Which football team should I cheer for?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I recently discovered that I rather enjoy football, especially during the playoffs when the stakes are high and there’s plenty of drama. After this weekend, I’ve decided that I’m definitely keeping an eye on the rest of these games.

However, being a newcomer whose family is only slightly interested in the game, I know very little about the teams. And I really can’t go on just rooting for whoever’s behind. I need a core team to cheer for.

Give me some background on your favorite team in the playoffs. I like teams that don’t have too many jerks, and am a big sucker for dramatic underdog stories, but I’m willing to listen to any arguments you might have. :slight_smile:

2

I am a big Bucs fan, as is ladyfoxfyre, who has a similar name to you. But for this playoff season, if you don’t have any loyalties, you might cheer for the NY Jets. Their QB wasn’t even recruited to play the top level of college football yet he is currently far and away the hottest passer in football. He is enthusiastic as they get. And they are the second lowest seeded team still in the playoffs, and IMO the most likely to go to the next round or beyond. Atlanta Falcons would be the lowest and their QB, Michael Vick, is touted as the big star of the future. Why don’t you watch both games (Falcons play Philadelphia on Saturday night at 8 pm, I think the Jets play at Oakland about 4:30 pm on Sunday) and decide which team you find more compelling.

3

While I don’t tout them as my favorite team – out of who is left, I’m pulling for the Bucs. Tampa Bay has been to the playoffs before (not often), but they’ve never made it to the Super Bowl. I think it’s about time they finally got there. (And they are from my home state - so just another reason to side with them) :slight_smile:

4

My suggestion would be Tennessee. They are probably the hottest team in the playoffs right now and don’t seem to get a lot of talk (it’s possible I’ve missed it, but don’t think so). I think they’ve got a pretty good shot to win it all. They could always use another fan.

Now come next season, you could cheer for the Bengals, they need all the support they can get.

5

Thanks for all your suggestions!

ShibbOleth – I like the sound of the Jets. I’m a sucker for new players who blow the hotshots out of the water.

All these teams sound like they’re worth watching, though. I intend to keep my eye on all of them.

6

Well, if you want to root for a real underdog, pick the Raiders. They not only have to contend with the 11 guys across the ball, but also with the 7 officials who look to shaft them whenever possible. :wink:

7

Here’s another reason to cheer for the Falcons and one to cheer for the Bucs:

Falcons: Warrick Dunn. Warrick was attending FSU when his mother, who worked two as a police officer, was shot to death. I think she was working off-duty as security at the time. She worked multiple jobs to take care of her six children as a single mother. After his mother’s tragic death he raised his brothers and sisters and continued attending classes. He’s making sure that all of his younger siblings attend college. He also has a program to help buy homes for single mothers in honor of his own mother, which he does several of each year around Christmas (I think the program is called “Homes for the Holidays”). He’s also very small for an NFL player but doesn’t let his size get in the way of his success.

Bucs: Derrick Brooks. Derrick has made the Pro Bowl as one of the NFL’s elite linebackers every year since his second year. He is a strong candidate for the NFL Defensive player of the year and is having one of his best seasons, with four touchdowns scored (on defense, which is amazing). This ties him for the most TDs for a defensive player in one year, and he came one block short of breaking this record in his final regular season game this year. He was the only defensive player to receive votes for league MVP. But what is equally compelling for Derrick’s case is that he has had a running relationship with the Tampa Boys and Girls Club. He sponsors disadvantaged kids from the area every off season to see places and do things that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to. For example he took about 50 kids to Washington, DC, one year, South Africa another, etc. He’s also now taking some of the same kids on field trips to colleges so that they are thinking about school and what they need to do for their future.

8

As a diehard Falcons fan, I’ll second the Falcons. Michael Vick, the Falcons’ quarterback, is simply amazing to watch. He’s got a great arm, but moreover he runs faster and with more agility than most running backs in the NFL. Also, while the Falcons went to the Super Bowl in '99 ('98 season), they’ve had huge turnover since then, and very few of the players from that 14-2 season are still there. Ray Buchanan, one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks (or is he a free safety?), is one.

Then again, even after the historic game at Lambeau last weekend in which we beat the Packers at home, I must realistically say that I don’t think we’ll get much further than we are now in the playoffs, so if you want to root for a team who’s likely to win, you might look elsewhere. The Bucs are a good pick to win the NFC, and I’m thinking maybe the Jets in the AFC. Watch for the Falcons next year; if Dan Reeves is smart (which he is), he’ll draft a Jerry Rice for Vick to throw to.

I like the Bucs OK, but I can’t root for them because Warren Sapp is such a hateful, vicious thug. Remember when he kicked Chris Chandler (old Falcons’ QB) in the head while Chandler was down and the refs weren’t watching? This was after Chandler had had a concussion or two. Sapp also commented that his strategy for containing Vick was to “dislocate his knee.” Not my kind of player.

