Do You Root For More Than One Team?

[bryanac625]

Who out there is a fan of two teams? or three? or more? I'm an Orioles and Nationals fan. I grew up in DC and when I started following the game, the Senators were long gone. I always said that if DC ever got a team, I woud support that team as well. I guess I'm still more of an O's than Nats fan... the Nationals are a new team that is still growing on me.

Before the Nats, I was also a big fan of the Red Sox. The first game I ever went to was at Fenway. But I became a fan ever since they lost the Series in '86. I just wanted to see them win a World Series. So it was good timing that they won it all in '04 and the Nats came back to DC in '05.

I figure with free agency and so many people relocating for jobs etc, there are a lot more people today who root for more than one team. What teams do you root for?

[Zagi-CRO]

NYY
Tigers
Cubs

[catbox_9]

Tigers for me.


I'm born and raised Californian so I'd rather not see the Giants, A's, Padres, or Dodgers fold and if they were playing say Milwaukee or Tampa Bay I'd cheer for them. Also, I'm a full season ticket holder for the Dodgers so I'd like to see them lose the World Series to Detroit in LA. I also don't mind the Cubs or Indians because if you've waited as long as they have you kind of deserve to win.

I once supported CHW, BOS, and ANA nut now that they've won I can't stand any of them (especially the first two).

[Dirt Dog]

I have one life, one wife, and one team! :gt

If the Sox are eliminated from the playoffs, I'll pull for a certain AL/NL team, probably an underdog type of team or a team that hasn't been in the spotlight for a while, but I'm not going to add them to "my favorite teams" and go out and buy any merchandise and hop on the bandwagon.

[brewcrew82]

If the Sox are eliminated from the playoffs, I'll pull for a certain AL/NL team, probably an underdog type of team or a team that hasn't been in the spotlight for a while, but I'm not going to add them to "my favorite teams" and go out and buy any merchandise and hop on the bandwagon.

I very much agree (though not with the Sox part...I can't stand the Sox :shhh: ) and am alot like this, though I do root for Nashville (the brewers AAA affiliate). But I'm guessing Minor League teams don't count.

[Erik Bedard]

Orioles and Red Sox. Also like the Blue Jays and Brewers. And whoever happens to be playing the Yankees.

[Dirt Dog]

And whoever happens to be playing the Yankees.

Excellent point. :highfive:

[strosfan]

I am forever faithful to my 'Stros! No one else matters.

[redlegsfan21]

I do root for a few teams. The Cincinnati Reds, Louisville Bats, Chattanooga Lookouts, Sarasota Reds, Dayton Dragons, and the Billings Mustangs. Sometimes, I root for the GCL Reds too.

[SamtheBravesFan]

For all intents and purposes... no. I want the Rangers to win, but I can't say I'm a true fan of them.

[BoSoxNation]

I am a Red Sox and Rockies fan

[Craig S.]

I'm a Jays fan who used to also root for the Expos. Now that they've relocated, I don't feel the same loyalty, so I'm a one-team rooter.

[Westlake]

The Dodgers are a distant second to my Sox, but I still pull for them.

[nerfan]

Mets, (RIP Norfolk Tides), Zephyrs, Binghamton Mets, St. Lucie Mets, Savannah Sand Gnats, Brooklyn Cyclones, Kingsport Mets, GCL Mets, VSL Mets (Venezuelan Summer League), Santo Domingo Mets (Dominican Summer League)

Did I miss any?

[Bukanier]

I also root for the A's. But I don't follow their players that much, let alone the minors.

[AstrosFan]

I live near San Diego, so I root for the Padres as well. But when the Astros play the Padres, I have no conflicts about who I root for. And if the 'Stros lose, I'm pissed. None of that, "Well, it was the Padres, so it's okay" crap.

[MarinersFan51]

im a mariners fan first and foremost, but i alos cheer for the A's, Dodgers, Dbacks, Cards, Phillies, Mets, Twins, Pirates, and a few other teams.

i find myself rooting for a lot of players also, and if a player i like watching is on a team ill root for them unless they are playing another of my favourites. Like baltimore, ill cheer them on because of tejada. or KC because of gil meche.

[Seattle1]

I only root for the Mariners. :gt

But, it doesn't bother me when the Cubs, Pirates, and Red Sox win. ;)

[Seattle1]

im a mariners fan first and foremost, but i alos cheer for the A's...

Dude that's messed up. :crazy

[natsnsoxfan]

Im a big Nats and Red Sox fan. I bet you couldn't have guessed that. I also tend to root for the underdog in the playoffs when they're not playing my team.

[iPod]

Can someone here explain the rationale behind being a fan of two different franchises? The conflict of interest seems so insurmountable that, when a person tells me he or she (usually she, come to think of it) is a fan of two or more teams, my first reaction is that he or she just doesn't grasp the concept properly, to be honest. The idea just makes no sense to me. To exaggerate the concept a little, how would you react if you overheard someone in 1944 saying "I want the Americans to win the war, but I root for the Italians too"?

[Wade8813]

I'm an M's fan, and I also like the Braves (and in response to your point, iPod, a large part of the reason I chose them was that they're in the NL).

