How big of a fan are you?

[ztejas 44233]

This felt most appropriate for football (forum) I guess.

--

I don't know why this popped into my head but it did. Maybe because I try and follow and care about too many sports and sports leagues. But - I thought this would be fun and also maybe shine some light on posters here in terms of not necessarily allegiances but who everyone REALLY bleeds for.

So - the idea is - list every team that you are a DIE-HARD for. We may wind up qualifying that differently, but my definition is basically a combination of the following factors:

• You follow everything that that team does in season and out
• You watch or follow to the best of your ability all of their games
• You (if a major league team) DO NOT ever attempt to split allegiance with another team 
• Their biggest games fuck your emotions up to an unhealthy level in either direction win or lose
• That team winning a title or other huge accomplishment would mean a lot to you

Basically, as you see it personally, who are you the biggest FAN of.

And then - try and list them in order of how big of a fan you are. But ONLY teams that you'd cut your heart out for (first). So here goes - here's mine:

1. Longhorns football
2. USMNT soccer
3. SMU football
4. Spurs basketball
5. Longhorns baseball
6. Rangers baseball

Now, you can list every other team you like but are maybe more wishy-washy on or could potentially do without.

Mine in that category (no order):

• Stars hockey
• Chelsea soccer
• Texas basketball
• SMU basketball
• Austin FC soccer 

I'm guessing some (most?) of you don't give a shit about 11+ teams so just list the ones you care about and then maybe tack on others that you enjoy cheering for. 

Post your own or make fun of mine or whatever. Obviously I didn't list an NFL team but a lot of you probably will. 

Edited May 21, 2022 by ztejas

[South Austin 53228]

The amount of time and emotion I can invest in anything is spread pretty thin in my late 40’s. So the only remaining fandom I have left is Longhorn football. Even in our era of suckage, I still go to most every home game, watch them on TV, and get my heart repeatedly broken by them.

When I was in high school I LOVED the Chicago Bulls. There was a three-year period (1989-1992) growing up on the east coast, right as the Bulls were entering their run of 6 titles, when for some reason we got WGN, the local Chicago station. Long before the era of numerous sports channels broadcasting games on a nightly basis, that station showed almost every Bulls home and away game that otherwise wasn’t on one of the major networks during the weekend, and I watched just about every damn one of them. And I had a panoramic poster of Michael Jordan in the air dunking from the free throw line in my bedroom. But clearly my allegiance was to Jordan, because after he left, I felt no other real connection to the team, so I stopped following them as much. Now, I’m at best a casual NBA fan.

Edited May 21, 2022 by South Austin

[ztejas 44233]

Awesome response. Thanks. 

[Knoxtnhorn 6309]

*Tiers based on the severity of the tantrum when stated team loses.

Tier 1

Texas football, US soccer, Garland High football

Tier 2

Dallas Cowboys, Texas basketball

Tier 3

Liverpool, Mavs, Rangers, Stars, Texas baseball

 

[TrashMaster G 18109]

1 - Longhorns football

1a - Longhorns baseball

2 - USMNT 

3 - Texas Rangers 

4 - Austin FC

5 - Longhorns basketball

6 - USWNT

7 - Dallas Stars

Others: All things Longhorn, Chicago Cubs, SMU football

I'm probably forgetting something.

[SHOOTER12 8886]

1. Longhorns Football 

 

 

 

 

2. Longhorns Baseball 

3. Longhorns Basketball 

[Royale with cheese 1493]

Three CFB teams I put my heart and soul into EVERY time they play:
1. Longhorns

2. Anybody playing blOw-U

3. Anybody playing aggy

[The Original Greaser Bob 2896]

Level 1 - Will mistreat other family members depending on how game goes:

1)Longhorn Football

1) USMNT

2) Stanford Football

2) Longhorn Basketball/Baseball (tournament)

2) Stanford Basketball/Baseball(tournament)

Level 2 - Will watch with interest/can keep my shit together

1) Mexico Nats

1) FC Dallas

2) Dallas Mavs

2) Longhorn and Stanford women's sports

Level 3 - Schadenfreude

1) Texum Bulldogs

2) German Nats

 

 

 

[ztejas 44233]

I love Surly because the point of this post was for everyone to interpret it in their own way and that's what we're getting so far despite my fairly specific instructions. 

