By way of sport, I only really watch international cricket, and the Australian side has a habit of utterly destroying anything that crosses its path.
That got boring, so now I’ll frequently go for the other guys (depending on who they are). I wanted India to win the last test. They got creamed, though.
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog]
By way of sport, I only really watch international cricket, and the Australian side has a habit of utterly destroying anything that crosses its path.
That got boring, so now I’ll frequently go for the other guys (depending on who they are). I wanted India to win the last test. They got creamed, though.
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Yeah, i sometimes feel the same way, especially because quite a few of the guys on the Australian teams are not only world-class cricket players, but also world-class dicks.
But i seem to remember, TLD, that you are somewhere around my age (late 30s), so you must also remember the dark days of the 1980s, when it seemed like Allan Border was all that stood between Australia and humiliation on so many occasions. There were quite a few lean years in there, and i remember how happy i was in 1989 when Australia flogged the Poms and got the Ashes. It was also nice to start beating the West Indies after the years of being beaten up by Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, etc.
[QUOTE=mhendo]
Yeah, i sometimes feel the same way, especially because quite a few of the guys on the Australian teams are not only world-class cricket players, but also world-class dicks.
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Very much so. I think that that was what actually started me off barracking for the other lot. They certainly did seem to become a mob of loud-mouthed, boorish sledgers for a while there. It seems to be slowly improving though.
[QUOTE=mhendo]
But i seem to remember, TLD, that you are somewhere around my age (late 30s), so you must also remember the dark days of the 1980s, when it seemed like Allan Border was all that stood between Australia and humiliation on so many occasions. There were quite a few lean years in there, and i remember how happy i was in 1989 when Australia flogged the Poms and got the Ashes. It was also nice to start beating the West Indies after the years of being beaten up by Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, etc.
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Agreed again. There was something different though - it would be a hijack of this thread to get into the standard of cricket now compared to then, but a lot of the Australians’ success now is due to slipping international standards, IMHO. Take the Boxing Day test for example, and it was like India just couldn’t be bothered. Australia completely decimated them with what was good cricket, but it wasn’t stellar cricket. On the other hand, it was almost a pleasure to see the big men of the 80s Windies side smash us to pieces because it was beautiful cricket. One day, when we get holodeck technology, I’d like to see a 2000s-era Australian side up against Clive Lloyd and the lads.
I’ve been a big Florida football and basketball fan since I started school there in '98. I have no complaints, no other team has ever had more success at both sports than UF. Both teams have definitely had their frustrating moments and choked away shots at championships, but neither have ever been bad teams. Before 2006 I hadn’t seen any national titles, so I would have said the Gators weren’t as successful as I’d like. But now I’m quite content.
Football: One national title, two SEC titles in the past ten years. In the top ten more often than not, and in a bowl game every year. Almost always at least competitive for the SEC title.
Basketball: Two national titles, three Final Fours, three SEC championships, and three SEC tourney championships in nine years. In the tournament every year, though that streak might end this year. Pretty amazing considering they hadn’t had any success at all before my fandom.
I grew up in the 80’s and Cleveland baseball was just right out back then. But I also grew up in the 90’s and we’ve had some spectacular years. No championships but enough playoffs so that I least have the “experience.” Better to have loved and lost, and all that jazz.
Cleveland football…also a lot of heartbreak there.
The 80’s were good for Cleveland basketball but once again…no championship. Now we’ve got LeBron and uhm…still no championship.
Up here in Cleveland, we’re real good at “almost” and “next year.” Thank Og for those Buckeyes or we’d just be a really sportsally frustrated place.
Dallas Cowboys- 5 time Superbowl Champs with 8 Superbowl appearances
San Antonio Spurs- 4 Championships- only missed the playoffs 4 times in franchise history.
University of Texas Longhorns Football- 1 Championship that I can remember, lots and lots of stupid late season losses, but still 3rd most winning program in College football history (percentage and number of victories)
Houston Astros- Umm, they have always had a pretty fun ballpark and there is plenty of parking nearby. The hotdogs are good. That is all I got to say.
Denver Broncos–I was born in '82. Elway was drafted in '83. My first memories include watching Elway play, and I’ve been a fan, thanks to my Mom, for my entire life. The Broncos had 4 dismal and humiliating Championship games (tied for most Super Bowl losses in the league) before finally winning in '98 and and again in '99. Has since broken my heart every single year (but that’s okay, because that ‘98 win was pretty freakin’ sweet. And hey, at least the Broncos aren’t the Chiefs!).
The Utah Jazz–Reached the NBA finals in '97 and '98. Lost both times to the Chicago Bulls. I have never known pain like that before or since.
