# Where did beginning a team name with “Team….” originate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237 "2021-12-17T19:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/1 "2021-12-17T19:50:55Z")
This question seems way too trivial for FQ, so asking it here, I feel like whenever there are team events among friends or colleagues, many of the self-created team names begin with “Team”. For example, in my fantasy football league, there is a Team Joey and a Team Renegades. Is there a single source of this type of usage? I know that it was popularized by a reality show or two. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/2 "2021-12-17T19:55:32Z")
I remember “Team Aniston” (or “Team Jennifer”) and “Team Jolie” from 2005, when Brad Pitt divorced Jennifer Aniston, after having allegedly started an affair with Angelina Jolie while the two of them were filming _Mr. and Mrs. Smith_; it was hugely covered by the tabloids, and fans took sides with one woman or the other. [As Wikipedia notes in Aniston’s article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Aniston#Relationships): > [@](#): > > In the months following, the public’s reaction toward the divorce was reported in the press, and “Team Aniston” and “Team Jolie” T-shirts appeared throughout the country. Not sure if it predated that. > **[Brangelina is over: can we kill Team Jolie v Team Jen feud, too?](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/20/jennifer-anniston-brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-feud-rivalry-sexist)** > > With the news Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are filing for divorce, the internet has revived an early 2000s rivalry – but 11 years later, it’s looking tired and sexist ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/3 "2021-12-17T19:58:53Z")
Around the same time was the “Team Edward”/“Team Jacob” nonsense from the Twilight series. I’m sure there is something older though. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/4 "2021-12-17T20:05:21Z")
It probably originates with the Olympics. #TeamUSA etc, then it was used in the above ways. I feel like it might have been a 90s thing, I don’t remember it going back further than that. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/5 "2021-12-17T20:21:01Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Around the same time was the “Team Edward”/“Team Jacob” nonsense from the Twilight series. Never seen Twilight or read the books, but when I hear Team [something], I’ve always assumed that’s where it started. If it’s older than that then I’d assume Twilight is what made it so common. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/6 "2021-12-17T20:25:33Z")
The first time I noticed it was in 1972, when Canada’s team in the Canada-Russia series was called Team Canada. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/7 "2021-12-18T00:28:32Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Never seen Twilight or read the books, but when I hear Team [something], I’ve always assumed that’s where it started. If it’s older than that then I’d assume Twilight is what made it so common. The first novel came out in 2005; the first film in 2008. So, pretty close to the same time as the “Team Jennifer”/“Team Jolie” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/8 "2021-12-18T00:33:38Z")
There was a 1996 _Simpsons_ episode called “Team Homer.” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/9 "2021-12-18T02:42:19Z")
But that name was created by the writer and used for a sports team. IMO, that’s different than fans using Team [character name] to tell us which side they’re rooting for in a work of fiction, which has now expanded to IRL drama between (usually) celebrities. Saying you’re on Team Packers or Team Vikings seems different than saying you’re on Team Kanye or Team Taylor. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/10 "2021-12-18T02:53:45Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > But that name was created by the writer and used for a sports team. IMO, that’s different than fans using Team [character name] to tell us which side they’re rooting for in a work of fiction, which has now expanded to IRL drama between (usually) celebrities. But isn’t it the kind of thing the OP was asking about? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/11 "2021-12-18T13:08:56Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > But isn’t it the kind of thing the OP was asking about? Actually, you’re absolutely correct. My brain went right to the Twilight connection and I forgot that the OP was actually asking about it in terms of sports. In which case, the Team USA and Team Canada both predate Twilight (though I’ll still argue that Twilight is what made it popular). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/12 "2021-12-18T13:47:47Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > (though I’ll still argue that Twilight is what made it popular). It may be what popularized it _now_ but that isn’t what made a long-standing and widely used term “popular”. I’d say it was prolly used in Twilight because it was already a long-standing, visible and widely known practice. _Team America: World Police_ was released in 2004, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/13 "2021-12-18T13:53:50Z")
Sorry the OP wasn’t clear, but I was asking about its general use, and not just sports. I did provide the example of the fantasy football league, which may sound like a sport, but isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/14 "2021-12-18T14:26:17Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Around the same time was the “Team Edward”/“Team Jacob” nonsense from the Twilight series. That’s when I remember becoming aware of it. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/15 "2021-12-18T16:32:33Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > _Team America: World Police_ was released in 2004, btw. Ah, that’s a good one. It feels a bit different than the “loyalty” “Team X” names (like “Team Jacob” or “Team Kanye”), but may be more in line with why it’s used in sports/fantasy sports teams. There is a slightly different usage in: “I support Team Canada” or “I am a member of Team USA” or “I’m the manager of Team Renegades” (from the OP) vs. “I am Team Edward” or “I am team Kanye” I would say that ones that are just a person’s name (like “Team Joey”) are pretty clearly aping the “Team Edward/Jacob” meme. “Team Renegades” is a bit stranger, but still most likely built off of that meme as well, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/16 "2021-12-18T16:42:58Z")
I don’t really see any difference except in perspective. “Canada” has a large group of people associated with it, so Team Canada might seem impersonal. Relevant, maybe, but impersonal. Team Joey only means anything if you know who Joey is, but _that_ is exactly why the group might use the term: they are there to support Joey. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/17 "2021-12-18T16:59:41Z")
I think, based on foggy memory, that this came after the federal government started calling things “Revenue Canada” and the like, probably as a sort of sop to bilingualism ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/18 "2021-12-18T22:52:16Z")
A Google Ngrams search on the phrase “I’m Team” starts showing nonzero results (after a weird small blip from late '50s to mid-'60s) around 1995, and the phrase’s meteoric rise in popularity begins around 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/19 "2021-12-18T23:41:30Z")
Is there a way we could zero in on when a US or Canada or whoever group started using Team Country at international competitions? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237/20 "2021-12-18T23:48:14Z")
Like **manduck** , my earliest memory is “Team Canada” for the Canadian-Soviet Summit series in 1972. The Canadian international hockey team has been called that ever since, I think. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-beginning-a-team-name-with-team-originate/956237.md?page=2)