Have you ever quit following a sports team?

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I was talking to a buddy today, and we were lamenting how as kids we loved baseball, but now no longer follow it.

 

i was a die-hard Mets fan (would probably watch just about every game on TV), and knew everything about the Mets and MLB.

 

in 2002, when they threw dumb money at Mo Vaughn, decided to try to outspend the Yankees, and fired my beloved Bobby V, I basically quit following them (and baseball) cold turkey. 
 

Anyone else doing something similar? 

[Another Fan]

I grew up in New Jersey and used to like the Devils in the 90s.  It helped they were good then as well.

 

After Martin Brodeur retired I couldn’t tell you player on the team.  The Devils didn’t really do anything to turn me off my interest just completely faded over time.

 

It helped as well I used to know a fair amount of fans and went to school with them.  Today I lost touch with all those people.  
 

 

Actually ditto the NY Knicks and the Nets once they moved to Brooklyn.  

[May Day 10]

In a way, I have done that with the Sabres.  

 

They used to be my top team, even over the Bills.  I was probably known as "that Sabres guy" by acquaintances, and would watch 100% of maybe 98% of all games between about 1987 and 2015 or so.  

 

Present-day, I barely watch at all, a few of these seasons probably not a complete period.  I still "follow" them, as I know when their games are and if they win or lose.  I know who most of their players are.  I used to know the entire league, but now have a familiarity with about 10% of the players.  The league overall bores me for a few reasons, but mainly the irrelevancy of the Sabres. 

I actually still own Sabres ST, had cancelled around 2020, they talked me into returning, and I thought Id want to take my kids, but I dont enjoy it.  When Im there, the team is boring and I want to leave early.  I tried to cancel last year, but they trapped me on small print.  I won't make that mistake again.

 

This ownership has destroyed the franchise.  Once they go back to the red and black uniforms full-time, I am going to cut that thread that still binds me to the team and be gone forever.  

 

 

I actually returned to baseball big-time to fill the void.  I was way into it as a kid, and love it again.  Plus NFL and NCAA football interest me.  I have fun watching the Bandits too

Edited September 20 by May Day 10

[Augie]

I have never given up on a sports team, but the Buffalo Braves gave up on me. It took decades, but I eventually gave up on an entire professional sports league. I don’t even watch the NBA Finals now, though I do still enjoy college hoops (despite the portal is testing me). 

 

I don’t consider moving away from WNY giving up on the Sabres. There was no way to follow them back then, and eventually I gave up on hockey entirely. 

 

.

Edited September 20 by Augie

[Your Brown Eye]

Nope. Since childhood I have liked the Bills, Sabres, Cleveland Indians/Guardians, NY Knicks. I would say college-wise I have softened how much I have followed Syracuse football due to them falling off the map, so I just kinda follow a few teams casually, I still follow SU basketball though pretty strongly

[BillsPride12]

As a kid I was a huge Chicago Bulls fan.  Yeah of course it was an easy time to hop on the bandwagon but I was a fanatic.  Even after Krause broke up the MJ Bulls teams I still claimed them as my team and always considered myself a Bulls fan.  They had that brief resurgence with Derrick Rose around 2010-2012 that was alot of fun.  But I have just completely lost interest in the NBA.  Even though I love the city I have no personal connections to Chicago either so I just reached a point where I was no longer a Bulls fan anymore.  But I will always have the childhood Nostalgia from the 90s Bulls.

[Simon]

3 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

In a way, I have done that with the Sabres.  

 

Ayup.

This season will likely be the first time in over 10 years that I sit down and watch a Sabres game.

[EmotionallyUnstable]

In pee wee ball, I was traded from Tops to Denny’s. Never went back. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

1 hour ago, BillsPride12 said:

As a kid I was a huge Chicago Bulls fan.  Yeah of course it was an easy time to hop on the bandwagon but I was a fanatic.  Even after Krause broke up the MJ Bulls teams I still claimed them as my team and always considered myself a Bulls fan.  They had that brief resurgence with Derrick Rose around 2010-2012 that was alot of fun.  But I have just completely lost interest in the NBA.  Even though I love the city I have no personal connections to Chicago either so I just reached a point where I was no longer a Bulls fan anymore.  But I will always have the childhood Nostalgia from the 90s Bulls.

I kind of wonder if that was the issue with the Mets for me. I am from WNY. Liked the Mets because they were on TV when I was a kid, but otherwise I have no connection to NYC. And being a bills fan, it’s a bit uncomfortable to root for a big market team. 

[jayg]

Any hockey team in Richmond, VA since 1975, they all moved or folded. ☹️

[Simon]

18 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I kind of wonder if that was the issue with the Mets for me. I am from WNY. Liked the Mets because they were on TV when I was a kid, but otherwise I have no connection to NYC. And being a bills fan, it’s a bit uncomfortable to root for a big market team. 

 

Almost exactly the same for me re: baseball.

Grew up in Bills country (NW Pa) and got all the Yankees games on TV during the late 70's and became a fan.

