# Man without a team **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 25, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041 "2011-11-25T14:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041/21 "2011-12-17T15:50:10Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I was an eight-year-old–need I say more? Well, also that the Yankees were the only game in town when I was eight. We all develop our sports loyalties at that age. And for the vast majority of us, there is only one game in town. > [@](#): > > until I became convinced that the franchise (the ownership) was intentionally deceiving its most loyal fans Almost all sports franchise owners are deceiving somebody about something. Sports is a bastard’s business, from every angle. Sports loyalties are tribal. Applying rational decision-making principles is incongruent. And that’s why, here you are, “man without a team.” Regardless of how well your rational mind has served you in other areas of your life — choosing friends, etc. — in this one respect, you’re using the wrong part of your brain. If all sports fans enthusiasts thought the way you did, we’d all be drifting like you, and the professional sports industry would be a shell of what it is now. And maybe that would be a good thing. Who knows? But in this world, you’re the one singing a lament. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041/22 "2011-12-17T16:04:26Z")
And choosing a team to root for is essentially a childish instinct, so mature decision-making doesn’t apply. The adult way to approach spectator athletics is to appreciate good performance without any extraneous desire for who will come out on top. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041/23 "2011-12-17T16:29:53Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The adult way to approach spectator athletics is to appreciate good performance without any extraneous desire for who will come out on top. And that’s mostly where I am at this point. May be a good thing. I don’t know. But continuing to cheer and support an organization you despise? Not any kind of option. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041/24 "2011-12-17T17:04:03Z")
I say, continue to support Theo and cheer for the Cubs. Maybe he can pull off another miracle. Wouldn’t that be something? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041/25 "2011-12-17T17:18:43Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The legitimate reasons for choosing a club: > > (1) It’s the local club where you grew up. > (2) You “inherited” the loyalty from a relative or some other person you were close to in your youth (it has to be in your youth – people you met only as adults – including spouses – don’t count). > (3) It’s the local club where you live now. (And this only can count as a “secondary” loyalty. It can’t replace a loyalty earned under (1) or (2)). > (4) A new franchise has moved to or appeared in your home town or your current location. Amended for women: (5) One of the players or coaches is cute (6) Nice uniforms ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041/26 "2011-12-18T17:57:51Z")
May I suggest the California Anaheim Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? They now have a history of excellence and no particular allegience to a city! ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041/27 "2011-12-19T02:26:06Z")
Maybe it’s the moment to simply change sports. Henceforth your team will be the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041/28 "2011-12-19T02:33:27Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > May I suggest the California Anaheim Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? > > They now have a history of excellence and no particular allegience to a city! They have, however, the worst fans in baseball. (excepting the Yankees of course) They bang balloons together to make noise when they’re happy. Enough said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-without-a-team/604041.md?page=1)