As fans, how much do we root for the laundry?

I grew up a die hard Knicks fan. It was great and easy in the beginning. I saw Frazier and Reed and the 69-70 teams. I went to playoff games and Championship games. I saw the Knicks beat the Lakers. I saw Monroe’s first game as Knick after rooting against him as a Bullet, it was easy to root for him. I loved Cazzie Russell, but when they traded for JerryLucas I was a Lucas fan. Even tried to imitate his shot. I rooted for failed drat picks like Dean Memminger and Henry Bibby, the trade of Frazier to Cleveland. I went through the bad times with the Knicks, the Sugar Ray Richardson teams, loved Bernard King.
But I also went toMaryland when Ewing played for Georgetown and I hated Ewing. I tried to like when he was drafted by the Knicks. But I couldn’t. Stopped rooting for the Knicks. HE spoiled being a Knick fan for me. The reverse laundry theory

 

Outing: Yab is Bill Simmons.

 

With all respect that’s due, fuck you

 

My father is from Detroit and probably was a big fan of the Tigers, Lions and Red Wings in his youth. (I know he's talked about how he could name every player on each team in the American League in the 1940s.) But with the exception of taking me to games, he has no rooting interest at all. And he found his interest in the Dolphins was completely connected to Don Shula's tenure there, a man he admires. Otherwise, he loves watching games and keeping score. But I don't think he cares at all about the outcome.

My best friend growing up was a huge Packers/Lakers/Dodgers fan (lived in Des Moines and Burbank before moving to the Bay Area) and wore USC merchandise because his grandmother worked there. He'd tune his radio to hear Vin Scully at night and quote Chick Hearn. But once the Garvey/Lopes/Russell/Cey/Yeager era ended, he eventually switched allegiances. He's a Giants season-ticket holder (of all things) and a graduate of Cal. He can't stand USC now. So he's a bandwagon/turncoat?

 

I was a huge Knicks fan during the Ewing era, having followed him from my college rooting interest at the time, Georgetown. But the Dolan era has completely turned me off the team, minus the brief bit of Linsanity. I don't root against them, but they are so inept that it's not even worth following them until there is a regime change. I simply can't abide an organization that's run by a baffoon.

Some years the team you root for is easier to root for than others. Like last year's Red Sox team.

Contrast that with Sox teams populated by morons and goons like Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe and Josh Beckett.

It sickened me when the Steelers signed Michael Vick -- but I still kept watching because I'm not that holier than thou. As a sports fan, I can tolerate criminality more than I can tolerate incompetence.

 

He went from a Dodgers fan to a Giants fan? As an adult? He needs to be tagged for further study.

 

I've lived in Boston for 45 years, and am still a fan of the Philadelphia teams (except for the Flyers, were just getting started when I went away to college, so no time for loyalty to develop. Is that rooting for laundry, or rooting not to lose one's childhood? My late parents, on the other hand, were Philadelphia fans when we lived in Delaware, but when they moved to Florida became Braves and Jaguars fans because those were the teams they saw on TV, so they started following their storylines. Evidence for the sports as soap opera theory.

 

Ewing was a great Knick and gave total effort every game. If they had never traded Mark Jackson for Charles Smith, that’s a team which would have won a title.

 

@maumann in his OP makes good points about the origin of loyalty being different across sports and levels. I like the Celtics because I was born at St. E's in Brighton, but I like ND football because they are the Fighting Irish.
However, I think he mistakes my comment for an either/or scenario. Yes, for must of us, the teams we root for are determined by our parents and/or place of birth. But why people ultimately care about the local 9 is because there is some continuity. Rooting for the Red Sox is special because Ted/Yaz/Rice, just like Ruth/Gehrig/DiMaggio/Mantle is special to Yankees fans. Continuity and a history are what make rooting for the local 9 special. If those things weren't there, the passion wouldn't be as great.

Hey, Dustin Pedroia just won Rookie of the Year and the Red Sox swept the World Series. Is Pedroia going to be back with the Red Sox? Fuck that shit.

I think @Michael_Gee was getting at it. It's local, but there is some greater connection to a history or narrative.

 

I'm a laundry guy, definitely more pronounced when I actually know players on the team I'm rooting for.

 

Definitely a laundry guy, and a region guy. All my favorites are in Southern California.

Turning 60 next year, I almost had no choice but to cheer for Los Angeles teams when I was a kid. They were what was on my TV and radio and in my newspaper. With the Internet and packages like Sunday ticket, it's now much easier for people to follow teams outside of their region.

I was also fortunate to grow up in a time where most of the LA teams were really good with USC football, UCLA basketball, the Rams winning the West most years, the Lakers starting their dynasty and the Dodgers playing in five World Series appearances in 15 years from 74 to 88.

 

Older brothers were Colts fans. So grew up a Colts fan. First heartbreak was Earl Morrall throwing SB III.
Peyton becoming a Colt was a marriage a sports fan rarely gets to enjoy (alma mater's legend joins favorite pro team).

Pulled for Broncos to do well with Peyton . . . but pulled for Colts to beat him and the Broncos each of the four times they played. Pulling against him to lose a playoff game (!) --- vs. Colts in Divisional Round --- in 2015 was no fun at all.