First, let me confess my most irrational belief, which is that my favorite sports teams play markedly worse when I’m watching them live. You will absolutely never convince me otherwise.
You may find that baffling, but, if you’re reading this page, it’s probably because you’re even more perplexed about my bizarre, geographically diverse set of sports loyalties. That’s valid! I’ve collected these teams under a variety of circumstances, and they’re arranged here roughly according to when I got on board. Let’s dive in.
Team USA
I was born into this one! An easy call when watching the Olympics and World Cup and other international competitions I enjoy. (Of course, my enthusiasm has waned in light of our fascist government. This is a deeply shameful era for my country.)
Hartford Whalers
I was born in Connecticut and spent almost the first thirteen years of my life there. This was the only big-league team around, so naturally I latched on. The mighty Whale never gave us much playoff success, but I was in the building for this moment, definitely the highlight of my life as a sports fan to that point.
The team ceased to exist in 1997. I am still bitter.
Connecticut Huskies
College basketball generated a lot of excitement in my home state when I was growing up. An early sports memory for me is the women’s team capturing their first title with an undefeated season in 1995. Though basketball is certainly front and center at UConn, I root at least casually for their other Division 1 sports (with the exception of ice hockey; see below) as well.
New York Giants
This one’s relatively normal: a geographically appropriate loyalty my father passed on to me in my childhood. I still remember him and his friend jumping off the couch and shouting when Wide Right happened. I’m happy to have found a group of like-minded friends here in San Francisco; we certainly need each other’s moral support given the team’s current form.
Atlanta Braves
Okay, this is probably my weirdest one, but I’ve carried it for my entire sports-conscious life. My grandfather lived most of his life in Utica, New York, hometown of longtime Braves second baseman Mark Lemke. Grandpa was actually a Red Sox fan, but he would turn on TBS every day to cheer on the local kid. I’d watch with him whenever we visited, and that stuck better than the warring coverage of the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mets we got in Connecticut. (Fun fact: Lemke is indirectly responsible for the naming of Homestar Runner.)
[Thoughts on the team name and the Chop]
I’m definitely not fond of the team name or especially the Chop. They’re anachronistic and culturally insensitive at best, and when they go away, I’ll be fully on board. And I do think they will go away someday, as the team has gradually distanced itself from the Chop in recent years. Plus, the tide overall is turning; just look at recent changes to team names in Washington, Cleveland, and North Dakota. I’m a proponent of the Atlanta Hammers, ideal for several reasons:
- Fun to say with good assonance
- Unique in North American pro sports
- Honors the legendary Hank Aaron
- Minimal logo change from a tomahawk to a hammer
- Can still do the arm thing if you must; just use a closed fist
- There’s already a hammer in the Home Depot Tool Race at games
- Blooper doesn’t have to change a bit
However, as much as I’d like to see this change, I bristle at those who paint all fans of this team as simply racist. That’s a heavy word to throw at a fanbase of millions of people all over the country (thanks to the TBS effect), and I don’t think it’s productive to discussion of the controversy. While the Chop doesn’t have quite the long tradition one might assume (Deion Sanders brought it over from Florida State in the early 90s), it’s very ingrained in the culture, and many fans have done it for many years without a second thought just to rally their team. That doesn’t make it or them right, of course, but it doesn’t by itself make them bad people. When change finally does come to this organization, some people, whether fans of the team or not, surely will angrily resist it; reserve your judgment for them.
Chelsea FC
In 1997, my father’s new job brought us to England, a jarring change that felt bad at the time but in retrospect is easily the best thing that’s ever happened to me. We became curious about the Premier League, and Dad inquired about it at work to a colleague who happened to be a Chelsea supporter. In those early years, I had no concept of whether a match was in the league or the FA Cup or European competition or what have you, but the seed was planted. I’m a member of Chelsea in America, and yes, I have been to Stamford Bridge; thank you very much.
England
My time in England was formative and I still cherish the place. Team USA always takes priority, of course, but in the Euro tournaments, it’s the Three Lions for me.
Rensselaer Engineers
Another simple one: my alma mater. Ice hockey, as the only Division 1 sport at the school, is the biggest draw. I had season tickets for my last three years at the Institute, and I’ve been on several road trips to watch the team, the best of which was absolutely the 2009 Great Lakes Invitational. And, while the many Division 3 teams are hard to track, I support them too.
Connecticut Sun
I grew up a fan of Connecticut and of women’s basketball. It’s only natural to lend my support to the Sun, especially as my home state’s only top-tier pro team. (The Golden State Valkyries are on standby if the Sun leave the state.)
Chicago Bulls
After I graduated from RPI in 2006, I took a job as a bond futures trader in Chicago. That job didn’t work out at all, and I ended up living in the city for less than two years, but I still have great affinity for it. I never really had an NBA team growing up; if anything I was a Jordan fan like every other front-running kid. So it was easy to get into the Bulls, even if their consistent mediocrity these days makes it less easy.
San Francisco City FC
It can be a drag to be a far-flung sports fan. I very rarely get to go to home games, and cheering for the visiting team, though I’ll still do it, is not the ideal spectating experience in my book. So, when I heard about SF City in 2015, I thought I’d check them out. They lost that US Open Cup match on two dubious penalties, but it felt like a club I could get into. The team is supporter-owned and I quickly signed up to be a member. Also, I’d noticed a group of people on the other side of Kezar Stadium standing and singing and chanting like the diehard supporters in Europe. On a cold night in early 2016, I headed down to Crocker Amazon to stand with them as the team faced Davis. City won, I had a great time, and I was hooked. The next season, the club entered the Premier Development League (now USL League Two) and my involvement has only grown since. In addition to attending matches (home and away) and bringing my full-throated support, I’ve gone to community service events, handled live match updates and other communications from the team, and assisted with matchday operations. I’ve also served on the Members Board of Directors since 2020. It’s been an incredible addition to my life here and I’m truly grateful for it. Join us!
Seattle Kraken
When the Whalers jilted me in 1997, I was a hockey nomad for a long while. I didn’t pay much attention to the sport while living in England. At college, I watched some Islanders games with a few fraternity brothers, but they never felt like my team. So, when I moved to Chicago, I started following the Blackhawks, who seemed poised to emerge from years of irrelevance. I continued to cheer for them from California as they won three Stanley Cups, but when the sickening stuff about Brad Aldrich came out (if you don’t know, feel free to look it up, but don’t say I didn’t warn you), my affinity for the team plummeted. Around the same time, the Kraken were starting up, offering a prime opportunity to get in on the ground floor with a team. Plus, GM Ron Francis was a Whaler great. Between that and the seafaring theme, I consider the Kraken a spiritual successor of sorts to the beloved team of my youth.
There you have it. Weird? Sure. But such is life’s rich pageant.