OT- Your Favorite Teams, All Sports, In Order
OK. Here's where you post your favorite teams in any sport in any level of professionalism, in order of the most important to you. One rule: No Ties. They must be broken somehow.
For me, as you'll see, I break the ties by answering the question "Which team would I rather see win a championship?" This may be useful to you or it may not. Regardless, figure out a way to break them or don't post here.
Without further ado:
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#1) San Francisco Giants- As much as I love college football, baseball has a way of floating with the ebb and flow of one's day-to-day life that no other sport can match. I was born in Detroit, but grew up in the Bay Area, and in that time grew to become the staunchest of staunch fans of the Black-and-Orange. As much as the Colorado hail Mary, or The Game 2006 or App State hurts, nothing will ever top the sheer skin-peeling agonizing pain of the 2002 World Series, Game Six, and Dusty goddamned Baker giving the (WAY TOO EFFING EARLY) hook to Russ Ortiz. Drives me crazy just to think about it. We were Six outs away. Six.
#2) University of Michigan Football- Never went there, but most of my extended family did and that's the team I grew up cheering for with my old man every Saturday, in person or on TV. It's the only team I schedule my life around, and the only reason I don't have this entry as #1 is because of misters Woodson, Griese and the rest of the 1997 team that delivered the sweet, sweet goods. Alumni or not, show me the Big House and have the band play The Victors and I'm teary-eyed as hell, I guarantee it.
#3) Detroit Red Wings- Stevie Yzerman. My favorite all-time athlete, bar none. I've never cried as hard for a sports team as I did for the 1997 Wings. The Wings are obviously the most rewarding team I've had to root for over the years. Thankfully. Everyone needs one team that wins all the time.
#4) Detroit Lions- Other than the Giants, they're the only team on this list who I haven't seen tasting championship glory. Most likely, they'll be the last to taste it again. But they're also MY pro team, through thick or thin (i.e. through thin). Like the Giants, they get the nod over the next team because I've never seen them win it all. Which leads me to the...
#5) San Francisco 49ers- Growing up a Lions fan in the Bay Area in the 80's meant one thing: finding another team to pull for once the playoffs rolled around. And oh did the Niners deliver. Montana. Lott. Rice. Young... endless glory.
#6) Detroit Tigers- My first team. Some of my earliest memories involve the '84 Series, Alan Trammel, Kirk Gibson and Tiger Stadium. Bless You Boys, indeed.
#7) University of Michigan (Mens) Basketball- The first college basketball game I ever watched was the Final Four game vs. Illinois in '89. I still have a completely destroyed Glen Rice replica t-shirt around here somewhere. I admit that they probably wouldn't have been this high except for Coach Beilein, Manny and the rest of the boys on this year's team.
#8) Detroit Pistons- The first pro basketball game I ever remember watching was the "And there's a steal by Bird!" game. Broke my little 10 year old heart. I've been a fan ever since, though basketball definitely takes a back seat to the other major team sports for me. Still, the 1989 and 2004 titles vs. the Lakers easily rank among the greatest sports moments of my life. If nothing else because: Screw the Lakers.
#9) University of Michigan Hockey- I'm a new fan (if at all) mainly due to the coverage here. However, I can't wait to check out my first game at Yost. I'll just have to get a tutorial on all the chants that the kids do beforehand.
And you, MGoCitizens? What are your squads?
1. Manchester United
2. USA soccer
3. Michigan Football
4. Red Wings
5. Pistons
This is so hard. I finally had to break it down to which team would i give up more to see them win a championship, and that made it easier. And this isn't a correlation with how closely I follow these teams (e.g. I keep much more up on the No. 8 Pistons than No. 4 Michigan hockey).
I know the Shock aren't on here. I certainly root for them. In fact, I was at their inaugural game, and was on hand when they won a championship. But basketball is my least favorite of the four majors, and the further you go down the talent tree the less enjoyable I find it. Could Michigan's basketball team beat a collection of WNBA All-Stars? Yes.
In backwards order:
---Honorable Mentions:---
All Michigan sports - Club or varsity, a win is a win, and brings me joy. Among those not mentioned, Michigan baseball is definitely the leader. Others: Toledo Mud Hens, Grand Rapids Griffins, Lansing Lugnuts (my sister's a big fan), Paris-St. Germain, USA Hockey, Team Sweden, U.S. Olympians. Also, I left off my own team, The Blues (we race an Express 27 in Lake St. Clair), and my high school (Go Falcons), and my brother's alma mater (Go Mapes). But you said 10, so here's 10:
---'That Would be Nice if They Win' Division---
10. Pittsburgh Steelers - Hey, listen, when you've lived through 30 years of Lions football, rooting for a winner feels good. They have the owner, the franchise, the defensive and offensive philosophies, the history, even the uniforms. But I wouldn't trade anything for them to win. I just root for them when they're there.