[Williamsburg2599]

I only root for the Mariners. :gt

But, it doesn't bother me when the Cubs, Pirates, and Red Sox win. ;)

Switch Mariners and Red Sox and you got my opinion. :waving :happy:

[Bukanier]

Can someone here explain the rationale behind being a fan of two different franchises? The conflict of interest seems so insurmountable that, when a person tells me he or she (usually she, come to think of it) is a fan of two or more teams, my first reaction is that he or she just doesn't grasp the concept properly, to be honest. The idea just makes no sense to me. To exaggerate the concept a little, how would you react if you overheard someone in 1944 saying "I want the Americans to win the war, but I root for the Italians too"?
I see it as a scale. There is a certain ranking, I recall such a thread. You would want the #2 to win any game against #3 to #30. Of course, with most (?) people #2 would be on the negative side of the scale, or so far away from #1 that it doesn't matter.

As for why that is so... Most secondary teams are in the other league. I would have a hard time rooting for another NL team, especially in the NL Central.

I don't have a local connection to any team. If I had to follow the geographically closest team, I would be a Red Sox fan, as would be other Europeans.

[iPod]

I see it as a scale. There is a certain ranking, I recall such a thread. You would want the #2 to win any game against #3 to #30. Of course, with most (?) people #2 would be on the negative side of the scale, or so far away from #1 that it doesn't matter.

As for why that is so... Most secondary teams are in the other league. I would have a hard time rooting for another NL team, especially in the NL Central.


Regardless of whether the secondary team is in the other league, you still only want the team to win to a certain extent. If the Pirates went to the World Series against your second favorite team, you would root against your second favorite team. Once you can anticipate a situation in which you would categorically root against a certain team, your affection for the team becomes conditional and self-serving. I suppose it's possible we're just disagreeing about the definition of the word "fan." As it stands, it just strikes me as wasted emotional energy.

I'm not saying you're doing this, at least not consciously, but I personally know people who root for two different teams simply because it increases their chances of having access to the joy of a World Series win in September, and are rather open about this. I don't really see how this works in these people's minds, because essentially they're willing themselves to do something they can't naturally do. It sort of reminds me of those people you run into who actually tell you they believe in God "just in case." Sounds like doublethink to me.

[Staredge]

I see it as a scale. There is a certain ranking, I recall such a thread. You would want the #2 to win any game against #3 to #30. Of course, with most (?) people #2 would be on the negative side of the scale, or so far away from #1 that it doesn't matter.

As for why that is so... Most secondary teams are in the other league. I would have a hard time rooting for another NL team, especially in the NL Central.

I don't have a local connection to any team. If I had to follow the geographically closest team, I would be a Red Sox fan, as would be other Europeans.


Yep. Makes it hard when the teams play each other, although on the other hand you're good no matter who wins!!!! :party:

I've been a Cubs fan forever.....a D'Backs fan since they got there because I grew up in Arizona......a Nat's fan since they got here and I live nearby. I have a handful of other teams I sorta root for, primarily because of certain players.

[BlueBlood]

This probably should have been a poll...personally, I view it as sacrilege to have more than one team. Frankly, if the Dodgers aren't in the playoffs, I don't watch, and often could care less about what's going on in the "Other 29"

[Mr. Red]

Reds (90 miles away, my parents' team)
Red Sox (best friend is from Bos. and lives there now, grandpa's favorite team)

And I pull for the A's if the other two teams aren't involved, b/c I like Billy Beane. In fact I could probably rank the teams by how much I like them.

[Old Sweater]

Can someone here explain the rationale behind being a fan of two different franchises?

Easy for me. Colorado didn't get a team until 1993. My grandpa was a Yankee fan and started me in watching baseball. The Yankees are 2nd on the list now we have the Rockies here. Really not that bad having a favorite NL and AL team to root for.

Playoffs

1/ Rockies

2/ Yankees

3/ AL Original 8 team.

4/ Any AL team (unless Toronto is the team) American here!

What gets me is how somebody lucky enough to have a major league team in their state since birth can root for a team from another state. To me that is like rooting for one of the other 49 foreign countries when it comes to bragging rights.

[Evangelion]

Just a fan for one team and that's Boston.

Doesn't mean I don't like the rest of the league. I root for a team I need to win for the Sox to get into the playoff. Or, root for a team playing New York, only except when New York got to beat that team to help Boston.

Rooting for them to win doesn't make me a fan of that club. I'm only a fan for one club and that's Boston. If people want to like another team, all the power to them, but I don't quite agree with the logic. One person I know an A's and Tiger fan and I find that concept just plain silly.

[Old Sweater]

This probably should have been a poll...personally, I view it as sacrilege to have more than one team. Frankly, if the Dodgers aren't in the playoffs, I don't watch, and often could care less about what's going on in the "Other 29"


So you haven't watched a WS since 1988? Or none at all I guess if you are 18 or under in age.

Can see your point though.

[Bukanier]

I'm not saying you're doing this, at least not consciously, but I personally know people who root for two different teams simply because it increases their chances of having access to the joy of a World Series win in September, and are rather open about this.
...then I wouldn't be a Bucs fan :D

But I get your drift. Not strictly rooting for more than one team, but say someone is rooting for, the Yankees, the Patriots, Australia in cricket... then I think the person would project a performance expectation on his/her fandom. Not primarily to be happy, but like you want to be successful in your job, or a game.

