by Kevin Burton
Time and location, location, location, can change even the most fervent loyalties when it comes to sports fan allegiances.
On ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption, Tony Kornheiser talks about the New York Mets as “the team of my youth” to differentiate it from his current favorite, the Washington Nationals. That is based on location, he now lives in Washington.
Moving from Ohio to Kansas has shifted some of my loyalties, though some ties still bind.
With Major League Baseball starting this week and college basketball ending soon, this is a bit of an inventory. Who exactly are my teams? The number in parenthesis indicates how much I truly care about the team/sport, from 5, big fan, to 1 casual minor interest:
Major League Baseball (3)
Being a child of divorce with a father in southwest Ohio and a mother in Wichita made me a Reds/Royals fan, in that order. The Cincinnati Big Red Machine of the 70s was supreme, above all others. The speed, defense and doubles Royals of the 70s and 80s were a favorite too.
I was in Washington State for the run of the 1995 Refuse To Lose Seattle Mariners, so I have picked them up a s a third team.
I don’t like the way baseball is played these days, so not likely to catch many games. It’s a treat though when a Royals game gets out of hand (which happens pretty often) and longtime Royals broadcaster Denny Matthews starts talking about the old days.
I should call the Reds the team of my youth and the Royals my current favorite. Doesn’t feel right though.
College baseball (2)
Wichita State is the only team I follow at all, though I tend to nap through the games
NHL Hockey (1)
I was a big St. Louis Blues fan until Columbus got the Blue Jackets in 2000. Now I root for Columbus, St. Louis and Montreal, in that order. Must admit I couldn’t name so much as one player on any of those teams.
NFL Football (5)
I quit on the Browns for drafting Baker Mayfield and the Raiders for abandoning Oakland. After casting about for a new fave I landed on Cincinnati, the very first team I rooted for. So Cincinnati first, then Kansas City, then Green Bay.
College football (5)
Ohio State is the team of my youth and into adulthood, but Kansas State is the local team I follow closely now. I have renewed interest in Ohio State though. Why?
I knew quarterback Will Howard was transferring from Kansas State due to the emergence of super freshman QB Avery Johnson. I was astounded to find out Howard will play his senior year for Ohio State.
I plan to tune in OSU every week to see how Howard is doing. The Buckeyes like his rushing ability.
“His dual threat ability may be the game changer that takes Ohio State over the top,” writes Travis May of AtoZ sports.
“Last year, (Ohio State QB) Kyle McCord logged a whopping -65 (yes, negative sixty-five) rushing yards on the season, proving to be a net liability on the ground. Howard on the other hand scored nine rushing touchdowns for Kansas State as he brought his career rushing total near 1000 yards,” May wrote.
Pro basketball (1)
I embraced Toronto as my favorite while Wichita State legend Fred VanVleet played there. I have a tougher time getting fired up about Houston, the team he plays for now, but I guess they count as a favorite.
College basketball (5)
Wichita State was a deep disappointment this year, but they are still my squad. The 2023-24 team had the basketball IQ of an actual basketball. I am hoping a lor of them hit the portal so that first-year coach Paul Mills can get the players he wants.
I also follow Dayton, Kansas State and Kansas when it comes to NCAA tournament time.
English Premiership Soccer (3)
I stumbled onto the Prem the way I found Pardon The Interruption, by tuning in early to see something else. I was amazed that (what we call) soccer could be that riveting.
If you are a typical American with no background in soccer and no attention span for a sport with little scoring, you can try the Premiership. It’s possible you will like it.
At that level, the players are so skilled that a game’s outcome can change in the waning seconds, in the same way a close NFL game is still up for grabs even with only a few seconds left.
Manchester United is my favorite. I will still claim Charlton Athletic as my second team, though they have been relegated so many times I can scarcely find any news about them.
German Soccer (1)
At the height of the virus scare when the Premiership wasn’t playing, the German Bundesliga was. So I adopted FC Augsburg as my team. They are up to 7th place, much improved from last year.
College Softball (1)
Wichita State, then Ohio State.
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