Now barely pay attention to MLB at all.

 

[Just Jack]

The only team I follow is the Bills, so nope.

 

But back in my college years, during March Madness, I'd follow the tournament, even though I had no clear favorite.  I just like the thought of one game and you're done, watching the lower seeds beat higher seeds, etc.  Now, not even close to what I used to do.  

[Orlando Buffalo]

I am the odd one, I followed and loved the Yankees growing up but when I moved to FL I switched to the Rays on 2007. Basically I have never been to Yankee stadium  and enjoyed going to Rays games at the Trop. As for complete dropping of league I had 6 years of NBA season tickets for Orlando Magic but now watch no NBA because the players don't care. Too many games they don't even try hard to win.

[ProcessImproverMan]

I kind of fell off with the Sabres after Lindy Ruff and Ted Nolan were let go back to back and Eichel turned out to be a piece of *****. Eichel's behavior was the last straw. 

 

Now that Ruff is back I'm willing to give them another chance. He was our last competent coach. 

 

I also had the Panthers as another football team I liked simply because of Cam Newton being such an exciting player. Dropped that team when Newton left. 

[SinceThe70s]

6 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I was talking to a buddy today, and we were lamenting how as kids we loved baseball, but now no longer follow it.

 

i was a die-hard Mets fan (would probably watch just about every game on TV), and knew everything about the Mets and MLB.

 

in 2002, when they threw dumb money at Mo Vaughn, decided to try to outspend the Yankees, and fired my beloved Bobby V, I basically quit following them (and baseball) cold turkey. 
 

Anyone else doing something similar? 

 

As a Mets fan who just got home after witnessing a God-awful loss a part of me envies you. 

[BillsPride12]

9 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I kind of wonder if that was the issue with the Mets for me. I am from WNY. Liked the Mets because they were on TV when I was a kid, but otherwise I have no connection to NYC. And being a bills fan, it’s a bit uncomfortable to root for a big market team. 

I think when your a kid it doesn't matter as much to but as you become an adult and you have other things going on in life I think it makes a big difference in your level of attachment to a Sports team.

[qwksilver]

Same With Baseball. When they cancelled the WS in '94 then the roids issues, I haven't watched a ball game since.

[Another Fan]

10 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

As a Mets fan who just got home after witnessing a God-awful loss a part of me envies you. 

At least the Braves lost last night 

12 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I kind of wonder if that was the issue with the Mets for me. I am from WNY. Liked the Mets because they were on TV when I was a kid, but otherwise I have no connection to NYC. And being a bills fan, it’s a bit uncomfortable to root for a big market team. 

Getting older and traveling more I hear that.  It's pretty fake of me to call myself a fan but there's teams like the Sabres, Reds, and Pirates where I'm like yeah it'd definitely be cool to see them do well.

 

I would definitely have added the Cleveland sports teams there but the Indians name change was kind of a turn off to me and the Browns going so in on Watson 

Edited September 21 by Another Fan

[Jauronimo]

20 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

In a way, I have done that with the Sabres.  

 

They used to be my top team, even over the Bills.  I was probably known as "that Sabres guy" by acquaintances, and would watch 100% of maybe 98% of all games between about 1987 and 2015 or so.  

 

Present-day, I barely watch at all, a few of these seasons probably not a complete period.  I still "follow" them, as I know when their games are and if they win or lose.  I know who most of their players are.  I used to know the entire league, but now have a familiarity with about 10% of the players.  The league overall bores me for a few reasons, but mainly the irrelevancy of the Sabres. 

I actually still own Sabres ST, had cancelled around 2020, they talked me into returning, and I thought Id want to take my kids, but I dont enjoy it.  When Im there, the team is boring and I want to leave early.  I tried to cancel last year, but they trapped me on small print.  I won't make that mistake again.

 

This ownership has destroyed the franchise.  Once they go back to the red and black uniforms full-time, I am going to cut that thread that still binds me to the team and be gone forever.  

 

 

I actually returned to baseball big-time to fill the void.  I was way into it as a kid, and love it again.  Plus NFL and NCAA football interest me.  I have fun watching the Bandits too

This is sad but I get it.  It was a little better under Granato but this team was so tough to watch win or lose through many of these drought seasons.  Sloppy hockey can be fun to watch, bad hockey can be fun, but the Sabres had literally no entertainment value for years on end. Krueger made it unbearable.  I hope the Sabres turn it around and you can rekindle your passion for the team because turning to baseball is the most depressing thing I have ever heard.  

Edited September 21 by Jauronimo

[dpberr]

Absolutely.  Divorced the Pittsburgh Pirates back around 2017 after a lifetime of being a fan of the team.  Why invest your interest and money in following a team owned by a guy (Bob Nutting) who refuses to invest in it?  As long as he owns the team, the Pirates will be a loser franchise.  

 

Started following the Twins - have a sneaking suspicion the Pohlads are just super-wealthy cheapskates themselves, who are content skating by with a good, but not great team.