# Which team do you support in this situation? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 2, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369 "2019-05-02T15:20:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/21 "2019-05-03T13:47:55Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > Man utd was in almost exactly this situation a couple of weeks ago. Playing man city, where a win could give the title to Liverpool. They did their best, but lost…I’m not sure their fans minded that much. I understand a significant minority of Man U fans were rooting for Man City to win that one. Which, in my view, was stupid, because a win for Man U could have significantly increased their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, which is much more important than which other team wins the title. So not really close enough to the OP. Personally, as Man U fan I couldn’t understand this attitude anyway - Man City are more local, have had more recent success, and are just as much hated rivals as Liverpool in my book. I’d far rather see Liverpool win the league this year. In terms of the OP, I voted Team C. > [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Same here. > > I think the only situation where I would root against my own team is > > 1. We’re already locked into a playoff spot and seed and nothing we do can change that. > 2. If we lose, our rival doesn’t make the playoffs. That’s basically the same situation as the OP, but you indicated you voted for Team A, which contradicts your post. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/22 "2019-05-03T14:33:41Z")
Root for my team. Always. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/23 "2019-05-05T00:39:45Z")
Oh, I should also mention that my team’s rivals are not the same thing as the teams I dislike. Like, the Browns’ primary rivalry is the Steelers, and given the choice, I’m absolutely, unambiguously, without hesitating, rooting for the Browns… but if the Browns aren’t playing, then I’ll also absolutely, unambiguously, without hesitating, root for the Steelers over anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/24 "2019-05-05T01:30:44Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > … so I root for a meteor strike on whatever stadium the Cowboys and Eagles are playing. … LOL I thought I was the only one who did that. It never worked. The Steelers, Yankees and Michigan have yet to have been wiped out by such means. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/25 "2019-05-05T12:33:43Z")
Maybe if the Steelers, Yankees, and Michigan all played against each other? And this past Superbowl, a lot of people were rooting for the meteor, and that did sort of happen. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/26 "2019-05-05T15:42:28Z")
You always want your team to win. What other teams do is unimportant. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/27 "2019-05-06T14:44:59Z")
I don’t think I could watch my team, see them pull off a spectacularly successful play, and feel disappointed. What I want first and foremost is to have my team play well. If they lose, the fact that it sticks it to my hated rival softens the blow quite a bit, though. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/28 "2019-05-06T15:10:12Z")
This would be when I fall back on the “Fan of the sport” position. Watch the game, and enjoy all the good plays regardless of which team makes it\*. Win or lose, A or C, the outcome still has its positives, and I personally end up having a lot more fun. \*It’s like watching a Superbowl without the Patriots playing. I don’t care who wins, as long as it’s not the Patriots. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/29 "2019-05-06T15:45:19Z")
I don’t hate teams. I just want my guys to do well (and play attractively too if possible.) ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/30 "2019-05-06T15:56:16Z")
I’m currently in a sort of similar situation in real life. As a Spurs fan I ordinarily want Arsenal and Chelsea to lose every match they play. But if we win this week to advance to the Champions League final, I would actually like to see them advance to play each other in the Europa League final, just to rub it in! ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/31 "2019-05-07T08:38:24Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > I’m currently in a sort of similar situation in real life. As a Spurs fan I ordinarily want Arsenal and Chelsea to lose every match they play. But if we win this week to advance to the Champions League final, I would actually like to see them advance to play each other in the Europa League final, just to rub it in! If that were to happen though, you would be giving the gooners a chance at CL play next year, and also assuring one of them a European trophy, whilst Spurs would still be heavy outsiders against Barca. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/32 "2019-05-07T22:24:20Z")
Bar-who? :D:D:D Yeah, I know it’s a little irrational, but I think it would be funny. Of course whether they win or not doesn’t affect Spurs’ chances at all. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/33 "2019-05-08T22:46:47Z")
Apparently I am not alone in this sentiment. A song I sang about 3000 choruses of at the pub: Watching Tottenham on a Wednesday night You play Thursday, cos you’re f\*\*_ **g s** _e What a feeling, what a night! :d ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/34 "2019-05-08T22:47:48Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369/35 "2019-05-12T20:00:10Z")
If you don’t root for “your team” (Team A), then they aren’t really “your team”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-team-do-you-support-in-this-situation/833369.md?page=1)