If the Giants were to leave SF...

[calsnowskier]

Would you still be a fan?

Marcus wrote about the near loss of the team in the 90's over at the dum-dum board tonight, and it got me thinking. Are we fans of San Francisco's team, or are we fans of the team that happens to be in San Francisco?

I do not live in the Bay Area (haven't for almost 20 years now), but I am not sure if my allegiance would follow the team elsewhere (unless they were to move here to SD, of course). I am not sure why my answer is not an automatic yes, though. I can not explain it.

If the Niners were to leave the Bay, I feel I would probably abandon them for the Bolts. I am not proud of that fact, but I do not bleed the red and gold as deeply as I do the black and orange. But, as with the Giants, I am not sure why I care that the team is in the BA, but I do.

 

[ColinCoby]

I would not.

As much as I love baseball, you'll never find me watching a Sunday night game between the Yanks and the Red Sox. I need some level of emotional attachment to the game for me to find it interesting. If the Giants left SF, I think that connection/attachment would be lost over time.

It will be interesting to see if my buddies who are Kings fans continue to root for them if they move to Anaheim. My guess is most of them will stop following the team within two seasons.

BTW: If/when the Niners move to Santa Clara, will it affect how passionate you are about the team? Just curious.

 

[calsnowskier]

I would not.

As much as I love baseball, you'll never find me watching a Sunday night game between the Yanks and the Red Sox. I need some level of emotional attachment to the game for me to find it interesting. If the Giants left SF, I think that connection/attachment would be lost over time.

It will be interesting to see if my buddies who are Kings fans continue to root for them if they move to Anaheim. My guess is most of them will stop following the team within two seasons.

BTW: If/when the Niners move to Santa Clara, will it affect how passionate you are about the team? Just curious.

I am actually from Santa Clara, so I would expect not

Makes no sense what-so-ever... I have not even BEEN to the BA in over 10 years...

 

[msgkings322]

It's an interesting question, I think everyone has different reasons for liking their team(s).

I was originally a White Sox fan, born in Chicago and lived there for 10 years, my dad (who most boys get their initial alleigance from) a big fan, etc. But I've been in the BA since 1988 and in SF since 1993 and as baseball is my favorite sport, and there's really no conflict to rooting for those two teams, Giants love took root. It didn't hurt to have the best player of the last 40 years there.

The longer I'm here, and now that I'm married to a passionate Giants fan, the Sox thing is fading. If the Giants moved (seems impossible now with the new park, the ring, etc) I'd always be fond of them but probably fade in my interest.

 

[sfsportsfan]

it really depends where they move to. if there was a way for me to still watch the games i'd probably still be a fan.

i used to be a Kings fan, but really lost interest in basketball when they went downhill, mixed with the fact they're never on tv here. its hard to follow a team you cant really watch. im not going to pay for an nba package when i barely care about the sport. i know with the tv situation i should probably be a warriors fan but i cannot root for any team playing in oakland.


as for the 9ers, santa clara and SF are almost the same distance from where i live, so let em move lol. though i'd miss wading through 6 inches of piss to go to the bathroom.

 

[ColinCoby]

It's an interesting question, I think everyone has different reasons for liking their team(s).

I was originally a White Sox fan, born in Chicago and lived there for 10 years, my dad (who most boys get their initial alleigance from) a big fan, etc. But I've been in the BA since 1988 and in SF since 1993 and as baseball is my favorite sport, and there's really no conflict to rooting for those two teams, Giants love took root. It didn't hurt to have the best player of the last 40 years there.

The longer I'm here, and now that I'm married to a passionate Giants fan, the Sox thing is fading. If the Giants moved (seems impossible now with the new park, the ring, etc) I'd always be fond of them but probably fade in my interest.

I'm married to a hard-core Giant fan as well. She had a huge crush on Atlee Hammaker years ago.

I grew up in Anaheim and always rooted for both the Angels and Giants. Like for you, there was never any conflict in cheering on both clubs...that is, until 2002.

 

[ColinCoby]

it really depends where they move to. if there was a way for me to still watch the games i'd probably still be a fan.

i used to be a Kings fan, but really lost interest in basketball when they went downhill, mixed with the fact they're never on tv here. its hard to follow a team you cant really watch. im not going to pay for an nba package when i barely care about the sport. i know with the tv situation i should probably be a warriors fan but i cannot root for any team playing in oakland.


as for the 9ers, santa clara and SF are almost the same distance from where i live, so let em move lol. though i'd miss wading through 6 inches of piss to go to the bathroom.

Nice. While AT%T is infinitely better than Candlestick, I miss the old place. I haven't been back since the Giants moved downtown.

 

[sfsportsfan]

tbh if they handled the bathroom situation, and maybe found a way to improve traffic leaving the stadium, i'd be fine with the 49ers staying there.

 

[msgkings322]

I'm married to a hard-core Giant fan as well. She had a huge crush on Atlee Hammaker years ago.

I grew up in Anaheim and always rooted for both the Angels and Giants. Like for you, there was never any conflict in cheering on both clubs...that is, until 2002.

True, but they are in the same state at least. The only connection I can think of between the Giants and Chisox is this:

White Flag Trade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think I'm officially Giants #1 Sox #2 now, as soon as I realized if they met in the WS I'd root Giants. Especially bc the Sox got theirs.

My wife will never let me say that though, to her I'm always a pretend Giants fan. But she's crazy loyal. Even likes the Raiders still, even after they took a crap on Oakland when they moved south.

