N on the Nebraska football helmet was for "knowledge".

 

[boiker]

Now I'm sure drunk collectors of the shakers never get involved in brawls over them, but I'm trying to make the point that you do something you like.

you can get into drunken brawls over anything.
hehe.. everything always comes back to the simpsons:

Barney : And I say, England's greatest Prime Minister was Lord Palmerston!
Wade Boggs : Pitt the Elder!
Barney : Lord Palmerston!
Wade Boggs : Pitt the Elder!
Barney : Okay, you asked for it, Boggs! (punches Wade)
Moe : Yeah, that's showing him, Barney! Pitt the Elder...
Barney : Lord Palmerston! (punches Moe)

 

[Maister]

Becuase it is really entertainment. I root for the teams I grew up watching. Kind of a pride issue, I guess. Since I don't live in Minnesota anymore, but still could live there if given the opportunity, I have to be a little more vocal about them. It can be viewed as a hobby of sorts. One actively gets involved in something they like. Why do some people collect salt and pepper shakers? Because it is something they enjoy getting involved with. Now I'm sure drunk collectors of the shakers never get involved in brawls over them, but I'm trying to make the point that you do something you like.



I thought someone on Cyburbia stated in another thread that the N on the Nebraska football helmet was for "knowledge".

Yes it is entertainment, but why does the whole "polarity thing" have to be an integral part of it? Admit it, you could be watching senior women's division 2 semi-finals jai-alai and would yet find a reason for rooting for one team over another (you know, the Dade county team's hair isn't quite so blue...)

 

[Dragon]

I cheer for the Saints every season. Win or lose. I find myself playing the couch coach role no matter how the team is doing. I went hysterical when I was at work watching the Saints beat St. Louis for their first playoff win.

I think my affection for this team comes from the fact that they are fairly local (within a 2 hour drive) and that they have been underdogs.

I tend to gravitate toward teams with players that I like. I hated San Francisco after they traded/released (not sure which) Joe Montana, then I liked KC. I root for Farve. I can’t believe Tampa Bay didn’t take Sapp back, so I’ll be paying a lot of attention to the Raiders this year. I lost interest in the Dolphins after Marino retired. I like Mcnabb, but don’t care for Philly’s acquisition of Owens (I don’t like his attitude, I hope the coach straightens it out).

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Yes it is entertainment, but why does the whole "polarity thing" have to be an integral part of it? Admit it, you could be watching senior women's division 2 semi-finals jai-alai and would yet find a reason for rooting for one team over another (you know, the Dade county team's hair isn't quite so blue...)

I'd just root for the team that was not wearing any Depends.

 

[boiker]

Yes it is entertainment, but why does the whole "polarity thing" have to be an integral part of it? Admit it, you could be watching senior women's division 2 semi-finals jai-alai and would yet find a reason for rooting for one team over another (you know, the Dade county team's hair isn't quite so blue...)

Because our sense of rationalization is polar. It's in our culture.

North - South
Good - Bad
Heaven - Hell
Light side of the force - Dark side of the force
Winners - Losers
Republican - Democrat

There is no middle ground, moderator, or thrid-party canadite.

Like I tell my son, "You either pushed your sister...or you didn't..which is it?"

We instinctivley identify with one or ther other. "If you're not with us, your against us."

 

[the north omaha star]

I thought someone on Cyburbia stated in another thread that the N on the Nebraska football helmet was for "knowledge". [/QUOTE]

I've heard that one so many millions of times. Nebraska graduates a lot of players and actually has had quite a few Academic All-Americans. The same can't be said for Florida State (my brother's putrid team).

 

[mgk920]

I think that everyone wants to be part of a community and rooting for sports teams is a great way to feel like they are part of one. You are essentially rooting for the uniform more than the actual players. If you are a kid and you meet a few players it makes it even easier to root for a team. If you are a fan of the Packers and you are down in Florida on vacation and you walk into a Packer Bar you are instantly welcomed by complete strangers just because you are a Packer Fan.

If a team is winning it makes it even easier to root for a team. Anyone who has had a sports team go deep into the playoffs probably noticed that their City (or in the case of the Packers, the entire state) has a level of excitement not usually seen.

Plus sports is something that is a great topic of conversation. If you are at a party talking to someone and the conversation gets dull you can start talking sports.

