Convince me to adopt a particular team as my "home" team (or "favorite") in 2010!

Wtf, where are the Eagles? But if you aren't going to support the Iggs, um -- Broncos will probably be really exciting to watch this next year.

honestly, i would've voted for the titans!

vince young + chris johnson = amazing combo

my other choices would be bengals or dolphins -- no one else on the list gets me excited

Yeah, I would've voted Titans over anyone on this list too.

i voted for the bengals

bring back that classic 49ers look imo. it's time for a revival.

honestly if this hasn't naturally evolved for you yet, i don't know if you can force it. leaning bengals right now but i will marinate on it.

Titans were in contention, as were the Iggs...but neither of them instill a gut happiness.

And I thought about the Bills, but...no. Not this year.

dude, don't do that to yourself. and frankly don't do detroit or cleveland to yourself, either. i mean...why? you know?

I am a big Chargers fan but I can't see how this team will be any fun to root for unless you are obliged to do so.

If you're willing to consider it, I think I could sell you on the Iggledelphia Iggles. Super young team all over the field, and a lot of really exciting players who if you start rooting for now, you can watch them step into their roles over the next few years. This year is really a reset on the entire franchise. From our RB (Shady McCoy) to WRs (super exciting DeSean Jackson, Maclin), TE (Brent Celek), QB (Kevin Kolb), lots of defensive pick-ups (just signed Brandon Graham + Nate Allen up), it's all a really freaking young team. I'm really excited to watch them play next year.

yeah i mean, if you don't root for a team that's really successful, it would be hard to go wrong with the eagles

I like a lot of the Iggle players, and I even like Andy Reid for the occasional lols, but this teams doesn't seem like it has a soul right now.

Gotta wait and see obv, but I feel really good about Kolb.

Kolb looked sharp in the two or three games he started in 2009, and I don't expect he got worse or anything over the summer, so I'd say your QB sitch is in good shape.

ochocinco por vida

surely watching all the bengals games would be more fun than watching all the games for any of these other times.

If I had Sunday Ticket or whatever, yeah...I'd probably watch the Bengals all the time. I'm cursed with Jaguars and Buccaneers games every week, though. It's almost enough to make me just read about football online.

internet streams pretty easy to find these days

anyway I'm a pretty big nfl fan but don't have a 'team' (have always toyed w/ the niners but them leaving sf is a final straw, def support the packers but it's 95% due to aaron rodgers) - I've always thought it easier to just root for compelling narratives than to pick some arbitrary team. team loyalty is hard to force and not particularly necessary once you already like a sport.

dolphins are a fine choice. they're a complete mystery, which might make them intriguing. plus, yeah, ronnie and ricky. brendon, too.

I've always thought it easier to just root for compelling narratives than to pick some arbitrary team.

Me too. I'm just fucking around with the idea of supporting one team in particular for a year and seeing how it goes.

from the compelling narrative perspective - bengals, lions, broncos

except you have to take the fact that the broncos are gross into consideration (sorry, Hunt3r)

why broncos? please, you can't mean because of tim tebow.

tim tebow in an nfl game is gonna be entertaining on some level

xpost

tbh all my football hates and loves are so totally irrational and borne of spontaneous moments watching random games like 15 years ago that i'm not sure why i hate the broncos anymore. it's just an article of faith. their current uniforms suck, though. and shanahan, even though he's not there anymore. and john elway's goddamn teeth. i don't know.

this is why i don't really get threads like this. i have many strong feelings about nfl teams.

succeed/fail/camera on him when he's not on the field - doesn't matter, still gonna be more entertaining than watching most of these teams xp

the cleve brownies need u -- but i cannot support rooting for eric mangini.

the only unacceptable answers are cowboys and skins

yea really anyone who just like decides o i am a cowboys fan btw is a disgusting savage

I KNOW ONE OF THOSE TYPES

and yes he's insufferable

anyone who doesn't root for their hometown teams is inherently suspect to me

feel like there should be a review board for those matters

Technically, the closest NFL city to where I currently live is Jacksonville. You don't want me to have to root for the Jaguars, do you?

yes but where did you grow up

I don't buy the hometown thing, this is 2010 not 1950, my hometown team is my fantasy football team

lol -- fantasy football = fandom in a post-hometown globalized world

well, rooting for a fantasy team is one thing

i mean people who root for a specific sports team that aren't in their hometown -- that shit is suspect

I dunno I grew up near LA, whatcha gonna do when it comes to the NFL

well okay obv not having a hometown team is DIFFERENT

i'm not personally attacking u man

haha I know you're not - didn't get that what you were saying only went for people with hometown teams. yeah I basically agree with that, esp if you're clearly in the metro area and not just in the 'sphere of influence'

I guess I'd make exceptions for if you really hate the owners/organization on a personal level (not just cause they aren't winning)

yes but where did you grow up

I grew up in N. Alabama, about 2 hrs south of Nashville and 4 hrs east of Atlanta. Like I said up top, Nashville didn't have a team when I was a kid, but I lived there for a bit as an adult and didn't really feel any love for the Titans (though I was really sad when McNair died and when I saw Eddie George's career go out with a whimper). Anyway, I don't have a *real* hometown team, so I'm afforded the luxury of picking whatever team I want! :D

4 hours west of Atlanta, that is.

I like the review board idea. ITS JUDGMENTS ARE FINAL

I support the Flacons because Vick was great to watch in 2004, does that help you?

