Poll: Is It Acceptable To Switch Teams?

UNTflyer · January 12, 2010

If yes, under what circumstances can you switch to supporting another team?

Edited January 12, 2010 by UNTflyer

KingDL1 · January 12, 2010

If yes, under what circumstances can you switch to supporting another team?

I always thought if you moved, supporting the home teams is OK

NT03 · January 12, 2010

NEVER

Green Mean · January 12, 2010

If you move to a new place and live there for a long long long time then I guess I can understand it. But no you should never switch teams. You can still root for the teams in your city wherever you live but for me personally it would hard for me to put them number 1 ahead of my childhood teams.

Censored by Laurie · January 12, 2010

Should this somehow be attached to the trans-gender thread?

Shuke-D · January 12, 2010

Should this somehow be attached to the trans-gender thread?

I thought the issue had to do with something being removed.

UNT90 · January 12, 2010

I thought the issue had to do with something being removed.

Attached or removed, right?

Sexist.

Green P1 · January 12, 2010

Past the age of middle school, any team changing is pure douchery. Plain and simple.

Shuke-D · January 12, 2010

Attached or removed, right?
Sexist.

I might have some vaguely liberal notions on some issues, but when it comes to the gender double-standard in society, I am all about being on the winning team. Go Patriarchy!

bstnsportsfan3 · January 12, 2010

No No No Never Never Never!!!!!

LongJim · January 12, 2010

If yes, under what circumstances can you switch to supporting another team?

You cannot "switch" teams.

1. You are obligated to root for the school team that you attended.

2. You can root for pro teams and peripherally support other schools/teams from states in which you have personally received mail.

Those are the only applicable rules. The only caveat is the Father/Son rule, which states you may support a team which your father/mother or son/daughter attends or attended.

Quoner · January 12, 2010

You cannot "switch" teams.
1. You are obligated to root for the school team that you attended.
2. You can root for pro teams and peripherally support other schools/teams from states in which you have personally received mail.
Those are the only applicable rules. The only caveat is the Father/Son rule, which states you may support a team which your father/mother or son/daughter attends or attended.

What if a college player you love goes to a pro team you have no allegiance to in a starring role?

KingDL1 · January 12, 2010

What if a college player you love goes to a pro team you have no allegiance to in a starring role?

You root for the player, I watched several Miami games to see Patrick.

LongJim · January 12, 2010

What if a college player you love goes to a pro team you have no allegiance to in a starring role?

Good question. You may root for the player but must disclose his affiliation to your school without prompting. You may wear his or her licensed apparel/product only.

Other shows of support for that team must be minimized in relation to other teams you are obligated to root for.

Censored by Laurie · January 12, 2010

Good question. You may root for the player but must disclose his affiliation to your school without prompting. You may wear his or her licensed apparel/product only.
Other shows of support for that team must be minimized in relation to other teams you are obligated to root for.

Ah yes, but can you base your entire team affiliation, irregardless of current or prior residency, around said player if you have never been a documented supporter of any other team in said sport.

For example...I am very apathetic towards the NFL and aside from brief dalliances of fandom in my way-youth have never supported a particular NFL team...I do now, and have for the past decade, support the San Diego Chargers based upon a huge man-crush developed on L.T. during our mutual time in Ft. Worth.

Is there some sort of exemption available...especially considerring my fandom, like my overall NFL interest, is very passer-by?

LongJim · January 12, 2010

Ah yes, but can you base your entire team affiliation, irregardless of current or prior residency, around said player if you have never been a documented supporter of any other team in said sport.
For example...I am very apathetic towards the NFL and aside from brief dalliances of fandom in my way-youth have never supported a particular NFL team...I do now, and have for the past decade, support the San Diego Chargers based upon a huge man-crush developed on L.T. during our mutual time in Ft. Worth.

I think the bolded text provides the answer, as I think the mail rule applies. The answer would be yes--you can support the Chargers based on the invocation of the mail rule to LT and FW/TCU since you both lived there. However, to legitimize it, you might want to disclaim with something like "I know the Cowboys are the home team, but I support the Chargers because I lived in FW and love LT."

I think you're good to go on that basis, but you'll be viewed askance by purists in some cases, so fair warning.

SilverEagle · January 12, 2010

If yes, under what circumstances can you switch to supporting another team?

When your University drops football, you can support another school's team.....especially when/if you live in the town where the "other" team is located. Or, if you live in another town with a University that has a football team, it's okay to attend games, but not to join their version of the Mean Green Club.

