America's Team????

[Missy_Mouses_Dad]

I agree with most of the posters. It's all about hype. The cowboys were almost always the 3:00 game on Sunday's with Pat Sommeral (sp) and John Madden. The network was force feeding us the Cowboys.

For me it's the Packers and whoever is playing the Bears or Vikings.

[gueli]

Spoken like a New Yorker.

Thank you

I think if you ask anyone outside the United States name 3 NFL teams, the Cowboys will probably be there every time. I doubt the Jets will be known by that many outside the states. Things like that make them "America's Team" not that everyone in the country is a fan.

the other 2 being the steelers and the raiders, it is possible that the raiders overshadow everyone else(especially in the UK).

But come on now, Rex Ryan has been soo loud that everyone in the world has heard about the JETS

[diz_girl]

And this isn't a division rival specific thing for me. I was raised to believe you always support the home team. I would never ever dream of rooting for or supporting a team from another city. Philly teams have mostly stunk over my lifetime and, while my interest in them has waxed and waned to a degree, I have never, ever considered switching my loyalties elsewhere.

To me that's like cheating on your spouse!

Exactly! Spoken like a fellow fan of Philly teams.

The only time you'll ever see me cheering for the Giants is when they play the Cowboys. So the Cowboys are definitely not my team.

[kakn7294]

I was raised to believe you always support the home team. I would never ever dream of rooting for or supporting a team from another city. Philly teams have mostly stunk over my lifetime and, while my interest in them has waxed and waned to a degree, I have never, ever considered switching my loyalties elsewhere.

To me that's like cheating on your spouse!

Case in point - I love the Pittsburgh Pirates. You all can stop laughing now...

[JPL]

No way no how are they America's Team! It's amazing how when they stink and you go to a sports bar to watch the game you don't see a single Cowboy Jersey after week 5! When they are winning there are hundreds of them! Definitely a Front Runners team 100% I really never understood the out of market fan support of any team! I like to go to games and support my teams not just watch on TV! I go to a few Yankees games every year and several events they hold so I can meet players past & Present. I do the same with the Giants. I am a Devils Season Ticket holder so I am 100% local team and support them through the good and bad seasons!

[Greenlawler]

I've been a Cowboy Fan since I was a kid, going back to the Tom Landry, Roger Staubach days.

Around the world the US is still the West, what better team represents the West than the Cowboys. Both the team and cheerleaders are known not only all over the US, but in other countries as well.

The Cowboys also generate a lot of money for the NFL (the real America's favorite pastime) and are the most valuable franchise according to Forbes. That makes them "America's Team".

No, once again what made them "America's Team" was that a nickname caught on. It had zero to do with fan support or worth.

[Ian]

I am a Devils Season Ticket holder so I am 100% local team and support them through the good and bad seasons!

I'm not surprised, Jeff. I think it's more of a Northeast thing really since we're so passionate about our sports up here.

But it's funny ... I wonder how many folks would feel the same way about rooting for a college team that wasn't your alma mater? Like would a 'Bama grad be okay with another 'Bama grad who was a Clemson fan?

[Melanie]

But it's funny ... I wonder how many folks would feel the same way about rooting for a college team that wasn't your alma mater? Like would a 'Bama grad be okay with another 'Bama grad who was a Clemson fan?

My brother is a good example of this. Grew up a UNC fan (ugh), but went to NC State because there was no engineering school at UNC. Still a diehard Carolina fan to this day.

Oh, and I wouldn't underestimate the south's love of sports.

[2Epcot]

No, once again what made them "America's Team" was that a nickname caught on. It had zero to do with fan support or worth.

Any good nickname can increase the popularity of the brand, that is marketing 101.

I'm not surprised, Jeff. I think it's more of a Northeast thing really since we're so passionate about our sports up here.

I would agree the Northeast fans are more fanatical than those in the West. Growing up in Phoenix, then moving to LA, nothing bothered me more than the fair weather fans. I've been a Cowboy fan since I was a kid, a Sun Devil and Suns fan since I was kid. A Phoenix Cardinals (now AZ Cardinals fan) since they left St. Louis. It didn't matter if they had a good season or not, I still had my shirt or hat on game day.

I think someone who grows up with a team is not going to switch teams, just because they moved to a new city. The LA Lakers have always been a rival of the Suns. After 11 years in CA, I have never once supported the Lakers no matter how many championships they've won.

[Ian]

Oh, and I wouldn't underestimate the south's love of sports.

College sports maybe, but not pro.

Just look at the poor Rays! One of the best teams in baseball and they can't draw more than 23,000 per game!!!

Same with the Bucs ... they opened the season 2-0 and couldn't even sell out their third game.

There's a few pockets around, like Atlanta and the Braves, but by and large unless the teams are really, really good (and sometimes not even then) people couldn't care less about their pro teams.

[Melanie]

College sports maybe, but not pro.

Just look at the poor Rays! One of the best teams in baseball and they can't draw more than 23,000 per game!!!

Same with the Bucs ... they opened the season 2-0 and couldn't even sell out their third game.

There's a few pockets around, like Atlanta and the Braves, but by and large unless the teams are really, really good (and sometimes not even then) people couldn't care less about their pro teams.

And yes, as I was thinking about this more, I realized it's definitely college sports that rule in the south. Doesn't make us any less passionate about sports.

I wouldn't even use Tampa as any kind of example. This area in particular is so full of northern transplants. You really see that in hockey, which ironically by the way will probably sell out more games this year than any previous years. And the Rays? Please. Build a stadium in TAMPA, and attendance will increase. Oh, and a nice stadium at that. The Trop is a dump!

