# What professional sports teams are you a fan of?



## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

So now that Wimbledon is over... it's baseball season for me! I'm a huge A's fan and am looking forward to attending my first game in several years next week when they play the Red Sox. I love the direction our team is headed... a humble, well-rounded team who can have anyone step up at any given moment. We may not have the All-Stars, but we have the character, will, and talent to succeed nevertheless.

My absolutely favorite sport to watch, even more so than tennis, is basketball. I grew up as a Warriors fan who bleeds blue and gold. Again, there is a lot to be excited about with our team this year. Curry is one of the most unique talents the league has ever seen and as long as he is healthy, we should make some noise this upcoming season. The recent addition of Iguodala gives us the lockdown defender and glue guy we've been missing. Our team is still young so there is room to grow.

Besides these two and tennis, I don't know watch many other sports. Maybe I'll eventually come around to soccer, football (the American version, of course...), hockey, or even Quidditch, but being a fan of two teams is already hugely time-consuming. Like most people, I always enjoy the Olympics and am generally in awe of great athletes of any sport.

I'm sure there are other fanatics out there - *share your die hard fandom!* Any sport suffices, even the crazy ones. _I am intrigued._


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Garry Kasparov and his team of chess pieces.


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Garry Kasparov and his team of chess pieces.


I think you'd enjoy the documentary, Bobby Fischer Against the World. Incredible film.

I'm not a huge fan of team sports. I used to like football (soccer) and now I don't...


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

The only professional team I follow is the Cincinnati Reds (baseball). I can't watch sports unless I am rooting for someone.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Lunasong said:


> The only professional team I follow is the Cincinnati Reds (baseball). I can't watch sports unless I am rooting for someone.


I assume you are referring to the American meaning of this term.......

Me I support undeadbetty's roller derby

see http://undeadbettys.com/html/faqs.php


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

UK sports:

Football - West Bromwich Albion (England) and Celtic (Scotland). Favourite overseas football teams: Ajax (Netherlands) and A.C. Milan (Italy)
Rugby Union - Harlequins
Rugby League - Hull Kingston Rovers
Cricket - Worcestershire CCC

Overseas sports:

Football (US) - NY Giants
Baseball - NY Yankees (with a soft spot for the ex-St. Louis Browns)
Ice Hockey - NY Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs
Australian Rules - was Fitzroy before they moved to Brisbane, since then it's North Melbourne.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

I like watching Arsenal and Barça (Arsa and Barça? hehe). But I'm not die hard enough to spend ££ on matches. Luckily so, as both teams have been going through a bit of a rough patch. I also enjoy watching women's beach volleyball, but I've never gone beyond watching it during the Olympics


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

Women's beach volleyball is a _sport? _


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Kieran said:


> Women's beach volleyball is a _sport? _


I claim it is


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

My entire life to date, team sport of any sort has yet to engage or interested me on any level. 

I'm near certain a love for them comes through first being exposed / taught first at home, long before kindergarten or later formal schooling when sport is included as part of phys ed. (My brother, with a general disposition and personality near antithetical to mine, has the same complete lack of interest in sport as I do. -- I don't think that is coincidental.)

no favorites, then, including Women's Beach Volleyball


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

elgars ghost said:


> UK sports:
> 
> Football - West Bromwich Albion (England) and Celtic (Scotland). Favourite overseas football teams: Ajax (Netherlands) and A.C. Milan (Italy)
> Rugby Union - Harlequins
> ...


You seem to be under the misapprehension that the Baggies are a professional team.
Up the Gunners.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

moody said:


> You seem to be under the misapprehension that the Baggies are a professional team.
> Up the Gunners.


Well, if Albion were amateur it would make our achievements even more notable! 

As for Arsenal, I wonder if coach Wenger has anything left to offer - a trophy drought lasting nearly 10 years???


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

I've been a sports enthusiast for as long as I can remember. In terms of team sports, I follow football (soccer), cricket, NFL and NBA pretty closely. My teams ...

Football - Manchester United
Cricket - England and Surrey CCC
NFL - St. Louis Rams
NBA - Cleveland Cavaliers



Air said:


> My absolutely favorite sport to watch, even more so than tennis, is basketball. I grew up as a Warriors fan who bleeds blue and gold. Again, there is a lot to be excited about with our team this year. Curry is one of the most unique talents the league has ever seen and as long as he is healthy, we should make some noise this upcoming season. The recent addition of Iguodala gives us the lockdown defender and glue guy we've been missing. Our team is still young so there is room to grow.


