Properly Choosing A Sports Team To Root For

We all have various and often unorthodox reasons why we root for the sports teams that we do. It could be family related,  the local team,  your favorite athlete,  or you simply like their colors and logo.

Now if you're confused on which team to root for in any sport,  no worries. I'm here to help you with unbiased pointers.

1. Don't jump on the bandwagon. 

If you go for the teams that are winning right now, you may be sorely disappointed.  Every team has a down year, or decade. It seems exciting and popular to root for the hot team and to rock that gear, but believe me, a true fan it will not make.

2. Look outside your area code and zip code

Don't feel obligated to cheer for the local team. Find a team that fits your needs, persona, and you will want to stick with long term. This should be a team that will make you love the sport more. 

3. Evaluate your requirements for a team

Yes you should have these. Here are some sample ones. They should be a consistent winner,  not necessarily a consistent champion (although that is nice). Your squad should be a tough,  gritty and rebellious one. The team should be one that defies all odds to overcome and win. They have a strong, loyal fan base for years. A rich history is nice and important.  Also, a good sports town (not necessarily a major media market) can be key. Either way,  know what you want and like to see, and go with that.

4. Don't feel the pressure of family and friends

They can have you all twisted up like "we've all been Cowboys and Lakers fans for decades". Go against the grain, and be the black sheep by choosing the team that no one else you know cheers for. Think of this: ten years ago, how many Clippers fans were there? Given all of the recent controversy, they are no longer team B in Los Angeles. 

5. Be true to your school

If it's a college team or a pro team with many players that went to your alma mater, this is an easier decision.  Therefore, be a proud alumnus and root for your school. This also eliminates having to root for different schools in different sports.

Why did you choose to root for your favorite sports teams? Do you consider yourself a bandwagoner? How do you feel about your local team?

A Football Life: The Love Of The Game

Sports are a major part of our culture and daily lives. Some women even watch as much Sportscenter as some men. ESPN and ESPN2 are required channels on any cable or satellite packages.

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Basketball, baseball, boxing, tennis, golf, hockey, NASCAR, and currently the Olympics have their broad fanbases. However, none beat the nation's #1 sport: football.



It's hard to beat the smell of the freshly cut grass, the taste of the hot dogs and pizza, the roar of the crowds, and the hard hits and big plays. It's pure Heaven to many of us

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Football is like a religion in some areas, and understandably so. It comes on only a few times/week, lasts only a few months, and is simply exciting to watch, but not too exhausting or drawn out as other sports.



My love for football began in my teen years when I played for Blacksburg High School. I still root for the Wildcats. I also attend many high school games around the Carolinas, including Gaffney. No one has to explain to me why football is so big in the city of Gaffney. I attend at least a couple of Gaffney games per year, and have even traveled when they went to the state championship. I love seeing good football and athletes, at all levels of play.



College football is also special. From the tailgating to GameDay on ESPN, it’s an absolute rush. I'm not in favor of the BCS, but I definitely love to watch the drama and excitement of college football. Those players play so hard, in hopes of one day receiving a nice NFL contract. It will be nice when my Notre Dame Fighting Irish can win more often. Beyond that, Saturdays in the fall are made for college football, fight songs, rivalries, and school pride.



The NFL has almost always been great.  It's a great way to cap off the weekend.   My team for the past couple of decades has been the Green Bay Packers. That isn't easy, although they are winning. Most of my family likes America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys. You can only imagine how Thanksgiving is for me since the Boys play every Turkey Day. I still enjoy watching at least five games on Sundays, one on Mondays, and the occasional Thursday night game. The season culminates with the Super Bowl, the highest rated program on television during the entire year.



The NFL became even more exciting for me when I started playing fantasy football about four years ago. I was then forced to pay attention to every player on all 32 NFL rosters. The people I play with do not play for money, simply for bragging rights. My desire, research, and luck paid off last season as I won the championship in one of my leagues. I hope to repeat my championship this season.



Football is a team sport that has united communities of all backgrounds for decades. One can see in many families that the fathers and uncles played, and the mothers and aunts cheered. This tradition continues to be passed down. You even have famous football families such as the Mannings, with Archie, Eli, and Peyton.



There are not enough words to express how happy I am football is back. It is a constant reminder of the good in this world, and the various rewards that can result from a consistent team effort.

My Christmas/End of Year Letter for 2011

This year 2011 has been filled with ups and downs. Overall though, I'm happy, healthy, and wise through it all.

The year started off well as my favorite NFL team, The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl, their 4th and 1st in 14 years. I also got rid of my Blackberry (Slackberry) and got an HTC Desire, joining #teamandroid. I love this phone and do not plan on ever going back to the slow, unreliable Whackberry.  However, my year would take a quick turn as my laptop crashed back in March.   It ended up being my hard drive. At days end, it was much cheaper to buy another brand new laptop with a warranty than to repair my current one. Therefore, I have been without a home PC for much of 2011 and have relied heavily on my Android device. 

I suffered many additions to my family and friend circle. Five new baby cousins, but several deaths, including my former trainer and the owner of my gym, David Fink. Also, I lost 3 uncles: Raymond Bradley, JL Lanier, and just recently my uncle Joe Dean Moss. Uncle Joe passed only a week after he and my Aunt Dolly celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Speaking of weddings, I went to several this year, 5 in fact. I was a groomsman for the first time in my life as one of my best friends, Rashad, married his long time girlfriend, Rayn. Career wise, I'm still at the Robert Allen Group after 8 years. This year, I changed departments, from the Cut Floor after 6 years to SBF. I took a paycut initially but it was worth it because I grew tired of the Cut Floor's incentive pay program. I like being on a flat rate in a smaller department. We are currently working reduced hours after receiving lots of overtime during the summer. I'm making the best of it though. I'm still active in the gym. However I slipped some and gained 20 pounds this year. I am determined to shed this weight as I have encouragement and motivation from several sources, I'm restarting my weekend physical challenges and 10K runs, changing my regimen. I've already made changes to my diet, and added Insanity to my regimen. With all of this in tow, I expect to be back to top form by summer. My love life wasn't the best for much of this year. I suffered a drought this summer, couldn't get any dates. Things picked up in the Fall fortunately, as I even reconciled with a couple of old flames. My immediate family has not had it easy, but is hanging in there. My mom has been struggling financially as her alimony is no longer enough for her to live off of. I help where I can, but I'm not doing much better. My now 15 year old cousin, LJ, has grown about 6 inches, has long hair, and the women love him. He was named a Junior Scholar back in the Spring. He just started high school and is still adjusting. All in all, I see positive things for 2012. I plan on getting another laptop, printer, and maybe a tablet. I'm closer to paying off my 3rd car in 9 years. I'm also still healthy and happy, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Happy Holidays to all who read my blog. I plan on expanding my blog to make it more prominent. I hope your year was also joyful and productive