I racked my brain and could not come up with many justifiable reasons for a person not to root for the home team.  I've come up with a few, and feel free to add any ideas you may have.  The list:

1. You grew up in a different town.

This just makes sense.  I grew up in Utah, and would have a tough time rooting for the Blazers if I moved to Portland.  However, if you were born in L.A. and moved to Utah when you were three, you have no justifiable reason to root for the Lakers.  That is just an excuse to root for a front-runner. 

2. You grew up rooting for a team, and a team moved to your hometown.

This is only half-justifiable.  Having a team in your home town should be appreciated.  The team becomes part of your community, and there is unity as a community rooting for the home team. 

3. A part of the home team staff, players, or coaches have personally wronged you. 

For example, if you bring your ten-year old son to get an autograph from his favorite player, and he swears or pushes you out of the way, I feel you are justified in taking your allegiances elsewhere.  If the player has moved on and you have deeply rooted interests now in another team, oh well.  If you select a new team, please do so with decent reasons, i.e. not the Lakers or Celtics.  I mean, come on.

4. If a player or coach you have always hated comes to your home team.

My brother brought this one up.  We admitted it would be hard to root for Ron Artest if he played for the Jazz, but we would do it.  However, if Phil Jackson became the coach of the Jazz, that would be tough.  Oh, how I've hated that man.


I would like to thank Boyd, who made comments on a previous post, and my 6-year old nephew, who has been brainwashed in school by Laker fans.  This post would not have happened without you. :)

Comments (14)

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written by Friend of the blog Jerry, January 28, 2009

I highly disagree, Moving to Portland is a complete upgrade from Salt Lake... Basketball wise.

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written by UtesFan89, January 28, 2009

Agreed on Phil Jackson. Completely.

Why are we talking about not rooting for the Jazz though?

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written by boyd, January 28, 2009

You are welcome for the inspiration.

My reason for loving Boston is not a good one: because my brother brainwashed me and made me love them. At least I have been loyal, as they have been mostly bad for the majority of the time I have loved them (87-present)

Jim, the brother who brainwashed me, however, has the greatest reason for not rooting for the home team: informed decision making. Jim, at the age of 11, did not have any roots to the Jazz or any real reason to like them. My father is not a big Jazz fan, and no one else (friends at school, etc.) were really influencing him to be a Jazz fan. In fact, in 86 the Jazz were not half the local draw they are now, as they had only been in Salt Lake for 7 years. BYU and Utah were much bigger deals locally at that time. So Jim simply watched baskbetball as a child and chose the team he thought was the best: Boston. He has not switched since, which is commendable.

The main error you make is in thinking that we don't root for the Jazz. I know I certainly do, as they are my second favorite team. Some of us aren't so small minded that we can only enjoy one team. I really am a huge NBA fan, so I like a lot of different teams at different times (for example, I loved the Suns of the past few years, but don't like them half as much this year.)

If you prefer just liking one team and following them, that's cool with me, but please don't think that I'm incapable of rooting for the C's and the Jazz, because I am. I guess I am just a big picture fan of the game, not that that is better or worse inherently

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written by O Storm!, January 28, 2009

5. You live in Utah

You've been date-Raefed!

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written by dogpissjones, January 28, 2009

5. Not being alive to root for your home team because you just killed yourself because you live in Utah and have to cheer for the Jazz.

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written by Teancum, January 28, 2009

You take that back!

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written by Scotty B!, January 28, 2009

If I lived in Utah, I would not root for the Jazz because they would fill my life with disappointment. Also, having to look at Kirilenko and Okur all the time would cause eye soreness. And on top of everything, the fact that the two best players in franchise history were cheap shot artists makes rooting against the Jazz justifiable. Plus the Jazz have wussy colors. And the name doesn't fit with the town. I could go on and on.

I'm sure glad I live in Portland and I can root for the Blazers. Can't wait to dominate your miserable franchise on Saturday.

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written by Cal Korver, January 28, 2009

Coming from the man who's team has already lost to us this season. . .twice. . .without some of our top players. . . .twice. . .

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written by friend of the blog Jerry, January 28, 2009

STANDINGS. See ya saturday.

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written by Teancum, January 28, 2009

I don't believe your brother in that he didn't have any real reason to like them. Living here is reason enough! Tsk tsk. Maybe I can cut him a break since he was just 11, but then again, he's messed you up for life!

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written by CB Jack, January 28, 2009

Worst comeback ever...."Standings?"

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written by Hug-N-Kiss a Blazer! , January 29, 2009

5. You don't even know Utah has a team because you have spent you life riding your bike around town, knocking on doors, and handing out pamphlets that everyone ends up throwing away in the garbage.

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written by Carson Daly (Blazer's fan), January 29, 2009

I had a paper route, but we didn't have to knock on doors. We would just throw the newspaper on people's porches.

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written by Hammy, January 29, 2009

First it was only two years of knocking on doors, not our entire life. Second, my 3rd and 4th wives are ex-Blazer cheerleaders so at least I have that. Third, try and come up with an original "all Utahn's are Mormons" blast. The same old jokes are just not funny anymore.

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