A topic which has constantly been intriguing to me is precisely how just how we as British American Football fans get a group to allow for. For all those people on “the various other aspect of the pond” this is not often a simple decision to make.
This particular process is frequently easier for fans in the US, since in instances fans that are many will move to the staff virtually all local area to exactly where they reside or even exactly where they were raised – the same as just how a lot of us stick to teams of “our” football. With just thirty two pro teams, each NFL franchise is usually a significant component of the towns & states they represent. These connections simply do not exist for us UK fans that exist thousands of miles away.
In ways that are many subsequently the independence for us Brits to have the ability to select from all thirty two teams without any geographical link may perhaps be an enviable position for our US close friends. The especially intriguing part of this however is realizing the various reasons behind why we pick the team that we ultimately decide to go by, when we’ve total freedom of choice.
To have gone to a lot of the NFL International Series (IS) video games in London, what’s constantly amazing to get will be the ocean of jerseys you are able to get both in as well as near the stadium, and the different situations which NFL UK wear each year. Spend just a couple hours around Wembley or maybe Tottenham Stadium just before kickoff on an NFL London gameday, and also you will almost surely be equipped to effectively finish a game of NFL Jersey Bingo (try and notice a team jersey, hat,’t shirt of all the thirty two teams) – in case you shop around you will observe someone representing the franchises. There is definitely not an also spread, you will not struggle to locate a fan of the Patriots or maybe Seahawks for instance, and also it might take some time to notice the ostensibly lone Texan; though they are out there!
So exactly how do we end up selecting the NFL teams of ours? It is fair to state that there a probably a wide range of explanations why, and also I would love to dig into several of the potential factors.
Achievement – Everyone loves to win, right? Shop around and it is surely not surprising to find out the brand new England Patriots greatly represented at virtually any UK event.
This rings true for teams that happen to be historically great over a particular time. The Cowboys, Dolphins, 49ers, Raiders & Steelers have almost all had predominant sustained times of achievement within their past and also you will not struggle to locate British followers of these teams.
You will additionally discover that the teams who regularly find a means to win will also get the largest amount of press coverage. Needless to say individuals are going to be much more likely to gravitate to a group that they get playing very well and playing frequently. It is not all that diverse for the variation of ours of football, wherever you will certainly not struggle to locate a Manchester United fan anywhere you’re in the nation. And has now anyone seen all of those Manchester City shirts which appear to be showing up during the last several year, what is that all about?
Underdog Story – On the flip aspect of success will come failure. Whilst this may look like a great reason to definitely stay away from specific teams, we Brits have a tendency to appreciate an underdog story.
For all those that want poking fun at the “bandwagon” followers of the best teams, comes the enjoyment of adhering to an underdog. No person expects the team of yours to win that glossy Lombardi, when it occurs it will certainly succeed all of the sweeter?
Special shout out to struggling followers of the Browns & Lions for this one particular!
And let’s keep in mind the teams that tend to suffer consistent heartbreak like they do not know some other way. 4 Superbowl appearances each for all the Bills & Vikings is a remarkable feat, but nevertheless neither team has managed to come away with one tournament just yet.
UK Presence – As the Jacksonville Jaguars carry on and devote on the UK market, it is normal that fans will begin to lean towards them. Fans fresh to the sport have a fantastic reason to stay within the Jags as you will have the ability to see them live each year right here in the UK. Can it be any wonder that the presence of Jags jerseys have grown since they began coming with each year?
Although they might not be the flashiest or historic most of franchises, the dedication of theirs on the UK in bringing not merely regular activities, but players over frequently for live events and the regular coverage of theirs as well as involvements in different programmes in the UK throughout the calendar year. You will receive no closer interaction with every other franchise in the UK compared to the Jags, which will attract fans.
US Connections – Another common reason behind carrying out a specific team for us Brits will be that very simply we have visited or even holidayed in a specific State or City. Florida is a favorite vacation destination, therefore it is so easy to find out exactly why teams such as the Dolphins, Jags and Bucs might be common to some.
Others may have family contacts about in the US, and also in those circumstances it is really likely that you might select to adhere to a team simply because a member of the family lives in closer proximity of a specific staff.
NBA/NHL/MLB Fandom – Something which appears very common will be the connection between someone’s favorite staff in a single sport carrying throughout to various other sports. In case you are a fan of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, you may feel an all natural draw to the Chicago Bears of the NFL.
US area media coverage is likely to spread throughout the many teams inside many other sports, therefore you are more likely to perceive as well as pick up coverage associated with various other teams of that community, and yes it might be the main reason you begin to go by a particular team.
Colour Scheme – This might look like a far fetched reason behind following a certain team, but it is quite an appropriate reason behind some. When you are likely to represent the favorite team of yours with jerseys, clothes, headwear etc you are likely to need to be at ease with the team’s colors!
You will find huge explanations why we Brits decide the favourite team of ours, with family connections, to adopting a group according to a certain favorite player. All of us have the various reasons of ours and it is intriguing to know and comprehend why.