MY team

Since this blog is about life in a small Southern town, I figure I should write something that relates to a small Southern town. Since I am also a sports fan, I figure I should write something about sports. So I will write about being a sports fan in a small Southern town.

About the only sport to follow in this town is high school football. Having recently moved here, and with no children in public school (now or ever), I have no attachment at all to any high school. A large university with a very successfull football program is about an hour away, but I'm not going to jump on that bandwagon. To root for a team, I need more of a reason than just that they are good. I'm not a fair-weather fan. I stick with my teams through thick and thin. I have an emotional attachment to my teams - usually they are made in the early stages of learning a sport. For example, I grew up in NJ, and learned about baseball from watching the Yankees in the early 80s. My dad is something of a Yankees fan, and his dad simply lived and breathed the Yankees. Thinking back to those early days creates a nostalgic feeling for me. They were my team no matter what because I developed an early emotional attachment to them. Being able to go to Yankee Stadium was great, and every sports report on the news had something about the Yankees. I could watch them any time I wanted. Then my family moved to NC, far away from any pro sports. I found myself missing the Yankees. Aside from the few highlights on Sportscenter, I had nothing. I craved every bit I could find. Then I found that I could pick up the NY radio station at night and listen to the games. I would struggle with the radio dial to get the best reception, and put up with static right in the middle of a big rally, but it was great. Now that we have the internet, it's a lot easier to keep up with them. But thinking back, I had to move away from NY to really appreciate my team. After moving, I had to work harder to learn about them and follow them. I felt like the only fan in my town. And I wore my team gear with pride. It felt as if they were MY team. Eventually I found new local teams to follow. Going to college at N.C. State made me a Wolfpack fan (I'm ashamed to admit that I had been a mild Carolina fan, but I had no emotional attachment to them, so it was easy to come to my senses and switch sides). When hockey came to NC, I learned about the sport by watching the Hurricanes, and was instantly hooked.

Now that I have moved again, I find myself missing my teams. I read everything I can about them on the internet, and wear my gear with pride, even more so than before. And seeing them on TV or in person on a rare occasion is a lot more special than it was when they were nearby. I guess distance does make the heart grow fonder, and you don't know what ya got til you lose it, at least in sports. I suppose I might develop a fondness for some other local teams in this area, but the Yankees, the Wolfpack, and the Hurricanes will always be MY teams.