As mentioned in previous articles of mine, I'm a sports fan. I usually enjoy watching football, soccer, hockey, and baseball. I usually like NCAA Basketball, rather than the NBA but I do know the most famous players of the NBA. I'm from Hatboro, PA which is outside of Philly. So naturally I'm an Eagles, Flyers, Phillies and Union fan by heart and it's inbred. A die hard Philly fan? I couldn't really say that because I'm committed to other teams. I'm going to leave out international teams or NCAA teams I like for example Florida State, Villanova, Bayern Munich or Manchester United, but include Canadian teams. I'm focusing on other American sports teams I'm a fan of and I'll explain, cause I got some explaining to do. People always ask me that whenever they hear I'm a fan of a non-Philly team, why I'm a fan of that team in the first place. Well, here's your answers.
Baltimore Orioles
My mother's side of the family comes from Baltimore. My aunt is an avid Orioles fan. I also took a trip to Baltimore when I was little and we even watched the Orioles play the Phillies and the game went to 23 innings. There was also the story I was told that when my grandmother was in the hospital about to give birth to my mom, she had the TV on in her room and she remembered Vida Blue (Oakland A's pitcher at the time, 1971 to be exact) pitching against the Orioles. With three World Series titles under their belts, the Orioles are one of those teams that aren't always brought up in the baseball realms they used to be. In other words, I sometimes consider them an underdog team. Everyone loves and underdog story now and then.
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders, three time Super Bowl Champions, beating the Minnesota Vikings in 1976, the Philadelphia Eagles in 1980, and the Washington Redskins (as the LA Raiders) in 1983. Or as some people call them, the RRRRAAAIIDDAAAHS. I became a Raiders fan as I got older. The mystique and uniqueness of the "silver and black" is what made me a fan. I like the team history and the team being known for committed to winning, even if the last 13 seasons didn't look like that. My dad had glass mugs back when they were the Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1994) and my mom used to wear a Bo Jackson jersey when she was in her college years. My 6th grade teacher, Mr. Feldman used to have Raiders flags hanging in his classroom and they always stood out to me. I would always either play as the Eagles or Raiders in football video games growing up, especially NFL Street. Now I have Raiders decor in my dorm and a few Raiders jerseys of my own: Howie Long, Bo Jackson, Warren Sapp, and Sebastian Janikowski.
Montreal Canadiens
As a fan of hockey, I'm also part Canadian regarding my heritage and that I visited Canada back in the 8th grade. The Canadiens, or Habs de Montreal, are the most successful Stanley Cup winning NHL team winning a total of 23, the last cup win being in 1993. The team's history is filled with hall of famers and have always been a breeding ground for good hockey players.
LA Galaxy
The team that helped make soccer in America gain more coverage was the LA Galaxy with the help of players like Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Robbie Keane, and Steven Gerrard. I hate it when people say that "Americans don't care about soccer". Well, check again. You mean to tell me that Americans don't care about the World Cup (men and women's who've just won in 2014 and had a big parade), the MLS Cup, the U.S. open Cup, or the Copa America Centario? I'm pretty sure that the stadiums were filled with fans from all over and there was quite a big turnout for the U.S. national teams' games.
Quebec Nordiques
Finally, I'm ending with a team that technically doesn't exist anymore. That's right. The Quebec Nordiques were in the NHL from 1979-1995, until they moved to Colorado to become the Colorado Avalanche. Again with the Canadiens, I also visited Quebec as part of my 8th grade Canada trip. While I was in Quebec, I bought their jersey as you see in a picture of NHL Hall of Famer Joe Sakic wearing below.
I have made a connection to all of these teams because of my experiences traveling abroad or if they have a part with my family. You shouldn't just support a team just because they tell you to, you support a team if they made a positive impact on you or if you like certain players who give back to their community as well. Just something to think about.