I mean honestly y'all are amazing. You see the bullshit I post, think "yeah you're fucking stupid" and then post your own takes and in the process nail the spirit of the whole thing. 

Keep it up. 

Where the Liverpool fans at?

Edited May 21, 2022 by ztejas

[Slacks 7066]

Roster lists me at 6'1" / 190.

[Guest]

Teams I scare the dogs by yelling during the games:

Astros- watch about 110 games per season at a minimum. When they lose I get grumpy and act like I got a call from the school and kid didn’t do his homework.

Tech Basketball

KC Chiefs- but that connection is virtually all on PMIII.

Teams I have lived and died with in the past- Dallas Cowboys, but Jerrah continually makes me feel indifferent on wins and losses.  If I have an NFL team, it’s still Dallas.

Stars hockey- current team composition and philosophy drives me nuts.  Too passive and lackadaisical in their approach. The talent might be there, but they have zero fight or heart.

Tech football- it’s been 11.5 years since Tech imploded its football program and ripped my heart out in railroading the best coach in the history of the program.  Maybe because of the transfer portal, I don’t know shit about the majority of the team any more, although that doesn’t affect me in basketball.

casual likes- Army Football, because of my son and I feel like academy sports are closer to the true intention of college sports.

Windthorst Trojans

Abernathy Antelopes

Rider Raiders

ALWAYS ROOT AGAINST:

aggy, Texas, NFC East, Yankees- although my grandson will almost certainly grow up being a Bronx Bomber fan- this is my mission going forward, LOL- we’ ve already been outlawed from getting any team baseball gear in his baby clothes.  As he gets older I can’t help what he might come home in, following a visit to Texas.

[South Austin 53228]

10 minutes ago, slorch said:

Tech football- it’s been 11.5 years since Tech imploded its football program and ripped my heart out in railroading the best coach in the history of the program.  Maybe because of the transfer portal, I don’t know shit about the majority of the team any more, although that doesn’t affect me in basketball.

I was in Brownwood earlier this weekend for a mediation with an older attorney who went to Tech and had four prime football season tickets for decades. He had Red Raider shit all over his offices, including [sigh] a framed photo of the Crabtree catch that I had to look at most of the day. He told me that he gave up his season tickets after they fired Leach.

[tx ind 7057]

Tier 1: Drop everything teams and do not fuck with me:

TCU Football and Astros

Tier 2: Fair weather-

Texans.  I used to go to tons of games but now have kids and will not devote an entire day to that shitshow (tailgating is great); I am mildly optimistic after this last draft so potential to be sucked back in but fuck Cal and fuck Bud Adams.

 

Tier 3: Fuck em 

Agree with Royale on 2&3 but add rapelor to the top of list.

Edited May 21, 2022 by tx ind
Also add Yankees and Dodgers to Tier 3

[Helobious 9823]

I don’t really live & die with sports, and I’d say I’m a very casual fan of all sports, but my favorite teams/leagues I spend more than a bit of time following: 

1a) Yankees - deal with it, free country, I can root for who I please

1b) Longhorns football - parents met at UT. Baby pictures in burnt orange, I’ve watched, attended, or heard on the radio live at least part of all but maybe 5 or 10 games over the past 20 years. I was too stupid to get in the school but wanted to go

2) Longhorns baseball - love me some baseball

3) Harlingen cardinals football - Alumnus/hometown still has a place in my heart. 

*I watch a lot of NFL, but don’t care about any specific team really.

4) south Texas high school sports - because who else will

5) mexico national soccer team - don’t care about this one that much but I’ll root for them when they play

 

[YoungCounty 165]

1. Longhorn Football

1b. Cowboys

Next level I care about, watch and follow, but it’s nothing like football. 
3. Rangers

4. Mavs

5. UT Basketball

6. UT Baseball

 

[JBJ 3828]

2 hours ago, South Austin said:

The amount of time and emotion I can invest in anything is spread pretty thin in my late 40’s. So the only remaining fandom I have left is Longhorn football. Even in our era of suckage, I still go to most every home game, watch them on TV, and get my heart repeatedly broken by them.