[Pagan]

But it's funny ... I wonder how many folks would feel the same way about rooting for a college team that wasn't your alma mater? Like would a 'Bama grad be okay with another 'Bama grad who was a Clemson fan?

You choose your college, you don't choose where you're born.

Just as easily as you call fans who root for out of town teams "frontrunners", we can call fans who root for a team based solely on where they live "sheep".

Both terms are ridiculous.

[wdwfansince75]

Some of us have moved even more often than our teams....Born in NYC, to NE PA at 5, to Annapolis for college (after a year at Villanova), then to FL, GA, WA, Japan, Southeast Asia, CA, HI, SEA again, MD, VA, MD, PA, MD, SC, PA, and finally, SC again....Originally a Brooklyn Dodger fan, who cheered for them once they moved to LA....lost interest in them while at Monterey; would go to Candlestick when we had no PM classes, and watch Willie Mays and Willie McCovey play....Became a Braves fan when we were in MD, as that was who we had on cable...also had the Mets, but never was a Met fan...got to see them lose their 100th and 101st games in a double header at Connie Mack Stadium.

Was not a Pro Football fan until much later in life....Played football at a Catholic High School in the NE PA Catholic Conference, so with our games on Sunday, never was able to see the pro games. Played against Lansdale Catholic while the Glick (sp?) brothers were there...finally beat them when we were seniors....Larry (?) Glick went to Villanova, and starred there...Then he went to an AFL team...and that's when I started to follow the pro game... Roger Staubach was Navy's QB my last two years at Annapolis, so I became a Dallas fan, because he was there. After he retired, while in MD and Va, cheered for the Redskins....
Staubach, even as a pro, was exciting to watch. He was a big reason for their success, and their status as "America's Team" But perhaps the best candidate to be America's Team should have been the Pottsville Maroons, the REAL first NFL champs!

[Ian]

You choose your college, you don't choose where you're born.

Just as easily as you call fans who root for out of town teams "frontrunners", we can call fans who root for a team based solely on where they live "sheep".

Both terms are ridiculous.

Meh ... that's a silly analogy. You don't "choose" where you're born, no, but your hometown is what it is. You don't choose it, but you accept it.

I would submit that the true sheep are those who aren't personally strong enough to run against the tide and not root for the "cool" team that wins all the time. Like really ... does it take any personal integrity to be a Yankees fan???

[Pagan]

Meh ... that's a silly analogy. You don't "choose" where you're born, no, but your hometown is what it is. You don't choose it, but you accept it.

I would submit that the true sheep are those who aren't personally strong enough to run against the tide and not root for the "cool" team that wins all the time. Like really ... does it take any personal integrity to be a Yankees fan???

Ian, your argument is flimsy.

Mostly, you don't "accept" where you live. You think I wanted to be born in the Bronx and live the first half of my life there, or would you think I'd rather have lived in Honolulu?

And as for rooting for the "cool" team, you're wrong again. I rooted for the Penguins since I was a kid. Man, those Cups came fast and furious during the late 90's and into the early 2000's didn't they?

And oh yea, the Dolphins have been perennial super bowl favorites every year, that's why I root for them too!

And really...I mean really...who bases "personal integrity" on what sports team a person roots for?

Like really, how much personal integrity does it take for someone in their 40's to use the expression "meh"?

[Ian]

Like really, how much personal integrity does it take for someone in their 40's to use the expression "meh"?

According to my scientific formula, considerably more than it takes for someone in their 40's to use the expression "bro."

[Pagan]

According to my scientific formula, considerably more than it takes for someone in their 40's to use the expression "bro."

Well sorry to dispute yet another of your theories professor, but I've been using "bro" since I was a teen. "Meh," on the other hand, is a modern expression kids use...so according to MY scientific formula, you're using it to appear to be "hip".

I await you using "crunk" in a post any day now.

[Scar]

Sorry to interupt this fasinating showing of intellect , but here's my two cents...

I , for one, can't understand why anyone would want to root for any team they can't watch or listen to anytime. I grew up before cable and these packages where you can get any game. I remember being a Colts fan as a kid and then around the age of 11 or 12 realizing - "wait a second, how come these Giants are on every week but I can only see my Colts 3 or 4 times a year?" The Giants were only winning 3 or 4 games a year then, but I think it was more than the Jets, so I became a Giants fan.

So my question for Pagan is... Why would you want to root for a team you can only watch a few times a year? (Granted it would be 2 more times than any other non NFC east team.)

[Pagan]

So my question for Pagan is... Why would you want to root for a team you can only watch a few times a year? (Granted it would be 2 more times than any other non NFC east team.)

My father said when the Dolphins first came into the league when I was 5, I saw the helmet somewhere and that was it.

Same with the Penguins.

I've never succumbed to the "I'm from here so it must be the best" line of thinking that some (not saying anyone in particular) have. I hear people from NY saying all the time, "NY is the greatest city in the world!" Is it now? Why, cause you come from there? Personally, I think it's the only city in the world that when it rains it makes its own gravy.

Same with my sports teams. Only NY team I ever rooted for were the Yankees...and before Ian says that's because they were winners, I started following baseball around 1968. Look up how great they were back then.

[Scar]

Fair enough, but I guess what I'm really asking is... wouldn't you have prefered to watch your team every week instead of 5 or 6 times a year? I'm talking about before the Cable packages.