for display only
Big Blue Interactive The Corner Forum  
Back to the Corner

Archived Thread

NFT: Raising your kid(s) to root for out of market team

Dave in PA : 7/21/2017 3:56 pm
It seems kind of selfish for me to force my Yankees/Giants/Knicks fandom on my children when it would be much easier for them to (shudder) root for and go to Philadelphia area sports teams. I will never condone the Eagles, but overall I'm trying to steer clear of football with my boys so I suppose this is more baseball/basketball related. While it might be somewhat selfish, setting them up to root for perennial losers is also not cool. What say ye BBI?
Why wouldn't you want your kids to root for the same teams  
RC02XX : 7/21/2017 4:01 pm : link
as you? Isn't sports one of the best way to connect with your kids?
I am absolutely brainwashing my children into my fandom  
Greg from LI : 7/21/2017 4:02 pm : link
Yanks/Giants/Rangers or find a new place to live. Go ahead and test me!

Seriously, though, I could grudgingly accept other teams so long as they weren't rivals of my teams. IOW, no Cowboys, Redskins or Eagles, no Orioles, and for the love of god no Red Sox.
Living in Washington DC area  
NYG27 : 7/21/2017 4:02 pm : link
I got all three of my kids to root for the Giants, even though there are Redskins fans everywhere from school, playgrounds, soccer teams and my wife's side of the family.

For the other sports, I really didn't care as much if they rooted for the Nationals, Wizards, Capitals or decided to root for another team of their choice in those sports.

The BIG battle was football and I won on that from as all three root for the Giants.
RE: Why wouldn't you want your kids to root for the same teams  
Dave in PA : 7/21/2017 4:04 pm : link
In comment 13535112 RC02XX said:
Quote:
as you? Isn't sports one of the best way to connect with your kids?
absolutely, but getting to Yankee Stadium and the costs associated is a complete nightmare. It would be nice for the kids to actually be able to attend live games of "their team" as opposed to being TV fans only.
Not only did I raise my daughter a Giant fan...  
TheEvilLurker : 7/21/2017 4:06 pm : link
I convinced my wife, who is from Venezuela to like the Giants as well.

They are NY Rangers fans too. I didn't really try with baseball, which is why my wife likes the Bo-Sox (yuck!), but 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
eh, live attendence is overrated  
Greg from LI : 7/21/2017 4:11 pm : link
After we moved from NY, I didn't see another Yankees game in the Bronx until I was in college. Didn't damper my enthusiasm for them any, and I've only ever seen the Rangers as the road team.
I have turned my daughter into a Giants fan  
Don in DC : 7/21/2017 4:14 pm : link
My Redskins-loving wife is not amused.

I don't feel bad about it. It's fun to be a little different. Gives her something to spar with her friends about.
RE: eh, live attendence is overrated  
Dave in PA : 7/21/2017 4:15 pm : link
In comment 13535143 Greg from LI said:
Quote:
After we moved from NY, I didn't see another Yankees game in the Bronx until I was in college. Didn't damper my enthusiasm for them any, and I've only ever seen the Rangers as the road team.
ok sold, f*ck Philly sports
I've successfully brainwashed  
B in ALB : 7/21/2017 4:17 pm : link
My two kids into giants /yankees /Rangers and Cuse fans.

There can be no other way in this house.

You want to root for another team?

Go find a new dad.
I do make one exception  
Greg from LI : 7/21/2017 4:17 pm : link
I decided it would be tantamount to child abuse to push my son into being a Knicks fan. If he wants to torture himself that way, that's his call.
My son was born here in Austin 22 years ago  
Post Time : 7/21/2017 4:17 pm : link
Grew up Yankees and Giants fan, especially Yankees. We'd go back and visit the folks every year in NY. He went to his first Yankee game at 2 and every year after until he got out of school and got a job. Gloated over the Giants winning two Super Bowls to the Cowboys fans. Priceless...
Giants should be in the blood  
GFiLA : 7/21/2017 4:22 pm : link
My grandfather, then my father, me and now my daughter. I now live in Los Angeles and i even named my daughter after Lawrence Taylor, (Lauren Taylor) so she does not even have a choice in any other football team.
I didn't force anything.....but  
George from PA : 7/21/2017 4:23 pm : link
My kids are all N.Y., all the time....eventhough we have been living by Allentown all of my son's life and most of my daughter's.