 

[tzill]

it really depends where they move to. if there was a way for me to still watch the games i'd probably still be a fan.

i used to be a Kings fan, but really lost interest in basketball when they went downhill, mixed with the fact they're never on tv here. its hard to follow a team you cant really watch. im not going to pay for an nba package when i barely care about the sport. i know with the tv situation i should probably be a warriors fan but i cannot root for any team playing in oakland.


as for the 9ers, santa clara and SF are almost the same distance from where i live, so let em move lol. though i'd miss wading through 6 inches of piss to go to the bathroom.

And really, who DOESN'T miss that....

If the Niners/W's/Giants ever moved away I'd say 'fuck 'em' and do other things with my life. My grandfather followed the Giants from NY to SF, but I'm not sure I could do that as I love living in the City more than anything.

 

[calsnowskier]

MSG, I think you could answer this (for me) better than anyone else...

If the Sox were to leave Chicago, would you still be a fan? If not, why?

You do not live in Chicago anymore, but you identify with the city AND team. If they were to become the New Orleans White Sox instead, would you abandon them?

I am trying to figure out why I, while not living in the Bay Area, would not automatically follow the team if they left, even though I am a HUGE fan of them now.

I can not figure this out.

 

[msgkings322]

I may not be the guy to ask, as I haven't lived there in a while and they are now my #2 team, so if they left I personally would follow them even less, and like the Giants that much more.

There's no one answer I think. Everyone's different. Some root for teams that are local, that they can see. Some root for teams to share experiences with their family (like one's dad). Some don't care that much as they get older (I personally invest far less in sports than I did before having kids for example).

Be glad you don't have to figure it out, as they ain't going anywhere now!

 

[Yoshi]

And really, who DOESN'T miss that....

If the Niners/W's/Giants ever moved away I'd say 'fuck 'em' and do other things with my life. My grandfather followed the Giants from NY to SF, but I'm not sure I could do that as I love living in the City more than anything.

Yeah I agree, at least with the Niners and Giants because I'm not a W's fan, but yes, I would not hold that allegiance to the two teams if they were to move away from the city. I'm also a Sharks fan so I do my fair share of commuting to the south bay to catch a few games per year, but I can't imagine doing that for the Niners even if they were to move to Santa Clara. It wouldn't be the same.

The Stick brings back fond memories but that place is a dump hole so I can't blame the owners for wanting to move the team. The fact that the team will still keep SF in the team's name will probably pull fans living in SF to coming to their games in Santa Clara if that were to happen, but not for me.

 

[tzill]

Yeah I agree, at least with the Niners and Giants because I'm not a W's fan, but yes, I would not hold that allegiance to the two teams if they were to move away from the city. I'm also a Sharks fan so I do my fair share of commuting to the south bay to catch a few games per year, but I can't imagine doing that for the Niners even if they were to move to Santa Clara. It wouldn't be the same.

The Stick brings back fond memories but that place is a dump hole so I can't blame the owners for wanting to move the team. The fact that the team will still keep SF in the team's name will probably pull fans living in SF to coming to their games in Santa Clara if that were to happen, but not for me.

I'll go to Santa Clara for the Niners...even though I live in the City, the commute ten Sundays a year won't be much different -- the Stick sucks for parking anyway. But if the Nines were to move to LA...thanks for the memories and I'd kiss the NFL goodbye.

 

[Robotech]

Depends how far away they move, but it would be weird not seeing "SF" as their logo.

 

[TKellion]

I was just as die hard a fan of the Seattle Supersonics as I am of the Giants and Redskins.They let my team be stolen by a redneck from OKC.Stern went out of his way to help his redneck buddy steal that team from where it belongs.I am no longer a fan of the NBA.......But it is hard to lose the interest in the players of the now defunct Sonics since the rebuild is done and they are showing themselves as serious contenders since they obtained Perkins from the Celtics.I will ocasionally watch a thunder game and I watch the standings.I dont live in any of the cities that these teams play in but I feel they belong in those cities to those fans that do live there.It would be a tough choice if they moved.My hard feelings with the NBA is because of how they were moved not because they moved.I cant picture myself ever being other than a Giants fan

 

[gp956]

Hey guys! Been awhile.....

I know I'll always be a Giants fan no matter where they played. But, I'm also a baseball fan, so if another team moved in, I would, no doubt, became a fan. Although somewhat in contradiction to that, I could never be an A's fan even though they're local - there's just something about that franchise that makes watching their games painful. And it's not just that it's AL baseball. I enjoyed watching the Orioles when I lived in the mid-atlantic region. Jon Miller calling the games might have had something to do with that.




P.S. Can't wait for the season to begin.

 

[tzill]

I know I'll always be a Giants fan no matter where they played. But, I'm also a baseball fan, so if another team moved in, I would, no doubt, became a fan. Although somewhat in contradiction to that, I could never be an A's fan even though they're local - there's just something about that franchise that makes watching their games painful. And it's not just that it's AL baseball. I enjoyed watching the Orioles when I lived in the mid-atlantic region. Jon Miller calling the games might have had something to do with that.




P.S. Can't wait for the season to begin.

About fucking time you came back....slacker.

 

[Heathbar012]

About fucking time you came back....slacker.

+1... and :panda:

Welcome back, Original Hammer! Plus, yeah, I'd root for the Giants until SF got another team. Same goes for all the San Francisco area teams. The way I see it, I wouldn't be a Giants fan if they wouldn't have moved to San Francisco, so there would be no reason to root for them if they were gone, and there was another team in The City.

 

[calsnowskier]

+1... and :panda:

Welcome back, Original Hammer! Plus, yeah, I'd root for the Giants until SF got another team. Same goes for all the San Francisco area teams. The way I see it, I wouldn't be a Giants fan if they wouldn't have moved to San Francisco, so there would be no reason to root for them if they were gone, and there was another team in The City.

You live in SLO, but you would have allegiance to the SF team regardless.

I am the same way, but it makes no sense...