9. Michigan softball - This team is so easy to root for. They play with a passion you don't see in any men's team. Between the two, I have more fun at a Michigan baseball game, but I'd love to see those girls get a ring.
8. Detroit Pistons - I really liked the 2004 team, and I could get into a future group. But without a collection of personalities that I can really dig, the fact that this is basketball is the knock. Too much squeaking.
---'That Would be SO Awesome' Division---
7. Michigan Basketball - This one had to be reawakened in me. But be fair: I matriculated to Michigan in 1998, so just remember what kind of teams I had to live through. I was just nine when they won their last championship. And like I said - the squeaking. But this year's team sparked something I didn't realize I still had from watching the '89 run with my dad.
6. Detroit Lions - If they ever won, that would be nice. But I've become mostly numb. But because this would be such a big thing for the city, I would trade a Pistons championship for a Lions Superbowl win.
5. Michigan Hockey - In football, I think the college game is superior to the pro game, but not so with hockey. That said, the fan experience of a college hockey game has no equal, especially Michigan hockey. As long as Red's in charge, and likely long after, I will be a major cager fan.
4. New York Mets - One of my best friends from M is a Mets freak. We've been seeing every baseball stadium together, and so a bunch of those have been Mets games. In the process, I've had a beer with CowBellMan, I've met the Matts, and I have a blog that's Mets-oriented (www.thewrightstache.com). One day, some Yankee fan made a comment about the late-'08 chokening, and I started rationalizing; it was then that I realized I had become a Mets fan.
---Do I Really Need My Soul? Category---
3. Detroit Red Wings - The top three are a world apart from all the rest. I probably follow the Wings more than any other team. They've been great since before I was 10 years old, so I don't even know if my passion is bandwagon-y or not. I love the Wings. I love the current team. But when I'm an old man, I have a feeling the '97 squad will still rest closest to my heart.
2. Michigan Football - It's not quite fair since they play so few games, but a Michigan Football game is the one sporting event that I can least countenance missing, which sucks since we started racing the Express in the St. Clair Fall League, which has led to a lot of DVR-ed games and drives home from St. Clair shores while trying to tune out the whole world. Michigan football also hurts the most when they lose, especially against Ohio State. In fact, I care more about beating Ohio than I do about winning national championships. I've been True Blue since I was seven. I used to live in Southfield, where the official playground activity was stalking around in gangs and trying to make the girls grossed out. When I moved to Birmingham, recess was all about football, and every kid compared himself to a Michigan player (strangely, even though our offenses were basically Air Raid spread, we all wanted to be backs like LeRoy Hoard, Jarrod Bunch or Jamie Morris. Or Michael Taylor. Later came Desmond Howard, of course.) Ironically, my friend who really fueled the Maize and Blue in me was this kid named Matt Ishbia, then a major M freak (and the acknowledged leader of the Quarton Elementary School 2nd Grade Recess Sports League), who would go on to play basketball at Michigan State. Thanks Ish.
1. Detroit Tigers - The reason I didn't reply until today is that I've been wrestling with my top two. But in the end, I decided if I could wish for one championship for one sports team, it would be the Tigers. I've always been a Tiger. Baseball is my favorite sport. I think baseball is the best game ever devised by man. It's beautiful. And if baseball is to be played, I can think of no better way to play it than in those Tiger whites, with an Olde English D on your chest. I've remained true through the good times, the bad times, the great times, and the 2003 times.
Here's how bad it is: my cousin in the movie biz recently invited us down to The Corner to be in the flick ("The Irishman," with Val Kilmer and some tough-looking dudes from Guy Ritchie movies). When we got there, I was personally introduced to Linda Cardellini.* However, at the time I was standing right between where 2nd and 3rd base had been, and thus was so busy explaining to a crew guy that "Alan Trammell played right here," that Linda totally got ignored.
I was too young to really remember 1984 (though it was supposedly my first game). But I don't remember not being a major Tiger fan. It's all wrapped up in my dad, and my grandpa (There's something about baseball and dads). Anyway, yes, I would trade a Michigan championship for a Tigers championship. Just don't ask me to trade a win over Ohio State for it, though, because I just can't do that.
* Anyone else ever notice that actresses are always a LOT shorter than you imagined them? Linda was probably lucky to be 5 feet. Carrie Fisher, too, is REALLY short in person, which, like, completely screws with that Jabba outfit image you've had since forever.