I think it's permissable  
phil in arizona : 7/21/2017 4:23 pm : link
to let them root for the local team if they aren't in your division. Otherwise, let the brainwashing begin.
naming a daughter after Lawrence Taylor?  
Greg from LI : 7/21/2017 4:26 pm : link
That just seems wrong somehow.
The two teams...  
Chris in Philly : 7/21/2017 4:29 pm : link
my kids are required to root for are the Giants and the Rangers. They don't care much for hockey yet, but they both love the Giants and where their OBJ, Eli, and JPP jerseys to school like they are their uniforms.

I never really cared about the NBA, so I let them choose the Sixers. I will always love the Yankees, but I love to go to baseball games too much to not hit up Citizen's Bank Park a lot. So my kids have grown attached to the Phillies. No real conflict there, and everybody can come together and hate the Mets.

I initially wanted them to just root for "my" teams, but there is a social experience that comes from rooting for the hometown team that I did not want to deprive them of. I found this to be the best balance. I get to share football with them, and they get to enjoy the collective experience of sports at the stadiums and with their friends...
rooting for teams while growing up in enemy territory builds character  
Greg from LI : 7/21/2017 4:31 pm : link
.
RE: rooting for teams while growing up in enemy territory builds character  
Chris in Philly : 7/21/2017 4:32 pm : link
In comment 13535207 Greg from LI said:
Quote:
.


This is why my kids are required to root for the two most hated!
Living in Philly, that could never fly.  
Beezer : 7/21/2017 4:33 pm : link
Now, if I still lived in Indy, it wouldn't be a major deal.

That said, there are many creative ways to plant the seeds properly. And these days, you can pretty much see your team every week if you want to, and hell, in Philly, you can see a game without traveling every year, and you're close enough to see more!

No-brainer.
And  
Beezer : 7/21/2017 4:33 pm : link
fuck Philly!
I honestly have sympathy for your kids  
Greg from LI : 7/21/2017 4:43 pm : link
My cousin went to high school in the Philly suburbs as a Penguins fan (they previously lived in Pittsburgh). He was a brave young man.
From  
mitch300 : 7/21/2017 4:43 pm : link
NY, my son born and raised in Northern California. He is a Yankee/Giant/Knicks and Rangers fan. He's 31.
If you allow your child to become a fan of the  
Jay on the Island : 7/21/2017 4:51 pm : link
Philadelphia Eagles I will call CPS.
My older son isnt huge sports fan. He played  
LauderdaleMatty : 7/21/2017 4:54 pm : link
Tennis and follows that more. He watches football but he's a Giant and Dolphin fan

My younger one who is obviously the son who is getting most of my money when I die a huge Giant fan. Dolphins also have foundered or been mediocre at best. They grew up w 2 SB wins. I did them a favor.
RE: I've successfully brainwashed  
JerryNYG : 7/21/2017 5:57 pm : link
In comment 13535157 B in ALB said:
Quote:
My two kids into giants /yankees /Rangers and Cuse fans.

There can be no other way in this house.

You want to root for another team?

Go find a new dad.


Agree entirely. Fandom is very often a patrilineal tradition passed down regardless of geography.

Except fuck the Pats and Red Sox fans here in northern New York. Teaching their kids that shit is reprehensible.
Let your  
Pete in MD : 7/21/2017 7:50 pm : link
kids root for who they want to root for. It's part of establishing an identity. Maybe I'm biased because I grew up in a family of Jets fans and chose a different (better) path. In the end, it all makes for fun trash talk.
Dave  
feelflows : 7/21/2017 8:10 pm : link
I'm up in lehigh valley. My daughter roots for my teams.