Same.  Longhorn football.

Years ago, Stars and Rangers would be on the list. 

I watch them along with Longhorn Baseball, Volleyball, Basketball when I can but I don't set aside time or make anything above minimal effort to catch a game.

I find the NBA and NFL product overall so much worse than they used to be that I hardly watch Cowboys or Mavs anymore.

Edited May 21, 2022 by JBJ

[SHOOTER12 8886]

1 hour ago, Royale with cheese said:

Three CFB teams I put my heart and soul into EVERY time they play:
1. Longhorns

2. Anybody playing blOw-U

3. Anybody playing aggy

Your post reminds me of when Mrs. Shooter accused me of being a fan of aggy.  She had noticed that I watched/recorded several aggy games.  She could not grasp for the life of her that all the screaming and hollering was me pulling for whoever aggy was playing.   Yes I hate those sheep fucking bastards with a passion. 

[TexArcher 39074]

1. Longhorn football, basketball, and baseball.  I want us to conquer the world in all three.  If forced to pick, I would say that I care about football the most, but it really is close.

2. Houston Astros.  I grew up going to games at the Dome and have been a die-hard ever since.

3. Chelsea FC.  I adopted them a dozen years ago and have gotten really into following the EPL and CL.  

There's not a ton of separation between any of those top 5 teams, really.  I care more than a forty-something probably should.  But it's fun.

The others receiving votes category would include the Rockets, Texans, USMNT, and England football.  I cherish the memories of the Rockets' title runs in '94 and '95, celebrating with my best friends from high school, etc, but the reality is that my interest in the NBA isn't what it once was.  And if Houston still had the Oilers, they'd be up on the same line with the Astros.  I do follow the Texans pretty closely, but it's just not the same.  And I root for the English national side against anyone but the U.S. (I'm mostly English descent and a bit of an Anglophile in general).  I very much want to see the United States become a world power in football and will get very into it if and when it ever happens.

Edited May 21, 2022 by TexArcher

[MirrOlure 15285]

1. Longhorn Football
2t. Longhorn Baseball
2t. Longhorn Basketball
3. Longhorn All Other Sports
4. A team or individual sport that includes a major UT alum.




















99. Astros

I don’t give two shits about any team or organization other than the above-listed.

[Baboontyme 2883]

I'm kind of with @South Austin I've been thinking about this topic lately and I'm not exactly sure why. I think part of it is getting older and having other responsibilities but for me part of it was also probably the whole Covid thing and also nil. I support NIL but there is no question it is further distancing me from my sports fandom. 

I care about Michigan State sports primarily because I went to school there, graduated from there, met my wife and lifelong friends there, shared classes and shots and house parties with athletes and coaches etc. I've always had a healthy respect for the fact that this is a school that l attended and I love those colors because of it and you share the love of that school and those colors and thus I find it healthy to root for that. Probably a bit naive but I could always find a way to get back to that place in my head. Now it's nearly impossible.

So that said I follow MSU football and basketball (tied) year round. I watch all of the games that I can, follow recruiting somewhat casually. But ultimately the highs aren't as high and the lows aren't as low anymore. I remember wasting entire Saturdays in the early 00s brooding because we lost to Rutgers. Now I laugh and basically give zero fucks..

I casually follow the Detroit Tigers mostly because of childhood memories and there isn't shit else to do in the summer.

I don't have a rooting interest in a NFL team other than who I am betting on.

In NFL and NBA I like to watch teams with guys whose careers I watched at Michigan State. I have developed casual rooting interests in some of these teams after watching them for years but I don't bat an eye if they win or lose. I like to watch the Hornets, Grizzlies and Warriors in NBA which is far and away my favorite league right now despite no real rooting interests.

If the Red Wings ever get good again I will probably casually watch and root for them.

I'm interested in the Pistons rebuild because I think Cade Cunningham might really be special but I don't see myself ever really becoming a fan again.

Man getting old is kind of depressing. 