But if that is so... then is it even completely "ethical" to root for just one team? If you unconsciously want to be part of the faithful and committed hometown crowd?

[NewEnglandAmazins]

1 Metropolitans
2 Red Sox / Giants
3 A team that hasn't won in a long time would get my sympathy during a play- off run. Except for the Yanks, I could care less if they never win again. Even less sympathy for the Dodgers, I'd rather see the Yanks win 20 more before that happens. Hope that explains #2.

[rockin500]

why would i root for anyone else?

[-Kyle-]

I root for the Red Sox and any team whose victory would help the Red Sox acheive playoffs. Rooting for more than one team is just dumb, its like rooting for two separate sides in a free for all war.

EDIT: I also occasionally like to see the Dodgers or Padres win, only because Ex-Red Sox were on them. :)

[Future:Greatest2BofAll-Time]

Just The Los Angeles Dodgers and nobody else.

[Dalkowski110]

The Mets, their Minor League teams, the Tigers, their Minor League teams, and that's it. If they play each other, I'll root for the Mets, especially when it comes to Minor League games, but if they played a game that would really matter or faced each other in the WS (glad they didn't in '06 in a way), I'd flip a coin. I literally grew up with both teams. The only deciding factor is that I'm closer geographically to the Mets.

[Seattle1]

Switch Mariners and Red Sox and you got my opinion. :waving :happy:

:D

.........

[Jermz]

My AL team is the Orioles

My NL team is the Giants

I usually pull for the Red Sox because my father & brother are huge fans, and I grew up rooting for them to beat the Yankees

I was born in Oakland, and live 30 minutes from their park. I go to a lot of A's games, and I root for them sometimes too (especially when they play the Yankees)

The only other team I root for is anyone playing the Yankees.

My son is 2 years old, and so far he is showing interest in the Tigers (he likes the "D" on the hat, and he likes the "orange cat" on their logo). I tell him, that would be great if you were a Tigers fan, we need more American League help to beat the Yankees!

So to recap...my teams are...
1. Orioles
2. Giants
3. Red Sox
4. A's
5. Anyone playing the Yankees

[ReignInBlood]

I don't understand how can anyone root for 2 different teams, it's hard for me to keep up with my team day in day out let alone 2 teams. Anyway, I'm a Padres fan living in Tijuana/San Diego.

[Red Sox Rule]

I only support one team, the red sox but i like to see 2 other teams do well. The mets because my uncle supports them and i've always quite liked the pirates

[-Kyle-]

I'm not saying you're doing this, at least not consciously, but I personally know people who root for two different teams simply because it increases their chances of having access to the joy of a World Series win in September, and are rather open about this. I don't really see how this works in these people's minds, because essentially they're willing themselves to do something they can't naturally do. It sort of reminds me of those people you run into who actually tell you they believe in God "just in case." Sounds like doublethink to me.

Aka hedging your'e bets and if they ever faced each "I am an winner either way." I find that very sad. :(

[Utility07]

People who root for more than one team just dont get it.

Go Sox. And no, I am not one of those "trendy" red sox fans.

I like my sox WHITE.

[Westlake]

What gets me is how somebody lucky enough to have a major league team in their state since birth can root for a team from another state. To me that is like rooting for one of the other 49 foreign countries when it comes to bragging rights.

I have had two teams in my state since birth, and neither are my favorite team. The city I grew up in was about 360 and 550 miles away from both team's stadiums, respectively. Both of those distances are further than the distance between Boston and New York, the second being more than 2 times further. Being in the same state as a team doesn't mean the team is necessarily close enough to really be born into it. I root for a team almost 2 thousand miles away, because I saw that team in person more often than either of the two teams in my state and my favorite player played for them.

[Westlake]

People who root for more than one team just dont get it.

Go Sox. And no, I am not one of those "trendy" red sox fans.

I like my sox WHITE.

Because there were no trendy white sox fans in '05? Last I checked, they've been more successful than the Red version. Once a team wins, fans will come out of nowhere, no matter what team it is.

[-Kyle-]

Go Sox. And no, I am not one of those "trendy" red sox fans.
Thats the one (albeit acceptable) bagage that came with the manificent 2004 playoffs. All the sudden, everyone started rooting for them. Thats not too bad, but then the earlier fans become ragged on because of it. Sort of like what the Detroit is getting now...the "you only liked them once you started winning" saying. :sigh:

[Utility07]

You cannot drive all across random parts of the nation and see white sox hats everywhere.

The same cannot be said for red.

[Westlake]

You cannot drive all across random parts of the nation and see white sox hats everywhere.

The same cannot be said for red.

You could have driven around the nation in 2002 and you would have seen the same thing, you probably just didn't care to notice it before. Also, some of these Red Sox cap wearing people aren't fans nor do they pretend to be, they wear them for fashion. Same for a lot of people that wear Yankee caps.

