What're yer favorite sports and teams?

MLB
St. Louis Cardinals - Their AAA farm team came to Louisville in the early 80's. I was a batboy for them the first two years the team was there and got to meet a bunch of great major leaguers. I became a Cardinal fan at that point and still am one today.
Texas Rangers - Because I had a favorite National League team, I wanted to find an American League team I could cheer for, so I picked the worst one I could find. It was the Rangers at that time. Then in the late 80's they got some good players and started playing better ball. Have been a fan since the bad ole' days. It was hard when the Cardinals faced the Rangers in the World Series a couple years back. Glad it went seven games and glad the Cardinals won.

*note: I grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan. Many folks in Louisville were Reds fans since that was the closest team to us. Grew up collecting baseball cards in the hey day of the Big Red Machine. And now it is the Cincinnati Reds AAA team that resides in Louisville.

NFL
Cincinnati Bengals (formerly known as the Bungles) - The Bengals were the closest NFL team to Louisville when I was growing up. There were no Colts or Titans. Lots of Bengals fans in Louisville back in those days. My best friend across the street had season tickets and took me to several games with his family as a kid. I went to the coldest game in NFL history, the AFC Championship between Cincinnati and San Diego... -60 wind chill. It was miserable and I spent a good majority of the game crowded into the men's bathroom with a ton of other people escaping the frigid temps. My best friends brother got frost bite at the game.
Washington Redskins - I know, this is a girly reason for liking the Skins, but I think they have the coolest uniforms in the NFL. Yep, that's why I'm a Skins fan.

NBA
None. Don't watch the sport and am completely uninterested.

NHL
None. Don't watch the sport and am completely uninterested.

MLS
None. I imagine if there was a team in Louisville I could become a fan. But just not that into it.

NASCAR
1. Jeff Gordon- always been a fan since he arrived on the scene. 2. Dale Jr.- He's a Redskins fan, an Earnhardt, and seems like a pretty cool dude. 3. Jamie McMurray- really nice guy. 4. Ryan Newman- Indiana kid. 5- Smoke- Tony Stewart is another Indiana kid.
*Drivers from the past- Darryl Waltrip, Michael Waltrip (both KY boys), Joe Nemechek, Morgan Shepard.
** I started off as an Indy Car guy (liked Danny Sullivan). Then I found that NASCAR was more exciting, better racing, and more about the drivers. I also was the chaplain for a national stock car racing circuit for a year.

Golf
Nobody and can't watch it.

Tennis
Nobody and can't watch it.

College
Liberty, Louisville, Taylor U. (NAIA).
* I also like to keep tabs on Cincinnati, USF, Memphis, WKU, ODU, KY schools, AAC schools, and C-USA schools.

MLB

Reds - Grew up a huge fan of the Big Red Machine as a kid in Ohio. But a quarter century in Texas has depleted my interest.
Astros - I covered them for years as sportscaster at the Juicebox. Now my son is getting into the hometown team. So wherever his interests lie, that's where you will find me.


NFL

Texans - As a long-suffering Bengals fan frustrated with the Brown family ownership, I was thrilled to get a fresh start when the Texans arrived as an expansion team. Love the owner, the franchise and everything about the best team in the Lone Star State.


NBA

Rockets - My allegiances have change dover the years from a Larry Bird Celtics fan to the David Robinson Spurs I covered for years. My son's enthusiasm for the Rockets now has me in their corner. I'd sit and watch paint dry on TV if it meant getting quality time with my son.


NHL

A quarter century in Texas leaves me rarely if ever thinking about the NHL. I used to be a Blues fan back in the day.


MLS

Dynamo - I absolutely love taking the family to Dynamo games. The atmosphere is outstanding. I no longer know the playrs like I used to in their championship years. But they remain fun to watch in person. On TV ... not so much.


NASCAR

Houston has the lowest Sprint Cup ratings of any major media market in the country. I could go years without hearing a single soul even reference its existence. I used to be a Terry Labonte fan back in the day from when I covered him from Corpus Christi. But my business interaction working with some of the current high profile drivers left me less than enthusiastic. I know there are some good guys driving out there. Sadly my clients seem to be working with all of the bad ones.


Golf

Once again, my son LOVES golf and is a huge fan of Jordan Spieth. I had a cool encounter with him a few years back while working for Fox Sports and as a result I like the kid a lot as well. Hook Em.


Tennis

The only sport losing relevance faster with younger kids than baseball. I used to love grand slam events. Today, they bore me to tears.


Colleges

Liberty and then a huge dropoff down to the Texas Longhorns. Nobody else really matters in the slightest IMHO.

MLB1: Yankees- My number 1 pro-team. My first favorite player was Steve Sax in the late 80's. Back then all the Yankee games were on cable TV (WPIX and MSG), and I loved watching Kevin Maas's quick run to 23 home runs.
MLB2: Mets- Being from central NY, I naturally support most NY and hometown teams. I also tend to support the underdogs, and the Mets have been pathetic for so long.
MLB3- Baseball- I'm a just a baseball fan too. I tend to like most teams, with the exception of the Red Sucks. Will not like the Red Sucks.