[OB3 3636]

1 Texas football (by a mile)

2 Texas baseball and basketball

3 Astros

4 Cowboys (would’ve been Oilers, but once they left my dad never really followed the NFL after that. So I just started following Dallas cause all my friends are big fans)

5 Bulls

[RollLeft 5092]

1HornsFootball

2HornsBaseball

 

 

3HornsinProSports

4currentfinalofwhateversport

5AllotherHornssports

6Astros

7Spurs

8Cowboys

Edited May 21, 2022 by RollLeft

[Domedriver 655]

53 minutes ago, MirrOlure said:

1. Longhorn Football
2t. Longhorn Baseball
2t. Longhorn Basketball
3. Longhorn All Other Sports
4. A team or individual sport that includes a major UT alum.




















99. Astros

I don’t give two shits about any team or organization other than the above-listed.

This fits me.  I live, die, breath, bleed Longhorn  Football!  Also cheer for my Horns in all other sports.  As to the pros, I cheer for teams that have Horns playing for them and I watch to see them play.  Hook’em Horns🤘
 

and we are going big next season!!!

Edited May 21, 2022 by Domedriver

[IDIOTsavant 8688]

1. Houston Oilers….they’re dead, Jim.

2. Texas Longhorn football…mostly dead is not the same as completely dead.

3. Michigan Wolverine football

4. Houston Astros

5. Texas Longhorn baseball

BIG GAP (if this was a reference to South Austin’s mom, it would be much higher)

6. Other UT, U of M, and City of Houston sports teams.

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by IDIOTsavant

[msucolt45 4233]

I will have been married 30 years on Monday (5/23) and my wife and I have had a long-standing agreement that the two four-hour windows of each Fall weekend aren’t to be messed with. Of course those two are our beloved Longhorns on Saturday and the Cowboys (I digress) on Sunday.

She and I can go and do whatever she wants during the hours surrounding those time slots, but I don’t “DVR” the Longhorns or Cowboys!

Hook’em!

[formermav43 4630]

1. Texas football

2. Green Bay Packers

3. Houston Astros

Gap

4. Texas basketball

Big gap

5. All other Texas sports, which I cate about more abstractly than actually watch.

[InkaUtexas 26907]

What I care about.

1. Longhorn Football

2. Red Sox

3. Celtics

4. Chelsea FC

5. Texas Basketball/Baseball

6. Bruins

Sports is always on in my house so I watch it all cuz SPORTZ. It is basically that or the news. 

[Tylerocks 2603]

Texas football is the only sport/games I'll make plans to watch.  clear the 4 hours for the game cause I'm not doing anything else.

 

2nd is Astros Baseball.  I will watch when I can, but will flip around while watching. Playoffs I'll invest time to watch the whole game.

Rockets and Texas hoops are a tie for 3rd.  We recently cut the cable cord(N LHN) so Texas Hoops games will be few and far between unless nationally televised.

 

Texans are distant 4th.  Will watch if I'm home and have it on in the background.  But I don't dedicate much time anymore

Texas baseball- I follow, but don't watch as much until the CWS (again, the cable cutting/LHN)

[GringoSalado 1653]

5 hours ago, slorch said:

Tech football- it’s been 11.5 years since Tech imploded its football program and ripped my heart out in railroading the best coach in the history of the program.

One thing I love about sports fans. Right around this time I found myself driving through the Panhandle periodically (likely hauling to a feedlot but it doesn't matter) and there was a guy around Brownfield I think who had a nice place with two really cool vintage Farmall tractors parked out front that both had huge Tech flags mounted where the exhaust came out of the hood. After they fired Leach the next few times I drove by both flags were hung upside down. I'm still mad I didn't stop to get a good pic of Slorch's house for the board back then.

[Underdog 29196]

5 hours ago, Snacks said:

Roster lists me at 6'1" / 190.

Go on…

[SA-KC_Horn 1298]

1. Longhorn football (moved from KC to attend more home games)

2. Longhorn basketball 

3. Longhorn volleyball 

4. Longhorn baseball 

5. KC Royals 

6. KC Chiefs

7. NY Knicks

8. Ronald Reagan H.S. athletics 

 

If there is tennis or golf or racing on, I'm watching it. Competition junkie.

 

[kingkoopa6 8714]

ESPN app has my follows.