I can attest to the level of fervor that Wisconsinites have for the Packers, as I live about a 30 minute drive from Lambeau Field and my family has had season tix, two of the VERY BEST seats in the stadium, ever since the early 1960s. Lambeau Field itself recently underwent a major re-enovation and that only made things better. The UW Badgers are also a part of the very fiber of the culture of the state, but not to the extent of the Packers. Where else would professional sports team banners be displayed average commercial property flagpoles at the same level as the state flag?

I think that the major reason for the team's incredible popularity (besides the fans' ownership) is that Green Bay, WI is a smallish, blue-collar, 'Middle America' kind of a place and the team's entire overall 'wholesome' persona are things that people not just in Wisconsin, but nationwide, can relate to.

Also, Packers' players do become part of the local community and it grows on them. It is not at all unusual for players to stick around after their playing careers are over, even if they had never heard of the city before.

Mike

 

[Big Easy King]

I cheer for the Saints every season. Win or lose. I find myself playing the couch coach role no matter how the team is doing. I went hysterical when I was at work watching the Saints beat St. Louis for their first playoff win.

A Saints fan can't help but become a couch coach because of the coach's play calling and non-production on the field at times. I'll cease being a Saints couch coach when they become Superbowl champs.

The Saints first playoff win over St. Louis will continue to be one of the greatest moments in Saints history, especially because of the recent rivalry. I'll never forget that day.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

IPlus sports is something that is a great topic of conversation. If you are at a party talking to someone and the conversation gets dull you can start talking sports.

Don't try that with me. ;-) Or a lot of other people, actually. Like any other "hobby", sports fans don't realize (not directed at you, Repo Man) that the rest of the world thinks it's a big yawn.

My 11-year old son has started watching sports on t.v., fairly indiscriminately. All I told him is that some (not all) of these "heroes" (mainly basketball) have personal problems that make them poor role models.

 

[donk]

Theoretically, one should enjoy viewing sports dispassionately and value observing a sport for the excellence exhibited in play - so whoever is the #1 team and exhibits the greatest skill should therefore be everyone's favorite to watch - right? (that or whoever's got the coolest uniforms/helmets)

That is how I watch football. I enjoy the game, but have never really chosen a team to root for.


The only sport I really follow and care about is bike racing, and my passion for it has wained over the past 2 years. It will get lower this year as I can't "watch" the live stream in the office as I work due to the IT patrol.


Should we start a pool for lance and his 6th tour. I am a Anyone But Lance person. It is classless that he is going to to beat a record that has been respected by the other people who could have broken it.

 

[DecaturHawk]

The Saints first playoff win over St. Louis will continue to be one of the greatest moments in Saints history, especially because of the recent rivalry. I'll never forget that day.

I've never been a Saints fan, but as for professional sports, this was one of the greatest moments in football history. I'll never forget seeing this when I was a kid (yes, showing my age again)...
Tom Dempsey: the defining moment in this kicker's career was, of course, his record 63-yard field goal against the Lions in 1970 - The Game I'll Never Forget
The most compelling part of Dempsey's story is how he overcame his handicap and set a NFL record that stood for 28 years. Also less remembered is that he kicked four field goals and an extra point in a winning effort, back in the days when the Saints were definitely the Aints.

 

[Duke Of Dystopia]

Yes it is entertainment, but why does the whole "polarity thing" have to be an integral part of it? Admit it, you could be watching senior women's division 2 semi-finals jai-alai and would yet find a reason for rooting for one team over another (you know, the Dade county team's hair isn't quite so blue...)

Thats what you don't seem to be getting. Competition for the sake of competition! An excuse to SMASH THE HEADS OF YOUR NEIGHBORS without going to jail! That I can punish the punks from the next town over feeling you get when your sizing up a stranger. It is INNATE to the human condition.

Its like god putting the fruit of knowledge and the tree of life in Eden, the real question was noat ARE those silly bastards going to eat it, but WHEN! (God turns to wholly spirit and says "I bet you they will never fall into the trap and eat it". Wholly spirit looks back at himself and says "Your NUTS! I give em a week, TOPS!" and the seeds of the first competition were in play. :-D

The TRULY amazing thing is that there are people out there, maybe like youself, that don't get this. :-D

 

[The One]

Dodge Ball

I've just signed up for league play in dodge ball :-# , can't wait....what a sport :-c ....
Can't wait to see the movie....

ha ha ha....just kidding.....but it does sound fun......Jim Rome has been all over this topic lately.....