Nice to know you're a Warriors fan.  Their first round upset over the Mavs in '07 remains one of my favourite NBA memories. I thought the Igoudala acquisition was a good-move which will help tremendously on the defensive end. The only issue I see is maybe it will take away minutes from Barnes and slow-down his progress. It's an amazing young core you guys have, led by Curry. The future looks pretty bright!


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

moody said:


> You seem to be under the misapprehension that the Baggies are a professional team.
> Up the Gunners.


WBA have been one of the more impressive teams in the PL over the past two years. Clark's picked up nicely from where Hodgson began, and their transformation from a fringe PL/championship side to top ten outfit has been amazing.

Re: Arsenal, I will always have a soft spot for Wenger. He continues to maximise his limited resources and delivers on the Champions League year in, year out. He has been committed to grooming youth players and I think that's pretty noble. It's a shame that they struggle to compete with the frauds that are City and Chelsea at the moment simply because of money.


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

I've been a sports fan my entire life. I follow the local Philadelphia teams: Phillies(baseball), Flyers(hockey), 76sixers(basketball), Eagles(American football) and the Union(Soccer). I usually attend two or three Phillies games a year. The others, I'm content to watch on TV. 

Good luck with Iguodala. We suffered with him for nine years. He will play defense, but folds like a cheap card table at crunch time. $48 million over four years? I hope it won't be a huge weight around your neck.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

As a kid, it was *Cleveland Browns* (NFL), *New York Yankees* (MLB), *Boston Celtics *(NBA), *Montreal Canadians* (NHL). I have no such loyalties now...for various reasons, which would require another thread.

Now, I may be able to align with Women's Beach Volleyball, or Roller Derby.


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Long-suffering *Buffalo Bills *fan.

I have nominal favorites in other sports, but nothing that really means anything to me.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I grew up in New York City so I love the:

NY Giants
NY Jets
NY Knicks
NY Yankees
NY Mets

I never played hockey so I never became much of a hockey fan. 

I have always felt that playing team sports was enormously valuable to me in developing a strong sense of loyalty, cooperation, and accountability toward others. My experiences playing team sports in high school may have taught me more than any other early experience including the courses I took.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

SF Giants, SF 49ers, San Jose Sharks, and if I have time, Oakland A's


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

The Detroit Red Wings. Huge hockey fan! I don't really actively follow any other sports outside of hockey.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Skilmarilion said:


> WBA have been one of the more impressive teams in the PL over the past two years. Clark's picked up nicely from where Hodgson began, and their transformation from a fringe PL/championship side to top ten outfit has been amazing.
> 
> Re: Arsenal, I will always have a soft spot for Wenger. He continues to maximise his limited resources and delivers on the Champions League year in, year out. He has been committed to grooming youth players and I think that's pretty noble. It's a shame that they struggle to compete with the frauds that are City and Chelsea at the moment simply because of money.


Thanks for your kind words about Albion - I suppose it's only a matter of time before SC moves on as well (especially if Mourinho's tenure at Chelsea happens to turn sour for any reason).

I agree up to a point about Arsenal - I was trying to tease Moody more than anything heh heh... Nevertheless, with four trophies to compete for every season I'd have thought it was still worrying that a club as established as Arsenal have drawn a blank for so long. I concur wholheartedly about Chelsea and Manchester City - the money they are splashing about is pretty vulgar even by modern standards and all it will do is encourage other clubs to risk ruin by selling out to dodgy overseas owners who promise to inject huge amounts of money and then screw things up without giving a stuff about tradition and/or the fans. Apart from the financial side of things there are many issues I have with top-flight football but that's for another time - here is not the place for me to get on my soapbox.

:tiphat:


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

elgars ghost said:


> Well, if Albion were amateur it would make our achievements even more notable!
> 
> As for Arsenal, I wonder if coach Wenger has anything left to offer - a trophy drought lasting nearly 10 years???


I agree and this is what happens when you trust a Frenchman,maybe time for a change ?
But at least we're always in the top four,that's something the Baggies would dearly love.


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## EricABQ (Jul 10, 2012)

Baseball: Seattle Mariners.

NFL: Seattle Seahawks and whoever the Pittsburgh Steelers happen to be playing. 

NBA: I am actually boycotting the NBA until David Stern dies. And I wish nothing but misery and disappointment upon the fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder (sports releated misery only of course. I'm not rooting for earthquakes and tornadoes to hit their city.) If there was an NBA team made up of nothing but serial killers and Nazis, I would root for them before I rooted for the Thunder.

