Favorites
MLB - New York Yankees
NHL - New York Islanders
NFL - New York Football Giants
NBA - Once upon a Time Los Angeles Lakers, but really who gives a shit
AHL - Syracuse Crunch
NCAA Football - Syracuse University; UCLA
NCAA Basketball - Syracuse University; UCLA
NCAA Lacrosse - Syracuse University
Hated Teams
MLB - Fuck the Sawx
NHL - Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers
NFL - Fuck the Pats
NBA - Not enough interest to hate any team, though I could not hear about whatever team Bron Bron is playing for while he is playing for them and be ok with it.
AHL - Fuck the Amerks
NCAA Football - Penn State University, USC; University of Miami
NCAA Basketball - Fuck the Hoyas; UConn
NCAA Lacrosse - Hopkins; UNC
Like:
MLB: A’s
NFL: 49ers
NHL: Sharks, don’t care
NBA: Don’t watch, Warriors by default, I guess
Dislike:
MLB: Yankees
NFL: Cowboys. I’m surprised the Raiders weren’t mentioned. Well they were once, but not for the typical reason. I don’t hate them and neither should you when pity works so much better (hell for the Cowboys too)
NHL: Don’t hate any, Red Wings if I have to name one to root against halfheartedly
NBA: All of them
NCAA Football: any with annoying fanbases. Nothing against the team, but Brutus Buckeye looks like he has to talk to all the neighbors each time he moves
Association football: Rangers FC, Manchester United
CFL: Saskatchewan Roughriders, for the sole reason of being unoriginal Johnny-come-latelys and swiping from the Ottawa Rough Riders (RIP, both sic)
Favorite:
NFL: Miami Dolphins*
NBA: none
MLB: St. Louis Cardinals*
NHL: Washington Capitals
College football: Virginia Tech
College basketball: NC State
Hockey (international): Sweden (related to players on favorite NHL team)
Most disliked:
NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers
NBA: Miami Heat
MLB: none
NHL: Philadelphia Flyers
College football: Miami, Florida State
College basketball: UNLV
Hockey (international): Canada
*I grew up in the southern Appalachians where the nearest pro team was 5-6 hours driving. With no geographical loyalty, the MLB and NFL picks would tell you when I started following those two sports.
Favorite:
MLB: New York Yankees
NFL: Detroit Lions
NHL: Detroit Red Wings
College: Michigan State
NBA: Don’t Care
Hated:
MLB: Boston Red Sox
NFL: Dallas Cowboys
NHL: Any team in south
College: All SEC but particularly Alabama
NBA: Don’t care
NFL: Don’t care
NBA: Seattle SuperSonics
MLB: Oakland A’s
NHL: LA Kings
Soccer (league): Arsenal
Soccer (international): USA (England after the home team.)
College football: University of Washington Huskies
College basketball: Oregon State Beavers
Hockey (international): USA (Sweden after the home team.)
Most disliked:
NFL: Don’t care
NBA: Oklahoma [del]Bombers[/del]Thunder*
MLB: Yankees
NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs
Soccer (league): Manchester United, Chelsea
Soccer (international): Netherlands
College football: USC, Notre Dame, the entire, overrated SEC
College basketball: Duke, Kansas
Hockey (international): Canada
*To be clear, it’s the new franchise I hate, not the players.
I know this is tangential, but I am intrigued at the number of people who say they have basically no interest in the NBA. Out of 27 posts, I count 20 that listed the NBA without expressing a preference for a team, left the NBA out altogether, included an NBA team “for the sake of completeness,” or (in many cases) expressed an active dislike for the league.
I’m sure the current commissioner is not exactly quaking in his boots over the anti-NBA sentiments of some yahoos on some message board somewhere, but I wonder if this is part of a trend.
Not political. I don’t think the NHL should ever have expanded to the south (Anaheim, LA, Phoenix, Nashville, Carolina, etc.) Also, I hate the SEC because they play such pussy nonconference games and then think they’re all that. They’re like the guy born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. Alabama in particular because: Numbers on helmets looks stupid and Nick Satan.