Yesterday my husband announced he wanted to switch allegiance to a team that doesn’t suck, like the Patriots. I told him that’s not the way it works. it’ll make the victory sweeter if you have to suffer a decade or two.
[QUOTE=spooje]
My Bengals…well…we love the Bengals.
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We sure do. Luckily I’m old enough to remember well their Super Bowl appearances in 1982 and 1989 (defeated by the 49ers both times, but we gave 'em a game).
I became aware of sports just as the Big Red Machine was finishing its mid-70s dominance of baseball. The Cincinnati Reds also surprised nearly everyone in 1990 by leading the NL West wire-to-wire and sweeping the mighty A’s in the Series. It was a beautiful season and Piniella could do no wrong.
Apart from those bright lights, I’ve been mostly disappointed in the teams I love most. But I was born on the Ohio State campus and the Buckeyes have done plenty right. I also attended Penn State and found plenty to cheer for there.
I’d say my teams have delivered me sub-.500 results (whatever their actual records since about 1976 may be). But I wouldn’t trade them in.
San Diego Chargers: Been to the Super Bowl once (lost) Generally have been a losing team, with a few exceptions. Although the last few years they’ve finally turned it around and have been consistent winners.
San Diego Padres: Also have been pretty consistently on the losing side, and also have recently had a turnaround to be consistent winners. A couple WS bids, but no WS wins.
Between the two, especially within the last few years. Lots of division Championships, little to show for it in the playoffs.
Portland Trailblazers won a championship before I became a fan. I moved to Portland in 1989. Since then the Blazers have been generally decent, with some lean years recently. A few Finals appearances but no wins. Currently playing pretty well though, next year with Oden they may become VERY good.
Portland Winterhawks… Who? Junior Major Hockey team. 16-20 year olds. They actually won the Memorial Cup a few years back. I don’t really follow the NHL that much, when I watch I usually root for whoever has a former Winterhawk (There are quite a few) on their team. 
Oregon Ducks and OSU Beavers: OSU Beavers won the College WS two years in a row now! Woot! Ducks probably would have been in the CFB Championship game if Dixon hadn’t gotten hurt, bad luck there.
My overall history as a sports fan. A lot of almosts and nearly had its. A couple of championships, but not from any of the “major” sports.
The Texas Rangers are the only sports team I really watch and follow.
And that started because I live about 3 miles away from their ballpark, and I thought Ian Kinsler was cute when my friend dragged me to a couple of games in 2006.
That’s probably pretty much why it continues, too. Except now I understand scoring and stats better, and I think more of the players are cute.
I came to watch sports late in life - and only American football. I started watching it about the time a young man gets to an age where he and his father have nothing in common. I figured it was *something *we could talk about. Dad was a Steelers fan, so I picked them too.
In general the Steelers are a successful franchise and have given me years of enjoyment watching them.
I’m originally from Boston, so while the balance over my lifetime hasn’t been too good, the last few years have been pretty nice. To be honest, though, the only team I still follow rain or shine is the Red Sox. The others only get noticed when they win.
The main sport I follow now is sumo, and I usually deliberately choose underdogs to root for, so generally I’m not successful. Recently, though, I’ve gotten more into researching the kids still in the lower divisions and picking out which ones have a shot at the big time. Time will tell there.
[QUOTE=5-HT]
Tigers: 1984 world series winner, 2006 AL Champ
Red Wings: 3 stanley cups in my lifetime
Pistons: 3 championships in my lifetime
U of Mich. Football: many big ten championships, 1997 national champs
Lions: well, 4 out of 5 ain’t bad
I think that’s a pretty successful run overall.
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Exactly same for me, except I’ll add U of Mich Basketball: One championship and two losses in the final since I was born.
I was born on Nov. 11, 1977. On Nov. 11, 2007, the Saskatchewan Roughriders won a home playoff game for the first time in my life. This is in an 8 team league with 4 playoff games prior to the Grey Cup, meaning teams should host one on average once every two years. Their only other home playoff game in the last thirty years was in 1988, which they lost by like 20 points.
They’ve won the league championship twice in my life, which to me seems like plenty, though several other teams have won several more over that time.
[QUOTE=Kneepants Erasmus, the Humanist]
I can’t imagine being a fan of Duke, or another team that is usually extremely good. What’s the fun in that?
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Football season keep us humble. 
Oh boy has it been a great few years for the teams I follow. It was brutal for most of my life, but since about 2000 it’s been pretty darn good.
Been a Red Sox fan since I can’t remember. 1977-ish. They broke my heart several times before breaking through in '04.