My next door neighbor is a Giants fan as well. It's a melting pot over here.

If I recall, you re up here as well??
I have raised him well.....  
Koffman : 7/21/2017 8:13 pm : link
Living in Tennessee I have been a Giants fan my whole life. Growing up it was tough with all the Cowboy fans around, one of the main reasons I am a Giants fan (BTW).

As far as my son is concerned I named him Eli, and almost everytime he introduces himself now he says after Eli Manning.LOL.

Not only has he become a pretty big Giants fan, he has also learned to despise the Cowboys. I am very proud. The wife and daughter also are fairly big fans of the Giants too. Winning two Super Bowls in my childrens early developmental years probably didnt hurt either.
My son can grow up to like whomever he wants with two exceptions  
Go Terps : 7/21/2017 9:12 pm : link
I'll advise him to steer clear of the Mets and save him a lifetime of pain.

He is not allowed to like the Eagles.
RE: My son can grow up to like whomever he wants with two exceptions  
figgy2989 : 7/21/2017 9:18 pm : link
In comment 13535531 Go Terps said:
Quote:
I'll advise him to steer clear of the Mets and save him a lifetime of pain.

He is not allowed to like the Eagles.


Or wear an OBJ jersey.
All New York  
02/03/2008 : 7/21/2017 9:30 pm : link
We live in DC area and I had my boys rooting for Giants, Yankees, Rangers before they even knew what sports were. Sports is a great way to bond with them and I can't imagine if they didn't root for the NY teams. I taught them Cowboys, Eagles, Skins stink at the same time as the Giants are the best. My youngest who isn't old enough to know better will point at a Skins fan (wearing something) and say, They Stink! My wife gets embarrassed and I just smile to myself knowing I am raising them right;-)

We do root for the Terps and Navy and of course Army when we are back in NY.
Moved to Bay area 3 years ago  
TurdFurguson : 7/21/2017 9:50 pm : link
Have a 2 and 4 year old. My 4 year old sleeps in an Eli Jersey, and my daughter's favorite outfit is a Giants tu-tu
RE: Dave  
Dave in PA : 7/21/2017 10:09 pm : link
In comment 13535492 feelflows said:
Quote:
I'm up in lehigh valley. My daughter roots for my teams.

My next door neighbor is a Giants fan as well. It's a melting pot over here.

If I recall, you re up here as well??
I'm in southwest Bucks county
I'm working hard  
jpennyva : 7/21/2017 10:13 pm : link
with my 7 year-old stepson. Poor guy has a mother who is a Packers fan (though lives in Alabama), a father who is a Redskins fan (he grew up in Northern Virginia and we do live in the DC area) and me, his stepmother, a major Giants fan. So far, I think I am winning the battle. What helped a lot was that I have a plush "Mr. Giant" ball and he started liking to snuggle with it a couple of years ago. I took the opportunity and ran with it. Since he lives most of the time with his mother, she is trying to make him a Packers fan, but I make sure to talk football with him as much as I can when we have him. We will have him for Thanksgiving this year and it will be interesting with the Giants-Redskins game that day. On a recent road trip, we told him about how the New England Patriots are cheaters and explained why. He later told his grandmother all about how the Patriots are cheaters. I loved it!
RE: RE: My son can grow up to like whomever he wants with two exceptions  
Go Terps : 7/21/2017 11:22 pm : link
In comment 13535533 figgy2989 said:
Quote:
In comment 13535531 Go Terps said:


Quote:


I'll advise him to steer clear of the Mets and save him a lifetime of pain.

He is not allowed to like the Eagles.



Or wear an OBJ jersey.


I don't care about that. My complaints at this point involving Beckham aren't even with him anymore. It's the front office and the fanboys.
You shouldn't force your kids to your teams...  
Torrag : 7/21/2017 11:31 pm : link
...watch your games. They'll gravitate to join you through loyalty, love and a genetic bond...or if not your ole lady was probably schtooping on the side and you should look into DNA testing.
I went 1 for 3  
KWALL2 : 7/21/2017 11:40 pm : link
3 boys. 1 Giants fan.