[iPod]

One year when I was in high school, I had a summer job at a store that sells sports jerseys, caps, team mugs, and stuff like that. I found it absolutely astonishing how many people came in who would come in looking to buy a cap, and while picking which one to buy, would try on multiple styles of Yankee and Red Sox caps. Always those two... Yankees, Red Sox. And which one they ultimately picked was almost totally random, although it seemed like Red Sox caps had a slight advantage. My point is, if you see a guy wearing a Yankee or Red Sox cap and he's not in clear Yankee or Red Sox territory, I'd say the odds are well over 50% that he just picked it because he thought the hat looked cool. Trust me, I've seen it firsthand.

[-Kyle-]

You cannot drive all across random parts of the nation and see white sox hats everywhere.

The same cannot be said for red.

So what? Do you dislike them for popularity? :think:

[Dalkowski110]

"Also, some of these Red Sox cap wearing people aren't fans nor do they pretend to be, they wear them for fashion."

Sorta the case with me. I have a large hat collection (which I wear...what good is it letting it sit?) and go out of the way to say that, except for the Mets and Tigers (and also New York Giants caps, which I wear as a tribute to my father and grandfather), I only wear these caps because I think they look nice (I have never worn any non-Mets cap to a Mets game or event, nor any non-Tigers cap to a Tigers game or event.). Then again, I do wear my Houston Colts cap to the shooting range at times, but I think one can see why. Also, if I think a cap is going to cause controversy, I don't wear it (in other words, I don't want to be rubbing salt in a wound or associated with a bandwagoner like wearing a Red Sox cap in NY when I was going to high school after the 2004 World Series). I also wear non-sports related baseball caps, along with a South African Republic Boer War era hat (think Aussie digger hat, but turned up on the right hand side vs. the left hand side and with a bit wider of a brim). Then again, on the flipside of the coin, sometimes I WILL wear caps to support teams. Like I said, at Mets games, Tigers games, and other Mets- and Tigers-related events, but also to card shops, card shows, etc.; any place where I think I have to pull for my team and make an impression as a fan of the Mets and Tigers, I suppose.

[bryanac625]

Can someone here explain the rationale behind being a fan of two different franchises? The conflict of interest seems so insurmountable that, when a person tells me he or she (usually she, come to think of it) is a fan of two or more teams, my first reaction is that he or she just doesn't grasp the concept properly, to be honest. The idea just makes no sense to me. To exaggerate the concept a little, how would you react if you overheard someone in 1944 saying "I want the Americans to win the war, but I root for the Italians too"?

Last time I checked, baseball is a lot different from a war. Besides that, you can do whatever you choose- root for one team or ten teams, it's your own business.

But since you bring up war, did you know that Japanese diplomat Saburo Kurusu* (one of the eleventh-hour envoys sent to Washington, DC to feign peace negotiations while the Pearl Harbor strike was taking place) was married to an American woman? Kurusu married Alice Little in 1914. They lived in Japan. But I don't know if she felt any loyalty for her native country during the war.

*the character of Kurusu is featured in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!

:atthepc

[Staredge]

Can someone here explain the rationale behind being a fan of two different franchises? The conflict of interest seems so insurmountable that, when a person tells me he or she (usually she, come to think of it) is a fan of two or more teams, my first reaction is that he or she just doesn't grasp the concept properly, to be honest. The idea just makes no sense to me. To exaggerate the concept a little, how would you react if you overheard someone in 1944 saying "I want the Americans to win the war, but I root for the Italians too"?


Got any kids??? More than one????

[Williamsburg2599]

Got any kids??? More than one????

Got a wife? more than one? ;)

[brewcrew82]

To exaggerate the concept a little, how would you react if you overheard someone in 1944 saying "I want the Americans to win the war, but I root for the Italians too"?

That would be almost appropriate except that Italy joined the Allied powers in 1943. :lookitup

[SRO]

I only get upset/excited about the Giants, but I have a soft spot for the Red Sox and I passively watch A's games since I can catch them pretty much every night.

[iPod]

That would be almost appropriate except that Italy joined the Allied powers in 1943. :lookitup

Whoops. I'll admit that I forgot that, although I swear I did at one point know it. 1942, then.

[iPod]

Last time I checked, baseball is a lot different from a war. Besides that, you can do whatever you choose- root for one team or ten teams, it's your own business.


In terms of scale it's different, but not in spirit. You are on one side, they are on the other, and for them to win, you have to lose. The point is that being on two sides simultaneously will inherently create a conflict of interest.

If I "become a Yankees fan too," that means I would want the Yankees to win any game except a World Series game against the Giants. That would mean I would view the Yankees as being "the good guys" all the way up to the World Series, at which point they would suddenly, inexplicably become the "bad guys." What sense does that make? That would make me a Part-Time Yankee fan. Rather than "I root for the Yankees," all I could say is "I root for the Yankees when doing so doesn't interfere with my other plans." That's my point I guess. To me, (and again, if someone could explain how this works I'm happy to read it) it seems like it would be impossible truly to devote yourself to two different teams. One has to defer to the other at some point, meaning your devotion in one has to waver.

[iPod]

Got any kids??? More than one????

