American Sport Following

[SamTheGuru]

Apologies if this has already been discussed but it hasn't come up in any of the related topics or searches. It is something that has always intrigued me as I have never been to the states; but I do not understand the concept of the sports following in North America.

I am hoping some American Blues can provide some insight. I have seen British people talking on programmes in US and Canada trying to explain sport following (particularly football) as a permanent affiliation (without causing offense - a religion). From what I understand, people generally do not support a team in North America, they watch sport in a similar spirit to watching the boxing? I am completely ignorant in this subject and I would like to open up people's experiences.

My story? I was born in 1987 and got City forced upon me from the age of about 4. I started collecting all city pogs and completing the city sticker books and then went to a few games from Cornwall to a couple of a odd games. By the age of 9, Dad and I were doing an 16 hour round trip from Cornwall to watch the game and back every other Saturday with Season Tickets. Over the years, fuel, drink, food, and ticket prices have changed to the point that we try to get up a few times a season and probably costs in total about £300 a go.

Going back to the original question, I am interested to know how sport works in North America?

 

[SamTheGuru]

Just looking at the general threads in off topic, please could a mod move this to General Football?

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I'm not American, but I think the answer to your question might be to look at the geography. Look how big the country is and then look how many professional sports teams they have. It becomes pretty clear that the vast majority of people don't have a local team to support and getting to the game of your nearest team could be impossible. It's probably why college sports get such huge crowds.

I've had a lot of American friends while living abroad and I can't say that any of them follow a particular team in the same way that most of my British friends have a football team and actually make the effort to watch most games.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Just looking at the general threads in off topic, please could a mod move this to General Football?

Do you want to know about sports following in America or just football?

Football or soccer is a minor sport in the USA.

 

[SamTheGuru]

Do you want to know about sports following in America or just football?

Football or soccer is a minor sport in the USA.

I suppose "Soccer" or other sports if not, and whether that affiliation exists.

 

[Barcon]

I suppose "Soccer" or other sports if not, and whether that affiliation exists.

I imagine most sports have long time season ticket holders just like anywhere else.
Away games are out for obvious reasons.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

I suppose "Soccer" or other sports if not, and whether that affiliation exists.

Has to be in this forum then not general football.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

I imagine most sports have long time season ticket holders just like anywhere else.
Away games are out for obvious reasons.

It’s also true that travelling away support when compared to England is much reduced on continental Europe too.

 

[WNRH]

The answer is franchises and geography. Name any team formed more than 30 years ago and there will be a high chance they will have moved two or three times from their original place.

The main NBA team in the state of Michigan is the Detroit Pistons. If you live in Grand Rapids, that’s a good 2 and a half hour journey to your local team.

 

[leithblue]

It depends, is the classic answer. I can only really speak to the NFL and even there it depends. You can look at teams like Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Buffalo, all industrial northern cities where the NFL team is a large part of that city’s identity, the fans are deliriously obsessed with their team and many do travel around the country following home and away. New Orleans is an interesting one where hurricane Katrina bonded the team and the city incredibly closely (in part as the Superdome was so relied upon in the aftermath as shelter and the centre of recovery) and that bond has endured.

On the other hand you get the LA teams - Rams and Chargers - both of which have relocated to the city in recent years. LA has a history of hosting franchises and then losing them, so it’s probably difficult for local fans to get too attached. Both teams are notorious for having home games where the away fans outnumber the home - both travelling fans and Buffalo/Detroit/whatever natives that have moved to California turning up.