Moms family likes Steelers so they successfully recruited one.

The other strayed to Seattle with his friends.

I'm ok wth the Steelers but pretending to root for Seattle sucks
I lived in Los Angeles for 25 years  
aquidneck : 7/21/2017 11:58 pm : link
Grew up in western MA. My alliances remained with my childhood teams - Giants, Red Sox, Celtics.

My son is 30 and doesn't care for team sports. He hang glides, rock climbs, snowboards, bikerides, etc. is in better shape than I ever was in my life. Even when I played football in high school.
Easy to be an NYG fan in Denver...  
Pete in CO : 7/22/2017 12:40 am : link
...until Week 5 this season.
My son has worn NYG jerseys to Bronco rally days throughout elementary school. Although I did take him to Invesco Field for the Turkey Day massacre 8 years ago. He was 7, and after wiping the tears away after that 26-6 debacle, he said "the next game we go to is going to be at Giants Stadium! I wanna be around real Giants fans!!!"

My work is done.
Grew up right outside of Philly  
NYG/NYM88 : 7/22/2017 3:29 am : link
My dad made the difficult decision to let me choose my teams. My extended family all have pictures of me as a toddler wearing the phillies hats and eagles jackets they gifted me as a youth. As soon as I was old enough to dress myself those articles of clothing were given back and I wore my Jason Sehorn jersey to school everyday of 2nd grade. Got roughed up everyday that year on the walk home from school. Like others have mentioned, sports are the best way to bond with your children and all I wanted to do was bleed blue and root with my dad. I would take 28 years of getting roughed up on the walk home for the memories that watching those two super bowl victories with my dad gave me.
What!  
mdthedream : 7/22/2017 4:17 am : link
I loved rooting for the teams my dad rooted for. I live in RI and hate the Pats and Red Sucks. Greatest moments with my dad was watching the Yankees and Giants win World series and Super Bowls.
Also my daughter  
mdthedream : 7/22/2017 4:18 am : link
loves rooting for the Giants and Yankees.
My kids  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 7/22/2017 8:52 am : link
are going to be Giant fans.

That's just all there is to say.
My son is an eagles fan  
eli4life : 7/22/2017 8:58 am : link
God will forgive him some day
Outside of the Giants and Terps  
Bobby Humphrey's Earpad : 7/22/2017 9:02 am : link
My son can follow who he wants. as long as he's not fairweather.

For example, somehow my 3.5 year old son has taken an affinity to Larry Bird. I don't really follow the NBA anymore but somewhere in my closet are two Lakers jerseys. But Larry Bird is awesome, so if my kid wants to pretend he's Larry Bird I really don't mind.


My kids born and raised in Boston suburbs  
markky : 7/22/2017 9:03 am : link
Are die hard Giants fans. I couldn't be prouder. They are great fans through thick and thin

My wife however is an Eagles fan. I started dating her because I thought she wouldn't expect a ring anytime soon.
Live in Annapolis  
AnnapolisMike : 7/22/2017 9:46 am : link
Both kids and my wife (from Cleveland) are Giants fans! The fact the Giants have been decent helps a bunch.
Don't ask me why....  
Milton : 7/22/2017 1:59 pm : link
But the thread title reminded me of the below linked scene from The Big Bang Theory...
"We can't let them choose, Leonard, they're children!" - ( New Window )
My 4 year old girl  
feelflows : 7/22/2017 2:24 pm : link
Wears Eli and Tavares jerseys to all Phantoms (flyers ahl) games.

She has no idea yet about anything. But nobody is dumb enough to say anything. We are far enough from Philly that they are civil.
My kids all root for different teams ...  
Beer Man : 7/23/2017 8:05 pm : link
Based on where we lived when they first became football fans. My daughter and son are Steeler fans, my adopted son is a Lions fan. So far the best rivalry has been between the Steelers and Giants
My two daughters  
Frank in Silver Spring : 7/24/2017 11:36 am : link
Proudly wear their respective Giant jerseys to the game at FedEx each year. Youngest (Tiki jersey) and oldest (Eli) enjoy the tailgating among other Giant fans as much as the game. But when Big Blue wins, the walk to the car is especially sweet.