There is of course the "what if they were on competing sports teams" argument, which admittedly doesn't really support mine. However, I believe there are relevant dissimilarities. When you "root for your kids" what you really want is for them to lead long, fulfilling lives, with having been on a successful little league team being a small part of that. However, two siblings do not share an entirely competitive relationship. Essentially, there's no reason why one child pursuing a successful life would hinder the chances of the other doing the same. At the very least, we know its not an inevitability that, if one succeeds in life, the other must fail. I think we would look very, very differently at our children if this was the case. In fact, organized high-pressure competition like being on different sports teams is looked upon squeamishly by parents, exactly because it creates this awkward conflict. It's seen as an outlying happenstance resulting from what is otherwise, what is naturally, a noncompetitive connection.

[Dalkowski110]

"One has to defer to the other at some point, meaning your devotion in one has to waver."

I do this by flipping a coin. I did not wear a ballcap to the Tigers/Mets interleague game I went do. I did not care who won. The only reason I root for the Mets Minor League teams vs. the Tigers Minor League teams is that I flipped a coin on that one a while ago and resolved to settle that once and for all. Simply put, I grew up with both teams.

[Old Sweater]

One year when I was in high school, I had a summer job at a store that sells sports jerseys, caps, team mugs, and stuff like that. I found it absolutely astonishing how many people came in who would come in looking to buy a cap, and while picking which one to buy, would try on multiple styles of Yankee and Red Sox caps. Always those two... Yankees, Red Sox. And which one they ultimately picked was almost totally random, although it seemed like Red Sox caps had a slight advantage. My point is, if you see a guy wearing a Yankee or Red Sox cap and he's not in clear Yankee or Red Sox territory, I'd say the odds are well over 50% that he just picked it because he thought the hat looked cool. Trust me, I've seen it firsthand.


I believe you on the trendy or fashion part. New Era is making a mint on it to.

We have one young man here at the pool hall that wears a fashion Yankee cap one nite and then wears a fashion Red Sox cap the next nite...lol Some nights I see up to 20 baseball fitted New Era caps worn by young men and just up to 4 older men watching the game with me.

[Old Sweater]

I have had two teams in my state since birth, and neither are my favorite team. The city I grew up in was about 360 and 550 miles away from both team's stadiums, respectively. Both of those distances are further than the distance between Boston and New York, the second being more than 2 times further. Being in the same state as a team doesn't mean the team is necessarily close enough to really be born into it. I root for a team almost 2 thousand miles away, because I saw that team in person more often than either of the two teams in my state and my favorite player played for them.


I can see your reasons. Just really odd for a Texan though. Thought no one took bragging rights more serious.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

Yes I do root for more than one team.

Main team is the Yankees. But I also root for the Braves, the Mariners and the Montgomery Biscuits.

I used to root for the Montreal Expos as well, but since they have left Montreal, it is hard for me to root for the Nationals.

[bryanac625]

In terms of scale it's different, but not in spirit. You are on one side, they are on the other, and for them to win, you have to lose. The point is that being on two sides simultaneously will inherently create a conflict of interest.

It's real simple for me: if you want to root for more than one team, you are certainly free to do so.

[Dodgerfan1]

Yes, my first love is the Dodgers and my second, the A's.

[Staredge]

There is of course the "what if they were on competing sports teams" argument, which admittedly doesn't really support mine. However, I believe there are relevant dissimilarities. When you "root for your kids" what you really want is for them to lead long, fulfilling lives, with having been on a successful little league team being a small part of that. However, two siblings do not share an entirely competitive relationship. Essentially, there's no reason why one child pursuing a successful life would hinder the chances of the other doing the same. At the very least, we know its not an inevitability that, if one succeeds in life, the other must fail. I think we would look very, very differently at our children if this was the case. In fact, organized high-pressure competition like being on different sports teams is looked upon squeamishly by parents, exactly because it creates this awkward conflict. It's seen as an outlying happenstance resulting from what is otherwise, what is naturally, a noncompetitive connection.

Not really the track I was heading for though. I have 2 kids with one on the way. I love all three of them. The marriage idea is probably a little more applicable. I have a wife. Doesn't mean I don't look at other women. I certainly have enough female friends (much to my wifes chagrin). One takes priority.

[iPod]

Not really the track I was heading for though. I have 2 kids with one on the way. I love all three of them. The marriage idea is probably a little more applicable. I have a wife. Doesn't mean I don't look at other women. I certainly have enough female friends (much to my wifes chagrin). One takes priority.

My point is still valid about loving more than one child, I think. Of course I'm not saying there's a conflict in showing interest in other teams. I'm saying there's a conflict in being a fan of multiple teams. In that same way, I guess I would say I have the same feelings about polygamy, although it seems like that's a path we shouldn't go down. Maybe I just have an idiosyncratic definition of the word "fan." To me, to be a fan of a certain team means you root for them to win all the time. You can't root for two teams to win all the time; for one of those teams, you'd only be rooting for them to win sometimes.

[iPod]

"One has to defer to the other at some point, meaning your devotion in one has to waver."

I do this by flipping a coin. I did not wear a ballcap to the Tigers/Mets interleague game I went do. I did not care who won. The only reason I root for the Mets Minor League teams vs. the Tigers Minor League teams is that I flipped a coin on that one a while ago and resolved to settle that once and for all. Simply put, I grew up with both teams.