NFL1: The Giants. I have been a Giants fan since LT, Joe Morris, and Phil Simms. Doesn't hurt that Rashaad Jennings now plays and nurses injuries for them.
NFL2: Jets & Bills- Have to secondarily pull for the hometown teams. The Jets have just been pitiful and I'm glad they finally fired Rex Ryan. When I was in high school in Syracuse, the Bills were the toast of the town and I hated them then. However, by the time they made their 4th straight Super Bowl- how do you still hate an unfortunate run like that? Despite being 0-4 when it mattered- they were still a dynasty and one of the best teams ever.
NFL3: The Panthers- just because I love the Charlotte area.

NHL: Rangers- Love the Blue Shirts- I was a huge Richter and Tie Domi fan.

NCAA1: Liberty- alma mater, home town team, and my overall favorite team to pull for. Games at the Bill are great, back in the 90's MBB games were the can't miss events for my friends, Hockey have always been awesome, and we have one of the best ballparks in college and MiLB.
NCAA2: Syracuse Orangemen- SU home MBB games have 30,000 people during Christmas break against Buffalo and Canisius. Until the Greg Robinson fiasco, SU Football had one of the longest consecutive bowl game appearances in 1-A. That was back when the bowl games were more limited. SU LAX is a big deal too.
NCAA3: I generally root for and pay attention to most G-5/FCS/Mid or Low Major schools. I like rooting for the underdogs, my new exception are Sun Belt schools- for now.

NBA: Haven't cared since the 90's. I don't care for most of the athletes in the NBA anymore. IMO, they generally lack class, character, drive, and leadership. Maybe I was spoiled by the Jordan-Ewing-Johnson-Bird era. Back then I was a Knicks fan.

(08-11-2015 08:42 PM)LUOrange Wrote:  MLB3- Baseball- I'm a just a baseball fan too. I tend to like most teams, with the exception of the Red Sucks. Will not like the Red Sucks.

Agreed. There is just something magical about baseball. Though it isn't the most popular sport, it is still America's pastime. There is something beautiful about the game, the history, and the lore. I love it!

(08-11-2015 06:00 PM)SlyFox Wrote:  MLB

Reds - Grew up a huge fan of the Big Red Machine as a kid in Ohio. But a quarter century in Texas has depleted my interest.

When I was a kid, all through peewee ball and little league, I fought over the number 5 with most of my teammates. We all wanted to be Johnny Bench.

I have a bunch of Johnny Bench stories from over the years. He reminds me a lot of JJ Watt in the way kids view him.

Baseball was the one sport that I excelled at as a youth and remains today my favorite sport. As others have stated, there is an beauty and elegance to the sport missing from the other predominate sports. It's the one sport where size is less a factor. If anything, large, burly players usually are limited in positions they can play they tend to had less hand/eye coordination and strike out more. Even the most gifted athlete (Michael Jordon) does not equate to being able to hit a round ball with dips and sways, or at 90+ mph. I subscribe to MLB.tv. I've been to World Series and division playoffs. It's lots of fun no matter the team or city.

College football is my next favorite just below baseball. Pro football was a sport I enjoyed for many years. I became disenchanted about 10 years ago when players ego became immersed in the game. End zone dances (I'm doing it for the fans?) and the on field antics, which have nothing to do with the actual quality of the game but have high entertainment value to few, became irritating and clouded the focus away from the game. Before Terrell Owens and his end zone and celebration antics, and touchdown cell phone antics, there was a time when we cheered and jeered plays. For the past 10+ years, the player antics have become a pivotal part of the game. It's how the game has shifted it's entertainment value. It obviously has appeal to many as it continues today. For me, no. I am able to have input by not watching. Hence, I have not watched an NFL games in 8+ years, including Super Bowls.

Fortunately, the college football game has enforced the no celebration rule. And why did the college players begin leaping into the stands and like their NFL brethren? It was to identify with the pros. Good for the NCAA for enforcing the celebration rule.

As a kid, I lived and breathed MLB. I would always go to the Sunday newspaper and check out the statistics page when they would list the best batters and pitchers. I knew so many players stats, beyond my favorite teams. Those were the golden days as a boy.

Then the strike. Baseball lost my love, due to their greed. It took years for MLB to win back my devotion. I wasn't fully won over until Cal Ripken Jr. set the record and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were battling it out for the HR title.

Then the PED's. Baseball lost me again. Only in the last 3 years has my love been renewed for the MLB game. I am hopeful we have many good years of ball to come.

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Anyone else excited about the Little League World Series!?! I know I am. I love following those kids. I love watching little league anyway. It's great just to drive by a field at night and watch the kids out playing for the love of the game. I am very happy because Kentucky has returned to the World Series this year. Hoping for a good showing from those kids!