Why Green Bay ?

hi peeps,

I'm interested to know why any of you picked your team, whether it be geographical importance, name in hat etc, what exactly attracted you to your team and the sport.

When Channel4 brought American Football to our screens way back by showing the Super bowl in 85 (or was it further back in 82 ??? my memory ain't that good), but I do remember the centre page spread in a newspaper, listing all the teams.

As a complete noob, knowing nothing of how they played the game, rules or jargon, I simply looked down the list and picked out Green Bay Packers by virtue of the sound of the name.

I have followed them ever since, all through the Don Majkowski years and into the Favre era. Finally after what seemed an eternity, their first SB for 30 years and their subsequent win against the Patriots and now their last win, which I missed completely due to work. Doh!

Its been a nerve jangling following, and I'm sure its been the same for all fans of whatever team they support. but why did you decide on you team in the 1st place ??

Just felt like choosing the Browns they were one of the first few teams I saw play (think it was against the Bengals). Then before last season I decided even though I'd only watched about half a season I should pick a team and it was between them and the Chargers, haven't got any real explanation why I chose the Browns.

The first game I saw was the Giants-Patriots Super Bowl and supported the Giants that day but didn't think they were that interesting. Fast forward to the beginning of the next season and I was at uni watching Monday Night Football with a Cardinals fan and they were playing the 49ers. Obviously I had to root for the niners, and watching Patrick Willis annihilate the Cards in his first game made him my favourite player. My support for the 49ers was sealed when the defence intercepted Leinart in the last 30 seconds when it looked like they would make a comeback

First game I saw was a Bucs game and I just loved how mean their defense was. I mean, they were just nasty!

I'm another one who started following the game back in the 80s thanks to Channel 4. I wasn't really a huge fan, just maintained a casual interest and picked the Packers because they seemed somehow less glitzy than the others. I loved how they played in terrible weather conditions (whenever I seemed to catch a game on TV it was always snowing) and how can you not support a team whose fans all wear giant foam cheese slices on their heads?

I'm now living in the US (in Patriot country), and although my first love will always be hockey, my interest in football has definitely increased (couldn't get enough of the all the Brett Favre circus). I've been to Foxboro to see the Pats, and also go along to watch the BC Eagles. Still hoping to get to Lambeau this year, although a lockout will obviously put the kybosh on that idea.

Have to say it was awesome this year being the only Packers fan in an office full of Pats fans.

I spent a lot of my holdiays in Tampa as I have family there so it just seemed a good fit.

I m a skins fan, as my dad used to go to Washinton DC to lobby, so he used to bring back presents when we were young, and used to have some Skins things.

Can't really explain it to be honest, it might actaully have had something to do with the quarterback snack crisps i used to get from the tuck shop in the 80's!!! TBH my first memory was channel 4 and LA Raiders and Chicago bears, but at 6 or 7 year olds it was one of my favourite sports and somehow ended up a Dolphins fan. Having the most exciting QB in the game probs played a part. I even did a primary school project that i still have today based on the Miami Dolphins and the NFL in general. I still amazae myself today when i look at the amount of detail ive gone into in explaining rules, favourite players etc. I leterally went 15 years without watching the sport at all(barring superbowls), got sky 2 years ago and i've just slipped back into it like i've never been away. Anyway apologies for the length of this post, but its just good talking about NFL to other people who have an interest as other than my brother nobody know anything.

p.s Did anyone else fill the channel 4 1989 sticker book like me?

I wanted the Giants to win SB42 after all the hype surrounding the 18-0 Pats. Then after the "resiliency" intro I was hooked.

Giants Champions
Pats 18-1

Much like most people on here Green Bay were playing in the first game I saw. It was Superbowl 31 and I randomly decided on them. I then didn't watch another game for years until an American (Eagles fan) friend got me back into it and I watched occasionally with him. Over the past few years that occasionally has turned into religiously and here we are back where I started with the team.

I'm a dolphins fan.

When i was younger my old man was into the NFL, he used to watch it on a monday night on Channel 4 and tape it on betamax. I always liked the dolphins and my brother took Dallas.

I am surprised there are not more "I live in Dallas and am a rabid Cowboys fan" kind of thing. It is good to know I wasn't the only - close eyes and point - fanciful chooser out there.

I think I've got my dates mixed up and who was playing in the 1st SB I watched, but I do vividly remember thinking that the players were amazing, tough and talented, throwing a ball into a pack of players, picking his receiver out from miles away it seemed. The players athleticism blew me away and of course all the razamatazz that goes with that kind of an event.

I was hooked from that moment on, but I couldn't have chosen a more out of form team than GB at that time. Made the '99 jets look like Conference winners. But I stuck with them and was rewarded with some magic moments from the Hand of Favre.

Still say that Sterling Sharpe was the best receiver ever, wish he'd been in the Brett era longer, what a team up while it lasted !

I am a Cowboys fan as when the Opening credits of the TV series of the same name started there is brief clip of Texas Stadium, I knew nothing then of the NFL but just like the name. Most of the US sports teams I also follow are by a similar method. There has been a lot of ups and downs with the Cowboys, during the end of the Landry era they were a mediocre team going 1-15, then there was the Jimmy Johnson years which started off bad 3-13 but got better with 3 SB wins in the early mid-90's, then they fell back to mediocre again a lot of 5-10 seasons under Dave Campo and Gailey.

I follow Oklahoma Sooners in College Football as the one of first NFL players books I read was by Brian 'Boz' Bosworth and he went to OU.

My ex got me into American Football, she was a Saints fan so I didn't really have any choice on who to support!