Maybe you're genuinely capable of willing yourself to want what you want to want. That seems incredibly counterintuitive to me, but maybe that's the key to all this.

[Staredge]

To me, to be a fan of a certain team means you root for them to win all the time. You can't root for two teams to win all the time; for one of those teams, you'd only be rooting for them to win sometimes.

This is the key statement. You CAN root for two teams to win all the time.....up until they play each other. That's when the whole child analogy comes into play. You root for your kids to win....until they play each other. You want them but to win, but at the end you're very happy and disappointed at the same time.

I respect that people feel loyalty to one team. For the most part, I do to. Overall I root for the Cubs. They were the first team I fell in love with. I probably follow the Nats a lot closer because they're local. I get to see the games.

[starkeeper]

As a kid I became a Cardinals fan and then when the Blue Jays started up in Toronto I became a Jays fan. It is easy to be a fan of 2 teams in baseball if they are in different leagues. How often will I have to choose between the Jays and the Cards in the World Series? Hopefully, this year!! That would be alright!!

[IronMike]

Nats and Brewers.

Brewers because I am from Milwaukee and Nats because I live right outside of DC now.

[Redbird]

Been a one-team fan since I started liking the Cardinals in 1982.

[Old Sweater]

Wonder who Mr. Molina roots for.

[CuriousBoston]

Excellent point. :highfive:
Yes, indeed. I suspect ABNY is popular.

[captsapp]

I am Dodger Blue through-and-through, and I will root for them to beat anyone and everyone. They are my one true sports love.

However, I do like some other teams. I like to root for one team or another if a game that doesn't involve the Dodgers is on. The other team that I like the most is Tampa Bay. I went to one of their games and got really pissed off that there were more Yankees fans than D-Rays fans there. So I root for them, especially b/c they're really not going to be playing the Dodgers much, now are they?

[starkeeper]

I forgot to mention that I am a big fan of any team that is playing the Yankees.

[Old Sweater]

I forgot to mention that I am a big fan of any team that is playing the Yankees.

Thats OK, it's been covered already quite a few times in this thread. Gets old after a while anyway.

[Dalkowski110]

"Maybe you're genuinely capable of willing yourself to want what you want to want."

Uhh...come again? :confused:

Also makes no sense whatsoever to me how it's counterintuitive. Care to explain?

[John Shoemaker]

I usually follow teams that have players I especially like.

1. San Fransisco Giants (Barry Bonds)
2. Texas Rangers (Sammy Sosa)
3. Cincinnati Reds (Ken Griffey, Jr.)

[bryanac625]

I usually follow teams that have players I especially like.

1. San Fransisco Giants (Barry Bonds)
2. Texas Rangers (Sammy Sosa)
3. Cincinnati Reds (Ken Griffey, Jr.)

What's your defense of Barry Bonds?

[Utility07]

Or sammy sosa?

[John Shoemaker]

What's your defense of Barry Bonds?

Nobody has proved anything. Also - of the players that tested positive for steroids last year about 60% were pitchers. I wonder how man times Barry faced pitchers that were on steroids.

[Chris from NY]

What's your defense of Barry Bonds?
I don't think he has to defend Barry Bonds here. He simply explained why he likes the teams that he does.
I personally like to follow what the Brew are doing. The Blue Jays are my team to the core, but I always like to keep track of how Milwaukee is doing.

[Radio Clash 84]

I'm a fan of baseball in general, and I'll happily sit back and watch just about any game providing I've got the time, but the Cardinals are pretty much the only team I want to see win awards and titles. So whoever they play, I boo. I have a hard time bringing myself to jeer a team for any other reason, though.

When the Cards aren't playing, I find myself rooting for other teams sometimes because I'm a fan of a specific player on that team.

[Old Sweater]

I usually follow teams that have players I especially like.

1. San Fransisco Giants (Barry Bonds)
2. Texas Rangers (Sammy Sosa)
3. Cincinnati Reds (Ken Griffey, Jr.)


Did it use to be.

Pirates
Cubs
Mariners

[bryanac625]

I don't think he has to defend Barry Bonds here. He simply explained why he likes the teams that he does.
I personally like to follow what the Brew are doing. The Blue Jays are my team to the core, but I always like to keep track of how Milwaukee is doing.

I'm not on the "Hate Barry Bonds" bandwagon. I'm not looking to attack somebody who says they like him. But with so many people that hate him, I am curious about those who support him and why. Personally, I don't spend a lot of time worrying about the guy since he doesn't play for any teams I root for.

[Chris from NY]

The intent of the thread, though, is to talk about what teams everyone roots for. The discussion really has nothing to do with Bonds, other than John mentioning that he likes the Giants because barry plays for them.

[Whitesoxnut]

I'm going to say I "hate" anyone in baseball. I don't know any of them so how can I hate them? I will say I dont much care for the Bonds/Sosa types of stars who get big arrogant heads "literally" and think they are better then anyone else, complete with retinues and boomboxes. I think Sosa/Bonds/Mcgwire should be excluded from the HOF along with all the other 'roid heads.