9

If you’re a lucky person I hope that you cheer for the Raiders, but if you are a jinx I would appreciate you cheering for the Jets.:smiley:

10

They’re both out for this year, but for the long term if you’ve got a masochistic streak you should root for either the Cleveland Browns or the Buffalo Bills. Neither team has won anything since the mid-1960’s, both teams find really creative ways to lose big games, and both teams play their late season home games on ice floes. As an added bonus, the Browns have classic uniforms with ugly colors, while the Bills have cheesy uniforms with nice colors.

11

You should root for the Eagles, who embody everything that is good and noble and virtuous in sports. All those other guys are vile, smelly villains, who worship Saddam Hussein and fling manure at orphans. Hope this clears things up for you.

12

Oh, another suggestion: You should either pick a team located close to you or one that’s very popular and wins a lot of games; that will mean you’ll get to watch more of their games on TV. Until the Falcons got Vick, they were hardly ever on TV here; it was extremely frustrating.

13

Cowboys fan explains I’m rooting for the Bucs to go all the way…

YEAR WINS LOSSES

1976 0 14
1977 2 12
1978 5 11
1979 10 6
1980 5 10
1981 9 7
1982 5 4
1983 2 14
1984 6 10
1985 2 14
1986 2 14
1987 4 11
1988 5 11
1989 5 11
1990 6 10
1991 3 13
1992 5 11
1993 5 11
1994 6 10
1995 7 9
1996 6 10

Historically, the Bucs have been the perpetual underdog and laughing stock of the NFL. Now, they have a shot at redemption. Finally.

Oh, and I like their old uniforms too (in a campy sorta way).

AND under no circumstancers should you ever root for the Eagles. They have a court right there in their stadium to try fans who have been arrested in the stadium. Does that tell you anything? Some Eagles fans also have a tendency to throw D-size batteries at opposing football teams in their stadium.

14

The Kansas City Chiefs have long claimed (rightfully) to have the best fans in the U.S. Their games were usually very exciting this year, and should be even better next year. They win half the time, too.

I’m a Jacksonville Jaguars fan, and haven’t had much to cheer about lately.

Or, you could cheer for individual players, like ShibbOleth might do (FSU fan, by any chance? :)). Fantasy football goobers like myself do that.

15

I’m actually a UF alum and rabid Gator fan (although this year was a bit disappointing), so me cheering for those two individuals is really saying something. But they are both genuine class acts. They’re a couple of the reasons that I’m also a big Tony Dungy fan, even though he can’t seem to win in the playoffs. Also a bit of a reason that I’m now pro-Jets (because of Herm Edwards).

16

FYI, Derrick Brooks was just named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. And here’s another article (from the St. Pete Times) that does a better job of describing him as a complete person than I was able to do in the paragraph above.

17

Yes I bleed green and white, so go JETS!

I do have to point out though that the Pittsburg QB Maddox is a better pity case then Pennington. He was cut from NFL, sold insurance for 5 years, played arena football, got a break into the XFL (WWF football league ha!), and was the mvp. He was thrown a crumb by the NFL, and now he’s already recieved comback player of the year, and lead his team on an insane comback last week.

However my ex-girlfriend was from Pittsburg, so I hope Maddox gets Theisman-ed, and the rest of the team is on a plane that crashes into her house.

18

lets try

…already received comeback player of the year, and led his team…

19

Hold on. I realize that we are really just trying to help with playoff teams right now. But foxfiregrrl may be looking for a more important solution. You really should cheer for the team that plays closest to your metropolitan area. Just tradition and you avoid being accused of front-running (as in Yankee fans who are not from New York, Laker fans not from LA, Cowboy fans not from Dallas, etc.).

If this isn’t applicable, or if you are from a city that had football ripped from its jaws (like LA) then you can pick whoever.

For what it’s worth, the Falcons have Michael Vick, who may go on to be the best player in the history of the NFL. Right now he’s carrying the entire team on his back.

Pittsburgh has Maddox, who is definitely a better story than Pennington. Bounced around playing semi-pro, arena league, the XFL for gawd’s sake, and finally got his shot in the NFL and has been carrying his team. Fantastic story.

You shouldn’t cheer for the Jets, since no one likes New Yorkers when their team wins. In fact, actively root against them.

Tennessee and the Bucs are just kinda boring. I just can’t get excited about Tennessee. And I think it’s funny for the Bucs to blow every chance they get, so I want to see that streak continue.

My father is a Philadelphia fan since he’s from the area (I grew up an LA fan since that’s where I grew up) and for that reason, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Eagles, otherwise, I’d probably lump them in there with Tennessee and Bucs.

So, I feel you should probably cheer for the Pittsburgh Steelers or Atlanta Falcons. But this is just temporary, you need to find a permanent team, and if you have one in your area, you should cheer for them.

20

I would like to note that Mike Vick IS the fastest player in the league according to the announcers from the GB Atlanta game. I think they said he runs the 40 in 4.1 secs… I could be wrong - I had 4 neices and nephews using me for a jungle jim while I watched that incredible game.

I am pulling for the Falcons, we made it to the super bowl a few years ago, many considered it a fluke - and we proved them right that year.

Now is the time for redemption. Vengeance if you prefer.