 

1. Anything Horns... could be rowing, i dont care.... im all in on Horns.

2. SA Spurs, EPL Spurs, Austin FC

3. Cowboys, USMNT

Edited May 21, 2022 by kingkoopa6

[Underdog 29196]

I’ll have games on and will watch most of the times but they’re also just background noise.  I don’t really get that worked up over any of it anymore and that includes UK, Cowboys, Horns.  Now MM, Super Bowl are about the only must see TV for me these days, if UK is playing nearby I may try and go.  I don’t particularly care to watch them against some scrub and much prefer the marquee games.  

CBK - that includes some women’s games also. 

NFL

NCAAF

NBA

MLB

US Open - Tennis version is always a fun watch, same with Wimbledon. 

[Brandywine 1330]

Texas Football, I bleed orange and when they don’t win I’m depressed for a week until the next game. I’ve been a diehard since Junior High and had season tickets for almost 30 years until Steve Patterson ruined EVERYTHING!!!! 

Texas Baseball

Texas Basketball

Use to like the Cowboys, they’re a mess. I want Jerry Jones to leave so badly. 

[markstanco 12798]

Longhorn football is 1a. Not even close. I follow the recruits and pressers. Baseball is down the list but I love watching it on a slow weekend and especially during the week. I at least know the rotation and when Ivan comes to the plate.

Dallas cowboys is a close 2nd. I love losing I guess.

Dallas stars are right next to the cowboys. Since I figured out how to watch them with shitty Bally Sports I’m all in again since I dropped DTV.

I will always shut it down to watch the horns. If I miss a cowboys game, meh but I want to know the score and see key plays. Dallas stars in February going forward I must watch.

[927 E. 41st 1124]

12 hours ago, MirrOlure said:

. Longhorn Football
2t. Longhorn Baseball
2t. Longhorn Basketball
3. Longhorn All Other Sports
4. A team or individual sport that includes a major UT alum.
 

This works for me. I also pull for any team playing against any team with Aaron Rodgers or Baker Mayfield if I happen across it, but if I miss all of the NFL season I don't care.

I will be at every home game plus OU at a minimum. I just upped my level of devotion, I got tired of renting cars every time so I bought a beater car that will live down there. 

[Born Burnt 6274]

1. Longhorn football

 

 

 

 

 

2. Longhorn baseball

3. Longhorn volleyball

4. Magnus Carlsen

[NaTeWHO 870]

 

But really, 6'2" 215.

[TreatyOak 17398]

1. Any Westlake HS team.

2. Any team in college or pro sports with a Westlake player on the team. Go Colts! 

3. Any team playing against a Tom Herman-coached team. 

 

 

[SimonBolivar 11064]

Breaks down into 2 categories for me.

 

Stupid illogical emotional involvement:

1.) Baylor Football

2.) USMNT

3.) Baylor Basketball

 

Regular fandom:

1.) Dallas Stars

2.) Houston Astros

3.) Aston Villa

4.) Austin FC

 

 

[hobbes2702 13488]

I guess I wouldn’t qualify as a die hard of anything because none of my fandom ever fucks me up outside of my fandom. For example, I’ll have some stupid, illogical, emotional takes after we lose to Kansas but it’s not going to ruin the rest of my day or anything. But the teams that I follow in season and out, watch every game are:

1. Texas Baseball

2. Liverpool FC

3. Texas Basketball

4. Texas Football

I will say Texas Football has moved its way down the list of importance mainly because it’s just not even fun to watch because we are so helplessly bad. It’s one thing to lose games. We, especially under Strong, were such a boring team.

[Nivek 17415]

I used to know everyone on the team and the players on our opponents and several other schools as well.   Now, I don't know the names of the offensive line, but that is probably to shield myself.  

[Hpara759 1792]

On 5/21/2022 at 7:41 AM, slorch said:

 

Windthorst Trojans

 

you German?

[Guest]

Not at Pearl Harbor, no.

Lived there when I was a kid though.

 

[GreenspointTexas 9979]

Any Longhorn sport.  