 

[mgk920]

I've just signed up for league play in dodge ball :-# , can't wait....what a sport :-c ....
Can't wait to see the movie....

ha ha ha....just kidding.....but it does sound fun......Jim Rome has been all over this topic lately.....

Hmmmmm, dodgeball as an Olympic sport, with team and 'grand melee' individual events for both men and women. :-0

Hehehehehehee

Mike

 

[Rumpy Tunanator]

Should we start a pool for lance and his 6th tour. I am a Anyone But Lance person. It is classless that he is going to to beat a record that has been respected by the other people who could have broken it.

Its only classless to the french

Hockey is done after 2004. Thats it. I thought Armageddon was going to happen after Tampa won the cup. I felt sick then and still do. Talk about a bunch of fair-weather hockey fans down there. They hardly know anything about the game and for crips sake, it doesn't even snow or ice down there. The NHL should have a rule that prohibits the moving or expansion of a team to a city that can't even freeze a pond for kids to play hockey on.

Ever team I root for loses.

I can't wait till the Bills make it back to the Super Bowl. I'm betting against them so maybe they'll win.

All this talk about extreme dodge ball makes me wonder when it will go pro. I'm all ready getting a petition together so we can land a team here. It will be called, the Buffalo Ballbusters (TM).

 

[The One]

Tampa Bay won the Stanley CUP!!! No Way!!!

Ha ha ha ha....

 

[the north omaha star]

I've just signed up for league play in dodge ball :-# , can't wait....what a sport :-c ....
Can't wait to see the movie....

ha ha ha....just kidding.....but it does sound fun......Jim Rome has been all over this topic lately.....

In Baltimore, there are leagues for playground sports like kickball and dodgeball. My kickball games during 6th grade recess are more competitive than this league. It's more or less an organized excuse to drink excessively and go to work with a hangover the next day.

 

[Maister]

OK, Superbowl coming up in few days. Time to revive this old thread - WHY are you rooting for whichever professional team franchise you are rooting for? There MUST be some rationale for this - inquiring minds need to know.......

 

[NHPlanner]

OK, Superbowl coming up in few days. Time to revive this old thread - WHY are you rooting for whichever professional team franchise you are rooting for? There MUST be some rationale for this - inquiring minds need to know.......

New England Patriots. I live in New England.

Simple as that.

 

[Jaxspra]

I am not rooting for any team this year...my Rams are not there, the Packers are not there, Tennessee is not there...not a single team I like
I am sure however, before the end of the week I will have a team to root for and it will be whichever team the person I am betting against doesn't want to win...If I HAD to choose it would be Philly (the underdogs)...

 

[Bear Up North]

My Grandparents (on my Dad's side) originally moved from Lithuania to Pittsburgh, because "....the mills were hiring.....". As a kid thought Pittsburgh sounded "neat" and I became a Steelers fan.....long before they started their dominating effect in the 1970's (four Super Bowl wins in six years!). All my friends were either Cleveland Browns' fans or Detroit Lions' fans.

In baseball, I grew up and am still a Detroit Tiger fan. In my neighborhood we all hated the Yankees......envious, obviously. Saw many games at Tiger Stadium. (When we make it to the World Series, we win. It's just a long drought between "making it" years.)

I wasn't much of a pro basketball fan early on. Remember, I'm old enuf to recall that the Pistons were originally from Fort Wayne. I liked Oscar Robertson but did not become a Cincinnati fan. Eventually I started watching the Detroit Pistons and that's where my allegiance stands.

Living in Toledo during the 1960's gave me an opportunity to catch, with a good antenna, Windsor, Ontario's broadcasts of Hockey Night In Canada. I loved the sport and the Detroit Red Wings. Still do and miss them this strike/lock season.

Yeah, I'm a rabid fan. I scream and yell, cheer like a possessed idiot, cave in to a litany of superstitions. For many, cheering for their local team reinforces their sense of place. Kind of like downtown development.....cheering wildly when championships are won (or downtown "rebounds") and giving in to the rants of ".....we never win, same old, same old.....".

Don't agree with Ski-Man and others about pay for athletes. It's market-driven. Makes for some bad times in smaller metros (Pitts, Cinci, KC), but this Bear is a "free market" advocate. You can always "change the channel".