Are you thinking about switching back to Florida?

LongJim · January 12, 2010

When your University drops football, you can support another school's team.....especially when/if you live in the town where the "other" team is located.

I'd agree with this.

Or, if you live in another town with a University that has a football team, it's okay to attend games, but not to join their version of the Mean Green Club.

I would semi-agree with this, but I think it's okay to support any school near where you live with your attendance, so I'm not against buying season tickets, for example.

CMJ · January 12, 2010

You cannot "switch" teams.
1. You are obligated to root for the school team that you attended.
2. You can root for pro teams and peripherally support other schools/teams from states in which you have personally received mail.
Those are the only applicable rules. The only caveat is the Father/Son rule, which states you may support a team which your father/mother or son/daughter attends or attended.

I don't think you can willy nilly switch teams either. However, what if you as a child rooted for a team not from your geographic location for some reason(usually because of some random thing like their mascot or liking their uniforms, or even that city not having that team when you were a child)? ESPECIALLY if your folks don't really follow that sport/sports. I think that gets a pass because you didn't "switch" to the home team - and kept your childhood fandom.

The example I most often use for this is my fandom of the Buffalo Sabres. I started following hockey on a casual level after the 1988 Winter Olympics(the first time i watched the sport as a nine year old). DFW didn't have a team, so I started following Buffalo because i thought a SWORD was the coolest thing ever to have as a "mascot" - I also somewhat liked the Devils for the same reason but have over the years lost my affinity for them(did root for them over Dallas in '00 because I was spiteful from the previous year, but I generally rooted for Dallas as long as they weren't playing the Sabres).

Stars didn't move to Dallas till 6 years later - by which point I already owned Sabres merchadise and would be what I consider to be a decent fan. I also didn't take the easy way out and switch fandom when the Stars beat Buffalo in the Stanley Cup Finals

Edited January 12, 2010 by CMJ

Quoner · January 12, 2010

I'd agree with this.
I would semi-agree with this, but I think it's okay to support any school near where you live with your attendance, so I'm not against buying season tickets, for example.

What if you work in sports marketing/communications? Can you become attached to employers or do you have to stay true to your school only? What if you start wishing well for AD-types or professional front-office personnel? What if you're the son of a coach?

LongJim · January 12, 2010

I don't think you can willy nilly switch teams either. However, what if you as a child rooted for a team not from your geographic location for some reason(usually because of some random thing like their mascot or liking their uniforms, or even that city not having that team when you were a child)? ESPECIALLY if your folks don't really follow that sport/sports. I think that gets a pass because you didn't "switch" to the home team - and kept your childhood fandom.

Good question. An example similar to yours: I started following MLB in 1970. At that time, there was no Texas Rangers, and the Astros were not broadcast in the area, so I rooted for the KC Royals up until the late 70's. I wrote to their front office a few times as a kid, and they were kind enough to send photos and yearbooks and stuff in return. I'll never forget the photos that Cookie Rojas and Freddie Patek sent one year and I even got a photo from one of my pitching idols at the time--Paul Splittorff. At any rate, I joined the Jr. Texas Rangers every year, and gradually became a Rangers fan, but have always kept my love for the Royals to this day, so I know where you're coming from.

I think there are exceptions to every rule, and yours is one of them.

LongJim · January 12, 2010

What if you work in sports marketing/communications? Can you become attached to employers or do you have to stay true to your school only? What if you start wishing well for AD-types or professional front-office personnel? What if you're the son of a coach?

In these cases, you are considered a mercenary, however the rooting rules still apply, only they must be minimized or celebrated off site as long as you're employed by the alien team.

You are bound by professional obligation to root for/support the "job team" during that tenure. Sometimes you have to do painful things to earn a dollar, Quoner--as you well know.

Mean Green 93-98 · January 12, 2010

I originally said "No," but I would have to change that to a qualified "no." Some friends of ours have a son who was a coach at Tennessee, so they were always in orange, traveling to Knoxville for 3-4 games every year. However, he went out with the Fulmer regime, and has recently hired on at Arkansas. So they are obviously--and understandably--changing their allegiances. I would have to say where family or close friends are directly involved with the team, a full exemption is granted from the general rule.

Green P1 · January 12, 2010

I think most if not all in this thread are confusing "Your Team" with teams you root for. How someone determines "Their Team" varies by the individual, but once you've found "Them" its over. The act of changing "One's Team" would imply that said "Team" was never truly "Theirs."