As for when they became Giant fans, I told them in no uncertain terms when they were old enough that they didn't have to care about football at all, but if they did there were basically two, no-argument rules. In order to sleep indoors each night, no burgundy and gold could ever be considered acceptable and it would really, really please your meal ticket if you adopted the New York Football Giants as your favorite team. Their mother is a Redskin fan and we proudly keep her in the minority. Make that long suffering minority - and may it ever be so.
I knew my wife was a Bruins fan when we met  
pjcas18 : 7/24/2017 11:44 am : link
and hockey is the only sport she likes.

I am a Canadiens fan.

the kids are all Bruins fans and it doesn't bother me, though we cannot watch when they play each other in the same room. I don't get mad but they get in my face and it's annoying. luckily the Canadiens have mostly dominated the Bruins (other than f-ing stanley cup win the Bruins had in 2008, but the kids were very little for that and too young to remember it).

However, my kids are all Giants fans.

In February 2012 the Friday before the Super Bowl they had Tom Brady day (really Patriots day - but they already have that here so as to not confuse things they had Tom Brady day) and the kids could wear Patriots gear in honor of the upcoming Super Bowl.

My daughter wore a pink Eli Manning jersey (she was maybe in 3rd or 4th grade). She was ridiculed all day, but on Monday after the Super Bowl she wore it again. I loved it.

all that said I don't give a shit.

My father is a diehard Yankees fan and NY Rangers fan. My father IMO rivals Francessa in how much Yankees lore he knows. He can recite lineups, stats, games from the 60' onward like an encyclopedia. I grew up a Mets and Canadiens fans. So who gives a shit really. I think he would have had a problem if I were a Red Sox fan. that rivalry in the 70's was as good as any in sports, maybe ever.
RE: I knew my wife was a Bruins fan when we met  
pjcas18 : 7/24/2017 11:45 am : link
In comment 13537454 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
and hockey is the only sport she likes.

I am a Canadiens fan.

the kids are all Bruins fans and it doesn't bother me, though we cannot watch when they play each other in the same room. I don't get mad but they get in my face and it's annoying. luckily the Canadiens have mostly dominated the Bruins (other than f-ing stanley cup win the Bruins had in 2008, but the kids were very little for that and too young to remember it).

However, my kids are all Giants fans.

In February 2012 the Friday before the Super Bowl they had Tom Brady day (really Patriots day - but they already have that here so as to not confuse things they had Tom Brady day) and the kids could wear Patriots gear in honor of the upcoming Super Bowl.

My daughter wore a pink Eli Manning jersey (she was maybe in 3rd or 4th grade). She was ridiculed all day, but on Monday after the Super Bowl she wore it again. I loved it.

all that said I don't give a shit.

My father is a diehard Yankees fan and NY Rangers fan. My father IMO rivals Francessa in how much Yankees lore he knows. He can recite lineups, stats, games from the 60' onward like an encyclopedia. I grew up a Mets and Canadiens fans. So who gives a shit really. I think he would have had a problem if I were a Red Sox fan. that rivalry in the 70's was as good as any in sports, maybe ever.


2011 sorry for Bruins Stanley Cup
RE: RE: RE: My son can grow up to like whomever he wants with two exceptions  
djm : 7/24/2017 3:47 pm : link
In comment 13535617 Go Terps said:
Quote:
In comment 13535533 figgy2989 said:


Quote:


In comment 13535531 Go Terps said:


Quote:


I'll advise him to steer clear of the Mets and save him a lifetime of pain.

He is not allowed to like the Eagles.



Or wear an OBJ jersey.



I don't care about that. My complaints at this point involving Beckham aren't even with him anymore. It's the front office and the fanboys.


Yes. Fuck the front office for....um.....what exactly?

And fuck those Giants fans that love Beckham! Be a man and demand more out of your player.
Back to the Corner