College: Washington State. I root against University of Washingtona and Notre Dame.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Vaneyes said:


> Now, I may be able to align with Women's Beach Volleyball, or Roller Derby.


that's the spirit


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

mmsbls said:


> I grew up in New York City so I love the:
> 
> NY Giants
> NY Jets


Is that even possible?


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Skilmarilion said:


> Is that even possible?


That's a good question. I grew up at a time when the two teams could never play each other (they were in different leagues). Since they were both New York teams in a sport I loved, I was a fan and a strong one. People growing up in NY today could have a different feeling since the teams play each other now and then. Basically, I don't like them to play each other (unless it's in the Super Bowl) since one team must lose and that will hurt it's playoff chances.

The same is basically true for the Mets and Yankees. When I was young, they never played each other (since teams in the NL and AL could only play each other during the World Series). They did in fact meet in the World Series in 2000. That was pure heaven for me although it was an odd experience having one of my teams play for the championship and not really caring if they won.


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## drpraetorus (Aug 9, 2012)

none, but since this requires more than 15 characters, I have been a quandom Reds fan.


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

Pyotr said:


> Good luck with Iguodala. We suffered with him for nine years. He will play defense, but folds like a cheap card table at crunch time. $48 million over four years? I hope it won't be a huge weight around your neck.


I've followed Iguodala for years and he is one of my favorite players. I think the issue in Philly and Denver was that he was forced to be the primarly offensive option for his team, when in reality he excels best as a second or third option. He struggles to create his own jumpshot but he is very adept in transition and his three point shooting has improved. His versatility as a passer, rebounder, and wing defender makes him the ideal glue guy for the Warriors. Regarding his contract, I'm not too worried since we managed to dump the awful contracts of Biedrins, Jefferson, and Rush in the process. I too am concerned about Barnes's minutes as I believe that he is one of the future stars in the league but even as a sixth man I believe he will play north of 30 minutes a night. I actually prefer Thompson to be the first man off the bench instead of Barnes as he is far more inconsistent and Iguodala's passing will be much need in a starting lineup that features no pure point guard.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

The Boston baseball and football teams. I have little interest in basketball or hockey.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

mmsbls said:


> That's a good question. I grew up at a time when the two teams could never play each other (they were in different leagues). Since they were both New York teams in a sport I loved, I was a fan and a strong one. People growing up in NY today could have a different feeling since the teams play each other now and then. Basically, I don't like them to play each other (unless it's in the Super Bowl) since one team must lose and that will hurt it's playoff chances.
> 
> The same is basically true for the Mets and Yankees. When I was young, they never played each other (since teams in the NL and AL could only play each other during the World Series). They did in fact meet in the World Series in 2000. That was pure heaven for me although it was an odd experience having one of my teams play for the championship and not really caring if they won.


It's a good point - unlike in European sport local proximity doesn't necessarily mean the most heated rivalry if the teams don't play each other often or at all. I would say the NY Giants consider the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles as their biggest rivals due to their long histories and competing in the same division.

In the NY Yankees' case the main rivalry has traditionally been with the Red Sox, especially after the Red Sox owner in 1920 started to sell half of his excellent team to the Yankees who were a relatively weak club then. However, the Yankees have been the team to hate on a nationwide basis mainly because of their extensive eras of dominance (esp. during the late 40s-early 60s when they won 10 World Series in 16 years) and an alleged haughtiness/superiority complex. During their fall from grace in the mid-60s not many non-Yankee fans shed too many tears and then went on to hate them all the more when new owner George Steinbrenner used whatever financial means it took to put together another winning team in the mid/late-70s at a time when a lot of clubs were battling with limited budgets.

I like the Giants and Yankees but would have no issues at all if the Jets and Mets were to win their respective championships (as long as it isn't at the expense of the Giants and Yankees, of course...).


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I am a fan of my home CFL team, the *Calgary Stampeders*, of course, but I can't watch their games, because I only have over-the-air television.

I can watch two NFL games weekly. Go figure. I have favourite players, but they are constantly getting transferred, going to jail, getting shot or retiring, so my favourite teams are constantly changing. For a while, it was the *Green Bay Packers*, then the *Indianapolis Colts*, now the *Dallas Cowboys*.

It gets interesting when some favourite players are playing on opposing teams in a match-up ;-)

I record the games, but end up deleting 2 out of 3, as I just don't have the available free time to watch. When I have to fast-forward 3 minutes for every 1 minute of play, just to skip the advertising, I find that I lose the feeling of excitement that I enjoy in a match.


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

Boston Red Sox. My mom grew up in Massachusetts. I saw 1-2 games at Fenway as a little kid (I grew up in upstate NY and visited by grandparents occasionally). It was a LONG time before they broke "the curse" (they won the World Series in 2004 for the first time since 1918, and repeated in 2007).