At this point I have lived in Oakland as long as I lived in San Diego, but I can't imagine rooting for the Raiders.

man all this 'i root for a compelling narrative!' shit sounds like cowherd fwiw.

also the obv answer is cowboys, they were practically invented for situations like this

voted dolphins 4 u

:)

An argument for the Bengals?

http://www.slate.com/id/2262321/

bengals not the least bit endearing. they look interesting, i admit.

Detroit Lions- You got to be a die hard to love the Lions, who other than a few players, haven't given their fans much to love in decades. I've always liked their uniforms. They could eventually gell into something decent.
Cleveland Browns- rabid fans that die with their club, but yet will cheer when one they don't like gets hurt...kind of like Philly except they don't win much. As bad as things looked about mid-season, they did play much better down the stretch, which is pretty good considering their offense was about down to a single wing/punt return game as their QB play was so terrible. Delhomme was terrible in Carolina but even still, he is an upgrade, as I figure Holmgren might be able to fix some of his issues.
Dallas Cowboys- ESPN will follow them like they are coming off their second title, but while they could be OK, they don't really impress me that much. Whatever excess talent they have is curbed by the fact they play like a bunch of idiots at times with penalties and turnovers. Following the Cowboys is like following the Yankees, you are automatically suspect unless you are from the area. LeBron James favorite NFL team is the Cowboys...nuff said. The only reason Jerry Jones is not the biggest douchebag owner in sports is that there are some real douchebags out there (The Snyd being one of them).
Cincinnati Bengals- I follow these guys and they just get even more weird. It's like we are already considered a bunch of freaks, lets just say the hell with it and get any freakazoid available to play. Their defense has been improving. TO might be OK to get, but they really need a TE or a RB that can catch the ball to spread things out. Chad Johnson also doesn't have the speed he used to have either, so they really don't have any home run threat at WR.
Miami Dolphins- I can't really tell if they are ready to make a move to the top. They should be OK as Parcells seems to build clubs up from the foundations (lines/defense) so that they can at least be competitive. They got a big question at QB. I could believe it if they won their division or went 6-10, but that is true of many teams.
Denver Broncos- They have gone kind of schizo the last few years after being one of the best run clubs for decades. I'm not a believer in their current setup.
San Francisco 49ers- The 49ers can rot in hell and 6-10 season purgatory for another 50 years.
Washington Redskins- They were cool in the 80s, but the owner is such a douchebag, I hate 'em. They have some rabid fans though, sad for them to be stuck on the Snyd.
Arizona Cardinals- I guess there are Arizona Card fans now, but it is still kind of a new thing.
San Diego Chargers- I think with how things have gone, this is a pretty angsty fanbase.

I think with how things have gone, this is a pretty angsty fanbase.

the chargers have norv turner as their coach, so i don't see there's anything for charger fans to be concerned about. THE SHIP IS STEADY AND STURDY.

You should choose based soley on awesomeness of mascot. Worked for me with the Colts (in a narrow win over Broncos)!

http://www.clevelandseniors.com/images/cleveland/browns-mascot.jpg

Just to make sure everyone knows, I'm not picking a TEAM 4 LYFE! I'm just picking someone to ride out 2010 with.

well, no offense, but that's bullshit. there's no year-to-year fandom. sack up and pick a side

Nah, that's not bullshit. I love football, and I'm a pretty die hard Alabama fan when it comes to the college game, but I have no such allegiance in the pros. I just want to try it out for a season. By picking ahead of time, there's no riding the momentum train. I'm sticking with the poll's winner to the bitter end (be that December, January or February).

i'm v. sorry but you are a disgusting savage <3

voted Fins.

voted browns 4 u dealwithit.gif

sunglasses on mangini's face obv

fuck it, go with the lions. if they ever get good enough you can get the vicarious thrill of the team going to their first super bowl.

Does ILNFL have a Lions fan? If not, I think that would be the best thing for the ILNFL team.

I had to go with the chargers. all other choices seemed ridiculous to me.

me too

haha jk.

:)

I feel like the reggieroby lions guy is everyone's shared communal lions guy tbh

all other choices seemed ridiculous to me.

lolnorv gif

It is impossible to be a Chargers fan if you haven't personally felt the pain of the Ryan Leaf era.

even people who are chargers fans, I dunno, sometimes I feel like they're secretly not chargers fans

i want to print up a bunch of workout towels with a ghostly tebow on them and sell them as "the shroud of tebow." ur chance to get in on ground floor.

even people who are chargers fans, I dunno, sometimes I feel like they're secretly not chargers fans

fightin' wurds

I think it's just my mental stereotypes of san diegans - even the concept of getting into a fight with somebody from san diego seems strange to me.

let's just chill and eat some tacos.

Now I want tacos. :(

I am pretty chill though, it's true. This dude knows what I'm talkin' about:

http://teaserville.com/pile/critters/chillin.gif

Ten things for Chargers to be angsty about...

1. We'll just give it to Norv
2. LT went from the best and coolest player in the league to a bordering winey douche then goes to the Jets that beat them in the playoffs
3. They can beat the good teams and have some bragging rights, but sxxt has not worked out in January
4. That playoff loss at home to the Pats, some never heal
5. Still pissed about Ryan Leaf
6. Junior Seau in a Pats Jersey
7. Chargers owners always crying about stadium, threatening to move to LA
8. Shawne Merriman pretty much a creep and not that good anymore
9. Fear the Broncos or Chiefs or Raiders will finally get their sxxt together
10. Love/Hate relationship with Rivers mouth

1. No
2. No
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes
6. No (Rodney Harrison in a Pats jersey: Yes)
7. Yes
8. No
9. Not yet
10. No

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Fins it is! Daniel, Esq. let us unite in our potential elation/misery.