Myron "Bear" Cope

 

[zman]

I have always been going to Denver teams, because I was born and raised there. (I was born during a Broncos game actually).

Notre Dame has gone back to my dad's side of the family living in South Bend until a move to Denver in 1970. My grandparents came to the Hungarian community of South Bend in 1949 when they immigrated. They had season tickets to the Irish in
the 60s.

As for this weekend, I am going for the Eagles (I think). I hate the Patsies and their pretty boy Tom Brady (who played at Michigan too.... :-@)
But I also do not like Terrell Owens...

So maybe I'll just watch and cheer for good sportsmanship.

 

[Mastiff]

The organization becomes a part of the culture. The Saints are as much a part of New Orleans culture as red beans and rice. You become accustomed to it. The recently acquired Hornets have become a part of our local culture as well.

Go Saints and Hornets! :-D

I grew up (partly) in Philly... and everyone knows our reputation as fans. No matter where I am, I'm always a Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and (even though I'm not a pro b-bal fan) Sixer fan. I've watched every one except the Eagles (fingers crossed) win a championship. The jubilation of an entire city is something amazing.... And I can't stomach the idiots who ruin it with riots. When the Phils won in '80, I walked home from the Vet, stopping at every other corner filling my cup with free beer from kegs that bars had rolled out onto the sidewalk.

And I lived in New Orleans... so I do have a soft spot for the 'Aints. Not the same hardcore stuff, but some. Same with the Red Sox and Pats, who I want to lose... because they play my Iggles.

 

[Gedunker]

<snip>And I can't stomach the idiots who ruin it with riots. When the Phils won in '80, I walked home from the Vet, stopping at every other corner filling my cup with free beer from kegs that bars had rolled out onto the sidewalk.

I was at E Stroudsburg then and the quad filled up with revelers. It may or may not have been yours truly that suggestively screamed "Wah Wah" only to watch the gathered student body rush the poor place en masse. Yours truly did not partake of the ensuing calamity. :-o :-D :-c

 

[JNA]

Now this is crazy maybe stupid but

AP Wire Headline: Eagles fans borrow against homes for game
http://ap.indystar.com/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_SUPER_BOWL_BORROWING_TO_GO?SITE=ININS&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Article highlights:
"Some championship-deprived Philadelphians are so desperate to get down to Jacksonville for the big game that they're borrowing against their homes to pay for the tickets."

 

[NHPlanner]

Same with the Red Sox and Pats, who I want to lose... because they play my Iggles.

Which takes a bit of the fun out of our bet.....

Seriously though, if the Pats weren't in this game, I'd be rooting for the Eagles....I know what it's like to experience the release of years of no-championships, especially being a Red Sox fan.

Still, looking forward to taking Mastiff's pic wearing a Pats hat!

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

I'm a Cubs fan because my family comes from the Indiana part of metro Chicago. I had an aunt who sat me down at an early age and explained the facts of life. Members of the family root for the Cubs, not the dread Sox, so I got indocrinated an an early age. I root for the Colts because of where I live and the Bears have stunk for about 20 years now. As for pro b-ball and hockey, I don't really follow.

As for the upcoming Super Bowl, I would love to root for the Eagles, but the Pats are going to cream them. Plus, it takes the sting out of the Colts losing to them. It always hurts less if the team that beats you goes on and wins the championship.

 

[Mastiff]

Which takes a bit of the fun out of our bet.....

Seriously though, if the Pats weren't in this game, I'd be rooting for the Eagles....I know what it's like to experience the release of years of no-championships, especially being a Red Sox fan.

Still, looking forward to taking Mastiff's pic wearing a Pats hat!

I bought a beautiful Eagles hat for you to take home with you... you'll look very nice in it. We'll post the pics here!

Now this is crazy maybe stupid but

AP Wire Headline: Eagles fans borrow against homes for game
http://ap.indystar.com/dynamic/stories/F/FBN_SUPER_BOWL_BORROWING_TO_GO?SITE=ININS&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Article highlights:
"Some championship-deprived Philadelphians are so desperate to get down to Jacksonville for the big game that they're borrowing against their homes to pay for the tickets."

Well, if you don't have the cash... a home equity loan has a good rate. If I knew I could pay it back over time, I'd do it. The cheapest Superbowl ticket I found was 2,000 plus... that and airfare and hotel can be some bucks!

But watch the Birds win? I'd pay it... Wish I had the time to do it.