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

In hockey, my family roots for the Washington Capitals, or whatever team as a Finn or 2 on it. 

I'm also a pretty die-hard Baltimore Ravens fan. It was pretty sweet this year for them. Baseball-wise, I follow the Boston Red Sox mostly, sometimes the Orioles, but not as much.

In general, because I don't watch TV anymore, I also don't watch sports anymore. So, these interests come and go, it's not a year-long interest. I barely watched any hockey or baseball this past year, for example, but followed pretty closely the Ravens during the play-offs, even though I missed seeing about half the games while in college.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

spradlig said:


> Boston Red Sox. My mom grew up in Massachusetts. I saw 1-2 games at Fenway as a little kid (I grew up in upstate NY and visited by grandparents occasionally). It was a LONG time before they broke "the curse" (they won the World Series in 2004 for the first time since 1918, and repeated in 2007).


I like the Yankees but I was genuinely pleased when the Red Sox managed to win the WS at last, especially after their heartbreaking loss to the Mets in 86. Now that Giants and White Sox have also managed to put decades of misery behind them in recent years all that remains is for the Cubs (105 years and counting!) and the Indians (no win since 48) to do the same and then everyone will be happy bunnies again with no more mention of the Curse of the Goat and whatever else.


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## julianoq (Jan 29, 2013)

I am a big fan of my local soccer team, São Paulo. The only other team that I really love is the Arsenal FC, I started to watch the Premier League when they had the invincible team and it was awesome. I still watch almost every game of the gunners!

And I like Wenger, I think the problem in the last years is the lack of ambition hiring. I think that with 2 or 3 three top players the team would be great, maybe Suarez and Fellaini.

PS: Denilson sux. The guy is back on São Paulo for some weird reason since he is terrible.

I also like the NY Giants on the NFL, but I don't consider myself a fan. I like Green Bay Packers too.

Basketball is one my favorite sports, I watch a lot of NBA games but I don't have a favorite team. I like the Bulls, the Suns and the Spurs (I know, weird since they are rivals, but I am not a big fan anyway )


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

FC Twente, a Dutch football team (that's soccer for you Yanks). The highlight was when they became Dutch champions a few years ago against all odds.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Astros, Mavericks, and 49ers.


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## musicphotogAnimal (Jul 24, 2012)

<-- cue the hate...and the riot jokes. Ha ha...very funny. And no...I didn't take part in any of it...thanks for asking. I just shut the TV off after the third Boston goal. 









Passionate about the NHL and the CFL.


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

The Pittsburgh Steelers


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## georgedelorean (Aug 18, 2017)

I'll break it into each sport. Basketball: Utah Jazz, minor league hockey: Utah Grizzlies, major league hockey: Chicago Blackhawks, minor league baseball: Salt Lake Bees, major league baseball: Chicago Cubs, football: Chicago Bears.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I have tried to be a fan of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, but their performance in recent years has just not been conducive to getting very excited.


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Fritz Kobus said:


> I have tried to be a fan of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, but their performance in recent years has just not been conducive to getting very excited.


At least they are better than the Atlanta Braves.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

The Detroit Red Wings. That's pretty much it. I want to get into watching soccer, but I never remember to turn the TV on for it


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## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

Liverpool are my favourite football/soccer team, being a local boy. Montreal Canadiens, in ice hockey, from my time in Quebec. The Yankees, in baseball, based upon my years in New York. For some reason, I never really took to the Knicks for basketball, with my favourite teams being the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

American football (NFL) - New York Giants
Ice Hockey (NHL) - San Jose Sharks
Basketball (NBA) - Los Angeles Clippers
Baseball (MLB) - Miami Marlins
American soccer (MLS) - Houston Dynamo

It's probably been six or seven years since I've watched any baseball. The DH rule is silly (I only consider National League baseball to be legitimate) and it's hard to take the sport seriously when some of the players look like the older Johannes Brahms. I don't really follow soccer very much these days either, but I hear the Dynamo are having a very good season so far. Of course, the MLS is more or less minor league soccer compared to the major international leagues. 

I do follow Giants, Sharks, and Clippers news pretty closely online, but I don't really watch many games these days. I may watch some games if they are in the playoffs. The Giants most certainly won't be in the playoffs this year. They are an embarrassing team right now. I feel that I should root for them to lose so they'll get better draft positioning. Ice hockey is probably my favorite sport to watch these days.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

Pittsburgh Penguins 5 stanley cups...Pittsburgh Steelers 6 super bowls and the Pittsburgh Pirates a few world seris Pitt Panthers...national champs...and Pittsburgh Rens...Pittsburgh Triangles,,Pittsburgh Spirt


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Klassik said:


> The DH rule is silly (I only consider National League baseball to be legitimate) and it's hard to take the sport seriously when some of the players look like the older Johannes Brahms.