Speaking for myself, it’s just that I was never really interested in basketball. It was a popular sport here (in Chicago), and I was around during all the Bulls years (and even went to all the home conference semi-finals through NBA Finals games for championships number five and six), but it never clicked with me. It has nothing to do with the NBA itself. I just prefer baseball, hockey, and football.
.
I used to go to a couple Sonics games now and then. I just couldn’t stay interested Once we were invited to a suite/box for a game. We left at halftime. I can’t really put my finger on it, but the games just don’t hold my attention. I do enjoy NCAA basketball when I do watch it, but I don’t watch it that much.
They have a team. Whether they actually play basketball is open to debate. They’ve never won an NCAA tournament game…ever… not a single one…in the history of the program. To be fair last year they had a winning record and went to the tournament before returning to the cellar of the Big Ten this year.
I like college basketball okay. The NBA intentionally nerfed defense through rules and just made the offense go faster with a short shot clock. IMO that makes the game take on a mind numbing rhythm.
I watched the NBA back when Michael Jordan was terrorizing opposing teams. But I HATED Shaquille O’Neal. Hated him with an absolute PASSION. More to the point - when the game seemed to become more about revering players like “Shaq” (who, to ME, was never all that awesome a talent. More that he succeeded because he was just so damn HUGE. Which makes me of the same opinion on that as Vlade Divac) than guys with actual TALENT (like Michael Jordan), I lost interest in it (it didn’t help that “Shuh-KWEEL” played for - and won championships with - my absolutely most loathed NBA team - the FAKERS). By the time that bozo from Chokelahoma took the Sonics I just really didn’t care anymore. On the one hand I felt that he cheesed on us all after he had told us that he wasn’t going to move the team (we all pretty much figured out ahead of time that he was lying through his teeth on that one) but, really, by the time the move actually came I just didn’t care enough to complain about it. Nowadays I might pay scant attention to the standings but do I actually WATCH an N.B.A. game? Hardly ever. If I do it might be for a few minutes, but not an entire game. Not even a Game 7 of the Finals.
Favorite:
MLB: Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs
NFL: Chicago Bears
NHL: Detroit Red Wings
College Football: Michigan
College Basketball: Michigan
Dislike:
MLB: NY Yankees
NFL: NE Patriots
NHL: Colorado Avalanche
College Football: Ohio State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Alabama, any Florida team (except USF, wife’s alma mater)
College Basketball: Michigan State, Duke, NC
Saw HappyLendervedder’s post and had to add one to "Most disliked college football teams: the Miss-again Wolfwienies. At least with Ore-Y-Gone’s and Alabama’s teams that’s a recent decision for me. Miss-again? I’ve ALWAYS hated those arrogant, pompous bastards. Aside from being arrogant and pompous they provide VERY little “bang for the buck” in terms of actually winning anything noteworthy (relative to the # of Wal-Mart “fans” around the country wearing their colors) AND they wear what must be THE most hideous shade of yellow (and, yes - it’s “yellow,” not phuching “maize.”) in existence. For the life of me I don’t know how I forgot to put that name on the list the other day.
NBA games are meaningless for the first three quarters of the games and the season is meaningless for the first three quarters of the season. And the game consists of running up and down court with no strategy. Plus a large number of the players are just disgusting individuals whom I would never allow near my family.
Favorite teams
MLB: Boston Red Sox
NFL: New England Patriots
Soccer (club): Bayern Munich
Soccer (international): Germany
Least favorite teams
MLB: New York Yankees
NFL: New York Jets
Soccer (club): Chelsea, Real Madrid
Soccer (international): Brazil
I don’t follow the NHL or NBA enough to really have a favorite or a most hated team, though I usually pull for the Bruins or the Celtics when I can be bothered. I like college football and basketball, but don’t have any serious rooting interests and will usually just pick the underdog.