I get a kick out of simpleton fans who go on about these guys "saving baseball" and all this other nonsense. They didn't shoot 'roids to "save" anything ; They did it to line their pockets full of $$$. The game is bigger then anyone and it would have gone on just fine without the juice heads hitting so many homers.

[Chris from NY]

So easily we go off-topic. That's exactly what I was talking about.

[bryanac625]

I'm going to say I "hate" anyone in baseball. I don't know any of them so how can I hate them? I will say I dont much care for the Bonds/Sosa types of stars who get big arrogant heads "literally" and think they are better then anyone else, complete with retinues and boomboxes. I think Sosa/Bonds/Mcgwire should be excluded from the HOF along with all the other 'roid heads.

I get a kick out of simpleton fans who go on about these guys "saving baseball" and all this other nonsense. They didn't shoot 'roids to "save" anything ; They did it to line their pockets full of $$$. The game is bigger then anyone and it would have gone on just fine without the juice heads hitting so many homers.

I think a lot of these sports stars (perhaps the majority) are arrogant. They know people worship them, they could get all kinds of hot women, and it doesn't even matter what they look like as long as they can bat .280 or catch a forward pass. That is another thing I do not understand about those who want Barry Bonds to die in a fire- what makes you think the guys on your team are any better?

[Biggtone23]

Back to the point now, I'm obviously a Yankees fan first and foremost, but there have been other teams that I like to see do well. Unfortunetaly this sometimes comes back to bite me in the butt. When I was younger I liked the Mariners, then 1995 happened. Then I started secondary rooting for the Marlins - then 2003 happened. Now I like the Rockies and D-Rays because they both have really good young teams, but not enough pitching to make me worry yet.

[Skin & Bones]

Sadly, I also root for the D-rays. I've even been to more games at Tropicana Field than Pro Player Stadium.

[Westlake]

I can see your reasons. Just really odd for a Texan though. Thought no one took bragging rights more serious.

Usually, that's true. I'm a Cowboys/Longhorn/Stars fan as well, it's just baseball and basketball (which im not a big fan of anyway, and I HATE the Spurs) where I root for teams outside of the state.

[Rennie Stennett]

I forgot to mention that I am a big fan of any team that is playing the Yankees.

I root for the hometown Mariners, the Cubs and I usually pick a second divison club or two to root for. I few years ago, I started following the Tigers, when they really sucked, and I still root for them. Currently, I'm pulling for the Nationals. I like to see teams develop and grow. I root for whomever is currently playing the Bronz Bombers....!

[cubsfan1073]

Who out there is a fan of two teams? or three? or more? I'm an Orioles and Nationals fan. I grew up in DC and when I started following the game, the Senators were long gone. I always said that if DC ever got a team, I woud support that team as well. I guess I'm still more of an O's than Nats fan... the Nationals are a new team that is still growing on me.

Before the Nats, I was also a big fan of the Red Sox. The first game I ever went to was at Fenway. But I became a fan ever since they lost the Series in '86. I just wanted to see them win a World Series. So it was good timing that they won it all in '04 and the Nats came back to DC in '05.

I figure with free agency and so many people relocating for jobs etc, there are a lot more people today who root for more than one team. What teams do you root for?

I'm a Cubbies fan, You can't truly be a big fan of two teams. You gotta have yoru team and stick with them in and out.

[foxxx]

I am an Atlanta Braves fan until the day I die.

That said I am from St. Louis, and despite my loyalties to Atlanta I do have a soft spot for the Cardinals.

However whenever St. Louis plays Atlanta the line is clearly drawn in the sand, the Braves all the way. I could never dream of rooting against Atlanta. When they play, it is just like any other series, I want Atlanta to absolutely destroy them.

Actually when they play each other it is a little more intense for me because all my friends are Cardinals fans. Also 1996 is still fresh in many memories.

When St. Louis was in the World Series last year though I wanted them to win. Not just because I have a soft spot for them but because I like to see my grandparents enjoy another WS victory before they pass. And it is fun to be in a place when a big sporting event is going on.

[jbench1968]

Follow the Reds and follow the Yankees. One team from each league that shouldn't face each other till the World Series. If the stars are aligned just right. Interleague play is a crime !!! I have loved the Reds and Yankees since birth. Follow them religiously and want them to both to win everyday. But morever, I am a fan of Baseball. I grew up just outside of LA and hate the Dodgers. But every chance I had to go to a Dodger game I was there. Didn't matter who was playing because I love the game. It's just a bonus when you can go to a game and cheer for your team. I might hate the Dodgers but I would go watch them play every day if I could.

1975 to 1978 were the greatest years of my life !!!

[LaughingMan]

I'm a Mariners fan too...even through the last few years.

Otherwise I am a fan of the Twins, D-rays and Rockies...but they can go to hell if they play the M's.

Also, I figure I root for a number of players, but never when they play against the M's.

[DownUnderDodger]

I am first and foremost a DODGERS fan, but I do have a soft spot for the Red Sox as my favourite AL team. I also don't mind the Braves (I have an autographed baseball from them) and the Angels.

