Ask someone who is passionate about sport what their favourite sports team is and I reckon that they will reply in a instant. It will be mostly the 'big' teams in that sport (Man United's, New York Yankee's, Barcelona, L.A. Lakers, New England Patriots) or the local team to where that person is from. Sometimes you will get an unusual answer but this is rare.
I went travelling for 4 1/2 months (blog is still online www.tomswayround.blogspot.co.uk - can't miss an opportunity to plug my other blog) and whilst I was travelling I met so many people from so many different parts of the world. When talking sport you inevitably get to the question "Whats your favourite team?". Every time I got the answer as 'Man United' or 'New England Patriots'. A part of me died, and heres why. . . . . .
I am not a fan of any 'Big' teams. The teams I support are - Tottenham Hotspur (Football), St. Louis Rams (American Football) & Colorado Rockies (Baseball). Now throughout time my teams have seen success, but that was in the past. You don't see too many little kids asking for a Spurs shirt " . . . Because they are good!" As such I find it hard to talk about other peoples sports teams, there are just less of us 'non-big' teams.
So I always ask the question "Why do you support them?" and this is the best question to ask. Normally there are a few different responses:
Because they are good!
I like the honesty here. True it does make you a glory hunter and as such you will never now the true passion of grabbing a last minute winner against a side 3 leagues below you in a scrappy match.
Because they are my local team.
Now some of you may be aware of my non-nationalistic views. This boils down to location too. I don't believe that you should just support a team because you were born in/near there. HOWEVER, thank god not the whole population thinks like me, because who else would support the likes of Hartlepool Town F.C. & the Cleveland Browns?
Because I went to see them once.
Not as stupid as it may sound. I have close experience of this option. I support the Colorado Rockies purely because I saw them twice in the States - and didn't even plan it! One of my mates saw the 49ers and that made him a 49er fan (and a idiot - go Rams!)
Because my family support them.
Case in point here. I support spurs because my dad does. Pure and simple. He supports them because he "liked the way they played". It was 1963, he was a glory hunter! Shame I can't say the same now days. I did have one moment of madness. It was 1991, Spurs were playing Arsenal in the F.A. Cup semi final. My dad said that if Spurs won he would buy me a shirt. So obviously, bribed into supporting the men in white I was cheering every goal, every challenge. We duly won and so off to the local sports shop we trotted (Six Way Sports!). Once we were there we found a Spurs shirt, it was right next to the Man Utd one. I pleaded with my Dad to buy me the Man Utd one because he said he would buy me a shirt, did say what team . . . . he saw the light and got me the Spurs one. The reason I was so desperate to enter hell and meet the Red Devil
Because all my friends supports them.
Peer pressure at its best here. Not sure if anybody has actually ever admitted to this being the reason thou!
They play in nice colours.
Yup, great reason! The reason that I am getting into Aussie rules football is this reason. The Hawthorn Hawks play in Yellow & Chocolate stripes! How cool is that? They are in the grand final this year, but to me it wouldn't matter if they were shit - so I am not a glory hunter.
I picked it out of a hat.
I will pick my team that I will support at the world cup next year out of a hat. I used to follow England, but I got so fed up with them that I resigned. I am now "nationless". So I will find a new homeland next year. I will fully get into the feel of my respected nation, get a shirt, learn some useful phrases etc. etc.
There is a chance that I will, of course, pull out England and find myself in some kind of 'groundhog day' nightmare where I can't escape incredibly high expectations mixed with mundane and dreary football and a spash of tabloids trying to derail the campaign.
I have issues!
Take care, thanks for reading and be wonderful to each other.
T
x
I went travelling for 4 1/2 months (blog is still online www.tomswayround.blogspot.co.uk - can't miss an opportunity to plug my other blog) and whilst I was travelling I met so many people from so many different parts of the world. When talking sport you inevitably get to the question "Whats your favourite team?". Every time I got the answer as 'Man United' or 'New England Patriots'. A part of me died, and heres why. . . . . .
I am not a fan of any 'Big' teams. The teams I support are - Tottenham Hotspur (Football), St. Louis Rams (American Football) & Colorado Rockies (Baseball). Now throughout time my teams have seen success, but that was in the past. You don't see too many little kids asking for a Spurs shirt " . . . Because they are good!" As such I find it hard to talk about other peoples sports teams, there are just less of us 'non-big' teams.
So I always ask the question "Why do you support them?" and this is the best question to ask. Normally there are a few different responses:
Because they are good!
I like the honesty here. True it does make you a glory hunter and as such you will never now the true passion of grabbing a last minute winner against a side 3 leagues below you in a scrappy match.
Because they are my local team.
Now some of you may be aware of my non-nationalistic views. This boils down to location too. I don't believe that you should just support a team because you were born in/near there. HOWEVER, thank god not the whole population thinks like me, because who else would support the likes of Hartlepool Town F.C. & the Cleveland Browns?
Because I went to see them once.
Not as stupid as it may sound. I have close experience of this option. I support the Colorado Rockies purely because I saw them twice in the States - and didn't even plan it! One of my mates saw the 49ers and that made him a 49er fan (and a idiot - go Rams!)
Because my family support them.
Case in point here. I support spurs because my dad does. Pure and simple. He supports them because he "liked the way they played". It was 1963, he was a glory hunter! Shame I can't say the same now days. I did have one moment of madness. It was 1991, Spurs were playing Arsenal in the F.A. Cup semi final. My dad said that if Spurs won he would buy me a shirt. So obviously, bribed into supporting the men in white I was cheering every goal, every challenge. We duly won and so off to the local sports shop we trotted (Six Way Sports!). Once we were there we found a Spurs shirt, it was right next to the Man Utd one. I pleaded with my Dad to buy me the Man Utd one because he said he would buy me a shirt, did say what team . . . . he saw the light and got me the Spurs one. The reason I was so desperate to enter hell and meet the Red Devil
Because all my friends supports them.
Peer pressure at its best here. Not sure if anybody has actually ever admitted to this being the reason thou!
They play in nice colours.
Yup, great reason! The reason that I am getting into Aussie rules football is this reason. The Hawthorn Hawks play in Yellow & Chocolate stripes! How cool is that? They are in the grand final this year, but to me it wouldn't matter if they were shit - so I am not a glory hunter.
I picked it out of a hat.
I will pick my team that I will support at the world cup next year out of a hat. I used to follow England, but I got so fed up with them that I resigned. I am now "nationless". So I will find a new homeland next year. I will fully get into the feel of my respected nation, get a shirt, learn some useful phrases etc. etc.
There is a chance that I will, of course, pull out England and find myself in some kind of 'groundhog day' nightmare where I can't escape incredibly high expectations mixed with mundane and dreary football and a spash of tabloids trying to derail the campaign.
I have issues!
Take care, thanks for reading and be wonderful to each other.
T
x
No comments:
Post a Comment
Whats your view? Tell me . . . . . . . I have told you enough!