I’m a Habs fan too, but I also have a soft spot for (in no particular order) the Devils, Ducks, Hurricanes and Blackhawks, unless, of course, something they do adversely affects the Habs!
On the other end of the spectrum, I can’t really cheer for either Boston or Toronto (which was tough this week, and I wanted Boston to lose to let the Habs stay ahead in the playoffs, but I just couldn’t cheer for the Leafs in their two games!).
As for other Canadian teams, the Sens are the closest to a “second team” for me, though I’m rather indifferent to them. I have a completely irrational dislike for the Flames (seriously, no reason whatsoever to dislike them, but I do), and I suppose I like the Canucks more than the Oilers.
I’ve been a fan of the White Sox for years, but I live in the DC area and started rooting for the Nationals since they moved here. No real issues there, since they’re in different leagues.
In soccer, there are a number of teams I support, but again, they’re all in different leagues. For example, when I first started following the sport, I became an Arsenal fan. When I moved to DC, I became a fan of DC United. For various reasons, I also closely follow other teams in England (Leyton Orient), Scotland (Hearts), France (Bordeaux), Italy (Inter), and Spain (Real Madrid), but none as closely as I follow Arsenal and DC United.
(While that list makes me look like a front-runner, most of those teams hadn’t won crap around the time I started following them. Orient and Hearts still haven’t.)
I’m a Packer fan, but I always like rust belt teams, theres just something blue collar about the Browns and Steelers so I cheer for them when the Packers aren’t on.
I went to both University of Georgia and Georgia Tech.
I pull for UGA all of the time, and for Tech unless they are playing UGA.
Drove my dear departed paternal-unit nuts, since he was a UGA alumni.
You can always say it’s because you haven’t forgiven them for beating us in the 1989 Stanley Cup Final.
I couldn’t stand them for a while either when I was younger, but then they missed the playoffs for seven years in a row. There’s not really a lot to hate about teams that consistently suck. Unless of course they’re wearing that unsightly blue and white maple leaf on their chest.
When I was growing up, I lived in San Jose and Sacramento. Thus, as expected, my favorite teams were from the Bay Area.
In baseball, my favorites were as follows:
(1) San Francisco Giants (which was rather frustrating during the 70s);
(2) Oakland A’s (until Charlie Finley let his players go); and
(3) Los Angeles Dodgers (I know this is sacrilege for a professed Giant fan but they were always in contention and, at the time, nearly half the players on the time had a connection with my hometown, Spokane).
In football, it was the opposite:
(1) Oakland Raiders (a dirty team but always in the post-season); and
(2) San Francisco 49ers (a distant second because they were pretty much in a coma between the time of John Brodie’s retirement and the arrival of Joe Montana).
Since moving back to the Pacific Northwest, my favorite MLB, NFL, and (until a couple seasons ago) NBA teams have all been from Seattle. However, I did follow the Philadelphia Phillies until they won their first World Series in 1980. Right now, I don’t really have a “second favorite” team in any sport but there are some teams I will root for during the post-season (unless, of course, they’re playing Seattle). In MLB, these include the Chicago Cubs, the San Francisco Giants, and the Boston Red Sox (although my interest has lagged since they won the World Series in 2004). In the NFL, it’s the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns.
Always hate no matter what: the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees.
I’m a Royals fan, so I have to look elsewhere to enjoy watching baseball. I’ll root for any “home” team, but really have enjoyed following the Cubs. I also had a soft spot for the Rays when they were horrible, and it was great to have a team I was rooting for make it to the World Series.
I’m a fan and alumnus of the Florida Gators, but I also like the Southern Illinois University Salukis. Such a unique nickname (it’s a dog breed) is deserving of love.
I don’t believe in sports bigamy except in rare cases.
For me, the only case would be that I always want to see Murray State basketball play well in addition to my Wildcats, and that’s because I have quite a few family members who are Racer alumni.
MLB:
Mets are my first and true love. The first sports gear I can remember picking myself was Mets gear and the first baseball game I ever saw was at Shea with my Dad, uncle and cousin.
Having lived in Pittsburgh for nearly 8 years, I have developed some love for the Pirates too. PNC Park is gorgeous and if the Buccos ever decide they want to build a team instead of selling it they will have a ridiculous following out here. This city really loves its sports teams.
NFL:
The Giants are my team and they always will be but its really hard to be out in Pittsburgh and cheer against the Steelers (they’ve only played the Giants once since I’ve been out here so no conflicts for me) on Sunday when the whole city is energized.
NBA:
When I was young, everyone had favorite players so most of us tended to follow the Nets, Knicks or both. I’m good with both but when they play each other I cheer for the Nets. Other than those two I enjoy watching the Cavs play a lot. They might tie the Knicks for second place with me.
NHL:
Devils are my absolute favorite hockey team. The NHL is the only sport that I really can’t get behind Pittsburgh too much in since we are in the same division. Still, they tie with Anaheim as my second team (the Mighty Ducks were very popular when I was in elementary).
College Football/Basketball:
I bleed Rutgers Red but I have always had a soft spot for my dad’s alma mater, California. Cal Berkeley is my second team in college sports. When it comes to basketball though, my third “team” is anyone in the B-East conference.
I am a super major die hard LA Dodger fan. I have Dodger blankets hung up on the walls of my residence. I have Dodger pictures and calendars in my office at work. I have three team jerseys and several hats. I have a personalized Dodger-themed license plate on my car. And I’m still pondering the Dodger head-rest covers for the car that went on sale earlier this week. I bleed Dodger blue.
Last year, when I took a business trip to D.C., a couple of dear friends of mine took me to see the Nationals play. Happened to be the same day Stephen Strasburg was drafted. They were giving out t-shirts that said “I was there!” I got to eat at Ben’s Chili Bowl for the first time. And I got to experience my first rain delay (we don’t typically have those in LA). All in all, I had a fabulous time with my friends. And then they went and surprised me by buying me a Nats jersey. Which I wear fairly regularly.
Ever since then, I’ve considered the Nats to be my adopted team. I have no trouble rooting for the underdogs, anyway, but they’ve got a special place in my heart, now.
(Of course, my girlfriend is an Indians fan, so honey, if you’re reading this - and I know the Tribe plays Washington this year - I’ve got your back. It’s all good!)
Nah, I can’t really say I have second teams. As a Chicago guy through and through I bleed Bears, Cubs, Bulls, Illini and Blackhawks. The second team I cheer for is who ever is playing against the Badgers, Wolverines, Red Wings, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, Pistons and the White Sox.
There are teams and players across the leagues that I’ll develop a passing affection for but those are almost always transient. I liked the Titans, Bills and Chargers quite a lot at various points, but changes in management and personnel have muted that quite a bit. I’ll often cheer for the underdogs in any sport but eventually they’ll end up with an unlikable player or do something against one of my teams that builds a grudge. Complicating matters further football and college basketball are pretty much the only sports where I’ll watch lots of games featuring 2 foreign teams. It’s tough to have a second favorite MLB team when I might only watch 10 non-Cubs games a year in their entirety.