Patriots fan since Steve Grogan and Jim Plunket. Wow they were bad forever, but now…
UMaine Hockey is having their worst year in my memory, but they’ve been very good for most of that time, even winning a national championship in my senior year.
So, yeah, I’d say my teams are successful.
[QUOTE=Green Bean]
Well, for a while, I suspected I was some sort of human lightning rod for the Stanley Cup…
It’s wonderful when the local team wins the cup though. I’m glad I’ve been around to see it so many times.
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Please tell me you are planning a move to St Louis in the very near future. 
I’ve been watching these guys for the past 4 years…so far this year they are 10-1…Go Kahoks… 
tsfr
Oh, heavens, no, I’m not a successful fan…I root for the Cubs!
Actually, Stringer and I are fans of the same teams, other than the dreaded northside/southside distinction (not that this makes a difference in terms of success…the White Sox have that one world series, of course, which at least is something).
[QUOTE=Stringer]
On the whole, I’ve had a lot of success. In order of love:
Chicago Bears: One Super Bowl in my lifetime, but I don’t remember it. One Super Bowl appearance (last year) and several dismal playoff games since I became a fan. It’s been up and down for my Bears but lately have been fairly successful.
White Sox: One world series, several good teams since I became a fan in the late 80s. Agonizing at times, but my Dad is a huge Sox fan so it’s a great bonding thing.
Illini Basketball: One national title game we should have won, but we’ve been really good since I became a fan in the mid-90s. I want an Illini national title in basketball more than anything.
Chicago Bulls: I didn’t appreciate the Jordan years at the time, but now I realize how amazing those titles were. I have a lot of great memories of Bulls games and Chicago Stadium.
Illini Football: Two BCS appearances since I became a fan, but also some truly terrible years.
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I’m more pessimistic than Stringer…I wouldn’t consider that this all adds up to a lot of success. I am old enough to remember the Super Bowl and the Illini’s last Rose Bowl, I was at Illinois in '89 when we went to the Final Four, and I of course relished the Jordan years. But, if it wasn’t for MJ, that would be precious little to go on for a fan, I think. On the other hand, the good times have been very, very good, brief as they may be.
My husband probably feels the same way Stringer does about wanting that Illini basketball national championship more than anything. That year we went to the final game and lost, he had to be out of town the day of the game. I know he watched it in a bar somewhere, but when he got back from his trip, he never mentioned anything about it to me. I don’t think he’s ever mentioned it since, as a matter of fact. He’s not one to talk about stuff that depresses him.
The Steelers- Won Super Bowl XL, plus the two I was alive for and the other two that I just barely missed.
The Pirates- Bupkis since 1979 and little hope for the future.
The Penguins- Two Stanley Cups and the (arguably) greatest player ever in Mario Lemieux, good future ahead with Crosby.
The Celtics (no basketball in Pittsburgh)- Lost interest after Len Bias and Reggie Lewis died and Larry Legend retired. Nothing special since 1986, and I don’t watch anymore because basketball has evolved into a game that I don’t care for.
Pitt- Never ending string of also-ran seasons, although any season where Penn State sucks is by default a good season no matter how Pitt does.
I’m not unhappy with the performance of the teams I root for. Some of it is expected (like the Pirates’ ineptitude), but that just makes it better when things go well.
It could be worse. The Eagles are 0-for-47, the Cubs are 0-for-the last century. Given that, I have no complaints.
I’ve been a Los Angeles Dodgers fan since about 1985. As has already been stated, there was glory in '88, but nothing since. I got to go to my first playoff game back in 1996, when they were swept by the Braves. In 2004, I bought my first playoff tickets on my own…and consequently gave them up when I was asked to go to Vegas for a friend’s 21st birthday. I figured no big deal, because I had an inside on tickets to the next round of the playoffs – which the Dodgers never made it to. In fact, they won the game I had tickets for – their only playoff victory since '88. Then, I had ticket to last year’s playoffs. Yep…swept again. So although there’s been quite a bit to celebrate in those years (many Rookies of the Year and some historic victories), there’s been no postseason magic since I was a wee child.
The only other team I have the misfortune to give a crap about are the Oakland/LA/Oakland Raiders. Yes, I’m a fan. You may now point and laugh. They last tasted success during the 2003 season. They went 11-5 and then stomped their way through the playoffs and into the Superbowl, favored by four points. And then they collapsed, thoroughly and completely. They still haven’t recovered. In the five seasons since their Superbowl appearance, they’ve gone a combined 19-61, never winning more than five games in a season, and winning the title of NFL’s Worst at 2-14 during the 2006 campaign. The Raider Nation is a sad and lonely place these days.