[Centerfielder2]

I Root For Two Teams
The Orioles
And Who Ever Beats The Yankees

[Old Sweater]

I'm a Cubbies fan, You can't truly be a big fan of two teams. You gotta have yoru team and stick with them in and out.

So maybe you can tell me. Who does Mr. Molina root for?

[iPod]

So maybe you can tell me. Who does Mr. Molina root for?

Mr. Molina is definitely not a Giants fan just because one of his sons joined the Giants this season. It doesn't make sense for him to say "I was a fan of the Blue Jays last season but that loyalty has been transferred to the Giants for the time being." That's not loyalty at all.

[Old Sweater]

Mr. Molina is definitely not a Giants fan just because one of his sons joined the Giants this season. It doesn't make sense for him to say "I was a fan of the Blue Jays last season but that loyalty has been transferred to the Giants for the time being." That's not loyalty at all.

You just guessing or did you give him a call?

My guess is he roots for the Giants, Cardinals and Angels.

[iPod]

You just guessing or did you give him a call?

My guess is he roots for the Giants, Cardinals and Angels.

And probably next year his alliances will change again. That, to me, proves he's not a "fan" of any of those teams, at least not because he happens to be rooting for them because his current circumstances make it convenient.

[Old Sweater]

Thats funny, not being a fan of a team your sons are on.

[iPod]

Thats funny, not being a fan of a team your sons are on.

You're just using the term more loosely than I am. I don't think rooting for a team, by itself, makes you a fan of that team.

[Old Sweater]

You're just using the term more loosely than I am. I don't think rooting for a team, by itself, makes you a fan of that team.

Well it certainly don't make you a fan of the other team they are playing. All I'm saying is you can definitely root for or be a fan of more then 1 team. What was I suppose to do when Colorado got a team. Throw the Yankees in the trash bin instead of bumping them to 2nd.

Probably a push when the Cards play the Giants for Mr. Molina.

[TG Coach]

This was an interesting thread. Fan is short for fanatic. Here's the definition of fanatic: "marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion."

I believe a lot of people are confusing interest for fandom. I grew up a Red Sox fan. I also lived in southern California for twenty-two years. I went to a lot of Angels games. I pulled for them to win. I had an Angels hat. I read about the Angels in the Times. Heck, I read about the Dodgers too, even though I had no genuine interest. But when the Angels lost it meant nothing to me. In fact, I pulled for a friend to shut down the Angels in the ALCS. He was on the mound when his team clinched the AL pennant. When the Angels won the World Series it was nice but not earth shattering. As the players I know from going to games have grown old and left the game or been traded, the Angles mean nothing to me now.

Even before extensive internet access and MLB Extra Innings when it was easier to know more about the Angels than the Red Sox and my ability to watch the Red Sox was limited, baseball was all about being a Red Sox fan. Now with complete access to the Globe and MLB Extra Innings, I could care less about the success of the local team (we moved) even though we go a few times a year because it's baseball and I read about them in the paper.

Even with access to any game now, I don't understand how people can connect themselves to teams where they have no connection to the community. To me being a Red Sox fan is more than rooting for the Red Sox. It's about being part of something from New England.

I'll watch parts of games of certain teams or the players of certain teams, but their success or failure is inconsequential. It's just curiosity and entertainment.

I remember some veteran player being traded after about ten years. A sportswriter asked his son if he was now a fan of the new team (can't remember which player or teams this involved). The kid said he was a fan of the old team because that's where he became a fan of baseball. I loved it.

[iPod]

Well it certainly don't make you a fan of the other team they are playing. All I'm saying is you can definitely root for or be a fan of more then 1 team. What was I suppose to do when Colorado got a team. Throw the Yankees in the trash bin instead of bumping them to 2nd.

Probably a push when the Cards play the Giants for Mr. Molina.

Why does it have to make you a "fan" of a team when you just happen to have a child playing for that team? I'd have to check, but I'm pretty sure my parents don't still follow my old little league teams. I have a hard time believing Mr. Molina has any soft spot for the Cubs because his son Jose had 19 at-bats for them in 1999. It just doesn't make any intuitive sense to me to say he was a Cubs fan in 1999 and 2000 but then stopped being a Cubs fan when they released Jose on November 27, 2000. He was never a "Cubs fan". There was never anything about the Cubs themselves that appealed to him. It was all based on the arbitrary fact that his son was one of them. Of course he rooted for the Cubs, but not because he cared about the Cubs; he cared about his son.

Your situation is very strange, what I would consider probably the most acceptable exception to my general opinion about claiming to be a fan of two teams. Personally, if I were in your situation, I think I would have rejected the Rockies and just stayed a Yankees fan, but I can't really call you fake or say you don't "get it" if you didn't want to do that. If pushed against a wall, I guess I can't say there are absolutely no conceivable situations where a person can truly favor two teams, but I still stand by everything I've written here. Something pretty weird has to happen for me not to doubt it.

[Old Sweater]

but I'm pretty sure my parents don't still follow my old little league teams.

Maybe not, you should ask them. I'm sure if you got to any higher level of ball they would have been a fan of those teams to. I still follow my old high school baseball team and am happy to say they are in 1st place in their league and have a great chance to advance to State for the first time in many years.