The OP sounds like me!!

I remember first watching NFL on Channel 4, Sunday evenings i think. 1982 iirc.

The first team i recall was the Steelers, but I soon attached myself to the Green and Gold. Mostly because they were rubbish at that time (so were my football (soccer) team) but they had a glorious past. The small town thing was important as well.

I was just unfortunate enough to have been born the year the Chiefs won Superbowl, not been a huge amount to cheer about since but you can't change your team !
Always had a soft spot for Green Bay, even more so since foreign thieves and their chequebooks have ruined English Football, kind of nice to have a history/tradition in NFL that doesn't change.
Oh, and it helps when you back them at 12/1 for Superbowl and are able to pay off a chunk of the mortgage....

Bengals were the first team i used on a Madden franchise and their uniforms looked cool.

My brother is a Bengals fan because he was born year of the tiger. If I followed suit I could've been a Colt or Bronco.

I started getting interested when World Of Sport ( yes, I really do remember Dickie Davis presenting and no jokes about my age please) showed highlights of what I think was SBXVI and I picked up my interest proper the next year when the Skins won the SB I wasn't a true fan as such, but decided to follow the Skins the season after, when we got more coverage and I watched SBXVIII. Despite the beating by the Raiders I decided I still liked the Skin's and didn't want to be a fair weather fan anyway. Around that time the UK leagues took off and I started playing, and loved the game and the team ever since.

I was given a Vikings jersey as a kid so liked them even though I'd never watched football, but my dad is American and told me the family were Redskins fans so I ended up following them. The family left the U.K. and moved to Arizona and eventually, so did the Cardinals when they uprooted from St. Louis. I'm not one to casually hop teams, but I wanted a local team to support so the day they moved here, I made my commitment and it's been a long, trying experience, though more positive since Whiz has been in charge.

I lived in Phoenix for 6 months, where in Arizona did you live?

Isn't that a bit like saying "I lived in London for a bit, where in the UK do you live?".

well in size, but population its smaller than greater london. And if you include phoenix matrepolis area then it is 66% of the population, so more likely to live around phoenix than not.

True, I was just being funny. The number of people that say to me "daft Americans think that Britain is so small we all know each other"...

A few years ago a friend of mine told me about the sport so I decided I should pick a team and try and get into it. I went on nfl.com, looked at all the records the teams had at the time (4 games played), looked at logos, uniforms, colours, cities, history and decided on the Denver Broncos. They were 3-1 at the time (I wanted a good team but not an amazing team), and I loved their colours, stadium, city etc. I have been a die-hard Broncos fan ever since. Seems like I took a little more measured approach to picking a team than some of you guys

I started watching the game at the start of last season but still have decided on which team to follow, no team jumoed out at me. I am the only one out of my firends who watch the sport so i have no one edging me on to follow the same team as them

In that case, you should definitely support the Buccaneers!

I could do as i have just got back from Tampa but they do jump out at me

There, it's decided then

Sure choose the Buccaneers if you want to read hundreds of headlines about your players getting into a bit of trouble.

Or you could choose the Browns who have had 2 playoff appearances in the last 30 years...

Who is meant to be coming to London this year, that way i will flip a coin and support that team?

What appealed to me with Green Bay is that it is completely owned by the fans, i just love that concept.

Buccaneers and Bears.

Pr4wn wrote:Or you could choose the Browns who have had 2 playoff appearances in the last 30 years...

Winning isn't everything... If it was there'd only be a handful of teams getting support, and that would just be boring.

Derbyblue wrote:

Pr4wn wrote:Or you could choose the Browns who have had 2 playoff appearances in the last 30 years...

Winning isn't everything... If it was there'd only be a handful of teams getting support, and that would just be boring.

Pr4wn you are being awfuly unfair, it 2 play offs in 20 years.

Also you're judging it all on the past, Browns are going to be the future (probably.... maybe.... I hope.....)

When I was 12 I joined the Strathmore Scorpions Junior team which was ran by the Americans at the local air force base. I needed a top to go over my pads so went to a sports shop in Dundee and picked the first NFL shirt I saw.
It was a Dolphins No. 13 and I've been a fan ever since.

Oh and the top cost £20 but I didn't have enough money so they sold it to me for £12

Started watching and listening on C4 in 1984. I chose the Giants just because New York was the first city I visited a couple of years before on holiday

To be honest I've always found it hard to pick just one team to follow so I follow the Giants, Packers, Seahawks and RedSkins daft I know, but during the eighties I used to collect the shirt keyrings and these four were my favourites, plus I had a seahawks ball and always wanted the replica Giants helmet in a gift shop in town.

I am now a RAMS fan, as of today. DIdn't have a team up untill today so i did a number generater and 14 came out and the Rams where the 14th team to pick in the draft.

Also the owner of the Rams is also the owner of Arsenal so i am happy with my pick

adams_legend wrote:I am now a RAMS fan, as of today. DIdn't have a team up untill today so i did a number generater and 14 came out and the Rams where the 14th team to pick in the draft.

Also the owner of the Rams is also the owner of Arsenal so i am happy with my pick

great!!!
we now have all nfc west teams supported on this board.

anyway im a hawk simpley due to the fact it was either them or teh steelers and as i root for the underdogs it was seattle.

so what due you think of bradford?
and the rest of your offence?

I only really know Bradford, as i only stared watching it at the start of last season and as he was the no 1 pick alot was made of him.

He looks like he will be a great player in the future.

The Rams need a big name receiver to take the heat off of Steven Jackson and Amendola. Maybe TO or Plax.