 

Pro sports are for people that didnt go to college or people that need water cooler talk/fantasy babble at their shitty office

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

 

 

Pro sports are for people that didnt go to college or people that need water cooler talk/fantasy babble at their shitty office

 

I guess you think every longhorn fan went to UT right? Of course not, but your assertion pro sports is equally ridiculous.

[Born Burnt 6274]

2 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

Stupid illogical emotional involvement:

1.) Baylor Football

3.) Baylor Basketball

 

 

 

[NTVTXN 1439]

On 5/21/2022 at 6:36 AM, South Austin said:

The amount of time and emotion I can invest in anything is spread pretty thin in my early 50’s. So the only remaining fandom I have left is Longhorn football. Even in our era of suckage, I WILL go to every home game, as our oldest just finished her Freshman year at McCombs and our 13yo LOVES to go to games. We bought a mini-pack last season.  I took the plunge for Season Tix this coming season.

When I was in high school I LOVED the Chicago Bulls. There was a 7 year period (1985-1992) growing up in DFW-are, right as the Bulls were entering their run of 6 titles, when for some reason we got WGN, the local Chicago station. Long before the era of numerous sports channels broadcasting games on a nightly basis, that station showed almost every Bulls home and away game that otherwise wasn’t on one of the major networks during the weekend, and I recorded & watched just about every damn one of them. And I had a panoramic poster of Michael Jordan in the air dunking from the free throw line in my bedroom. But clearly my allegiance was to Jordan, because after he left, I felt no other real connection to the team, so I stopped following them as much. Now, I’m at best a casual NBA fan. 

Fixed for accuracy as it relates to my life…🤘🏻

Edited May 22, 2022 by NTVTXN
I would add that I group a HUGE Cowboys fan. But now? Causal at best. Thanks, Jerrah…🖕🏻

[gmr548 16702]

On 5/21/2022 at 6:36 AM, South Austin said:

The amount of time and emotion I can invest in anything is spread pretty thin in my late 40’s. So the only remaining fandom I have left is Longhorn football. Even in our era of suckage, I still go to most every home game, watch them on TV, and get my heart repeatedly broken by them.

When I was in high school I LOVED the Chicago Bulls. There was a three-year period (1989-1992) growing up on the east coast, right as the Bulls were entering their run of 6 titles, when for some reason we got WGN, the local Chicago station. Long before the era of numerous sports channels broadcasting games on a nightly basis, that station showed almost every Bulls home and away game that otherwise wasn’t on one of the major networks during the weekend, and I watched just about every damn one of them. And I had a panoramic poster of Michael Jordan in the air dunking from the free throw line in my bedroom. But clearly my allegiance was to Jordan, because after he left, I felt no other real connection to the team, so I stopped following them as much. Now, I’m at best a casual NBA fan.

I too am a Bulls fan from childhood. I don't even remember the Jordan era well on the court, but we visited Chicago frequently as my aunt - my mom's twin sister with whom she is very close - lived there. Just kind of got caught up in it all, and neither of my parents were from Dallas, where I was raised, so there was no connection to Dallas teams in the house.

I am still a big Bulls fan. Texas football and the Chicago Bulls are my only two serious sports allegiances, in that order. My fantasy team is probably #3 and certainly beats any NFL team. Casual rooting interest for Austin FC (worked for the Austin Aztex USL team so it is cool to see MLS in Austin), Leeds United (studied in Leeds in college) in soccer. I guess I'd go with Rangers/Astros in the MLB just for Texas ties. Both Texas NFL franchises are embarrassments so I really don't have a favorite NFL team. Maybe the Broncos - my dad was a big Elway fan, Mile High is up there in terms of best NFL stadiums, and I like their color scheme.

[gmr548 16702]

2 hours ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Any Longhorn sport.  

 

Pro sports are for people that didnt go to college or people that need water cooler talk/fantasy babble at their shitty office

The NBA is such a far superior product to NCAA basketball that they're barely the same sport.  For a long time I've preferred CFB to the NFL by a lot, but on the field, the NFL is getting to that point vs CFB outside the top 5 as the offenses adapt (CFB used to be the better onfield product). CFB still wins on atmosphere for now, but as it continues its metamorphosis into purely being NFL junior, there may end up being no reason to watch it just as there's no reason to watch college basketball.