I'm not keen on the DH rule either, especially when it artificially extends the career of aging players who may still be able to hit long but can often do little else. The prospect of hanging in there for an extra two or three years as a DH probably means a lot to those players who are going through an expensive divorce process, I suppose.

Beards! Well, you can blame Charlie Finley for that in the early 1970s when he paid his Oakland players a bonus for growing face fungus. Players were clean-shaven for about 70 years or so prior to that as moustaches went out of fashion c.1900. Nowadays the thick beard is part of hipster culture just like the 'porn star' tache was in the 70s and early 80s so I don't expect them to go out of fashion any time soon.

My bugbear is the ridiculously baggy pants that players often wear now - I think they look pretty awful, especially when they're virtually trailing on the floor like pyjamas bottoms. Perhaps they are more comfortable being that loose, but I prefer the crisper-looking pants from the 70s and 80s where you could actually see the stirrups.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Templeton said:


> Liverpool are my favourite football/soccer team, being a local boy. Montreal Canadiens, in ice hockey, from my time in Quebec. The Yankees, in baseball, based upon my years in New York. For some reason, I never really took to the Knicks for basketball, with my favourite teams being the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls.


Good to see another Red on here. I left Liverpool as a nipper and have only been back for the football since, but they've always been my team.

I follow the N.Orleans Saints in NFL, for no other reason than the fact that I was assigned the Saints when I played an online version of the game years ago. Even so, their recent first Superbowl win was still one of the great sporting occasions of my life.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

elgars ghost said:


> I'm not keen on the DH rule either, especially when it artificially extends the career of aging players who may still be able to hit long but can often do little else. The prospect of hanging in there for an extra two or three years as a DH probably means a lot to those players who are going through an expensive divorce process, I suppose.
> 
> Beards! Well, you can blame Charlie Finley for that in the early 1970s when he paid his Oakland players a bonus for growing face fungus. Players were clean-shaven for about 70 years or so prior to that as moustaches went out of fashion c.1900. Nowadays the thick beard is part of hipster culture just like the 'porn star' tache was in the 70s and early 80s so I don't expect them to go out of fashion any time soon.


The beard fad in baseball is pretty gross. I realize saying that is somewhat hypocritical given that the Sharks hockey team that I pull for has a couple of guys who look like this, but that's just two players. Some baseball teams seemingly have half a roster full of guys with nasty looking beards. Also, I always laugh when there's overweight baseball players. Some of them are pretty athletic, but some of them look like they can barely run even though running is a pretty fundamental part of baseball.

The DH really takes away pitchers who can hit/handle the bat. Pitchers like Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux had an advantage over most pitchers since they could hit. At one time, even the pitchers who weren't great hitters knew how to bunt runners over if nothing else. If they played in the American League, we wouldn't have seen those skills. Plus, the DH takes some strategy away from the game. And, as you say, the DH creates a situation where guys who can barely run are some of the best paid players on the team.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Tampa Bay Lightning (Leading the NHL in points right now).

Tampa Bay Rays (They stink and must appeal to my masochistic tendencies).


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

all right yinz Habs - bolts -wings -little bears-ducks-hawks! i am drop'n the gloves and we are going to center ice!


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)




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## georgedelorean (Aug 18, 2017)

Fantastic to see other hockey lovers here.


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

Pyotr said:


> I've been a sports fan my entire life. I follow the local Philadelphia teams: Phillies(baseball), Flyers(hockey), 76sixers(basketball), Eagles(American football) and the Union(Soccer). I usually attend two or three Phillies games a year. The others, I'm content to watch on TV.
> 
> Good luck with Iguodala. We suffered with him for nine years. He will play defense, but folds like a cheap card table at crunch time. $48 million over four years? I hope it won't be a huge weight around your neck.


I recently started watching the Premier league games and have gotten hooked on Manchester City .


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

My favourite teams are Inter Milan (Serie A) & Philadelphia 76ers (NBA). I started watching both teams when I was 6 or 7 seven years old. 

My first memory of the Sixers is when they reached the finals in the 2001, the same season Iverson won the MVP award. After the finals, one decade of mediocrity. Fortunately, in the recent years the Sixers had excellent General Manager in Sam Hinkie and the future is secured. I can't say the same for Inter Milan.


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