Drove through Knoxville this morning and stopped at a gas station. Inside was littered with UT (understandable) and surprisingly Broncos gear. Not just P. Manning stuff......... just everything Broncos. 1. Is that not odd? 2. If MSU somehow produced an NFL great would you become a massive ______ fan? It just really threw me off.
MSU player -----> NFL fan?
- Thread starter esplanade91
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I would not change allegiance but people that were 10 year's old in 1997 and may have not selected an nfl team yet may have gone with Peyton. Those people are now 26 years old and prime consumers. I know a lot of rebel kids that love the Giants too. Hell I along with a lot of people my age became Giant fans because of Will Clark.
I have no NFL team allegiance. I liked the cowboys and 49ers some as a kid. They were the hot teams when I was coming up, Jerry Rice and Troy Aikman and whatnot. If Tyler Russell became the starting QB for the Ravens, I would become a diehard Ravens fan. I hate the Ravens now. I grew up purely an MSU sports fan. We rooted for the SF Giants because of Clark and company, but had no allegiance to any other pro team. All of my friends are Saints fans, but I could care less about the saints. Archie and Deuce, that's OM' bag if you ask me. Hell, I have rooted for the 49ers in recent years just because Dixon is there and he barely plays. To answer your question, I would definitely pledge allegiance to a pro team if they had an MSU player in a starring role.
ETA: I have all kinds of reply issues. I hit reply to thread at the bottom of the page, but it didn't reply to thread. It replied to alcodog.
ETA: I have all kinds of reply issues. I hit reply to thread at the bottom of the page, but it didn't reply to thread. It replied to alcodog.
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I root for any NFL team that has an MSU player. I root for any MLB team that has an MSU player. I root for any NBA team that has an MSU player. The more the role of the MSU player, the more I pull for that team. I root for the 49ers partially because Dixon is there. I rooted for the Falcons when Jerious was there, the Rams with Culberson, the Seahawks with Wright, the Raiders when Kelly was there, the stinking Buffalo Bills for Moulds and now White, the Patriots for Love and now Kelly, the Vikings/Skins when Smoot was there, the Colts for Ballard, the Eagles for Chaney and Cox, etc. The 49ers have long been my team since a relative played for them years ago, but any team that has a Bulldog on it gets some love.
I always cheer for the MSU players but don't necessarily cheer for the team.
I know a guy that grew up a UT fan and still is but then went to Ole Miss. So he is a big Colts (now Broncos) fan and also a huge Giants fan. PICK A 17ing TEAM.
I know a guy that grew up a UT fan and still is but then went to Ole Miss. So he is a big Colts (now Broncos) fan and also a huge Giants fan. PICK A 17ing TEAM.
To me this is one of those sports litmus tests. If, for example, you’re a “true” Saints fan, then don’t say you’re torn about who to root for when they play the Giants/Packers/Colts/etc. Nor should your team allegiance switch because a player leaves. I’m a lifelong Saints fan and an Ole Miss fan, but I have zero problem rooting against Eli when it benefits the Saints. I casually root for Eli as a player and want him to do well, but it’s always secondary to rooting for the Saints. If you’re torn on who to root for, you’re really more of a fan of the player than the team.
Related: Do you automatically root against NFL players (or their teams) because they played at Ole Miss? I generally like to see players from MS do well regardless of where they played college ball, but there seem to be a lot of MSU fans who automatically root against Eli/Giants (and by the same token I’m sure there are Ole Miss fans who root against NFL players who played at MSU). This has probably intensified now that both schools are putting up billboards about NFL players’ successes and using it for recruiting.
Related: Do you automatically root against NFL players (or their teams) because they played at Ole Miss? I generally like to see players from MS do well regardless of where they played college ball, but there seem to be a lot of MSU fans who automatically root against Eli/Giants (and by the same token I’m sure there are Ole Miss fans who root against NFL players who played at MSU). This has probably intensified now that both schools are putting up billboards about NFL players’ successes and using it for recruiting.
Most Knoxville folks are either Titans, Panthers, or Falcons fans. The reason there's Broncos fans is because they were popular in the late 80s and 90s with Elway. Just like there are still a lot of 49er fans in Mississippi and it isn't necessarily because of Dixon or Willis.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. It's fine to be a UT fan and say you cheer for the Colts or Broncos. For most people, though, it's not accurate to say you're a Colts or Broncos fan. I know more than one person who, after Peyton left the Colts said, "I'm no longer a Colts fan." If one player leaving means you're no longer a fan of that team, it most likely means you were never a fan of that team.
I'm a Saints fan down to my core, but I'm also a fan of the game in general... so obviously I like and dislike individual players and appreciate teams for their contributions (or lack there of, I ironically pull for the Jags and Bills against the Patriots the better teams). Fantasy Football is one of my favorite things in the world, and the more I've become a fan the more I've started watching non-Saints games and that's just increased my fanhood of the NFL in general.
So to answer your question, I don't think it's that crazy to pull for or against individual players. When Boobie plays the Saints I hope he loses but loses in a respectful manner (4 ypc, maybe 50+ yards, perhaps a TD?). I grew up on the coast where Favre is a legend for 10000 different reasons, so I pulled for him when I got to an age to really understand who he was and I still have a lot of hate in my heart for the Packers for the way they did him. I've gotten to the point where I'm able to separate NCAA careers and NFL careers. As a Saints fan I love Archie. I have a framed signed picture of him in a Saints uniform. I DO hate his son Eli though, and it has nothing to do with Ole Miss... I just think he's one of the most overrated QB's in the league and the way he did San Diego he doesn't deserve any random appreciation from a guy who has nothing to do with the Giants or Ole Miss (here's the part where you insert comment about how I actually do hate Eli because I'm an MSU fan and that he isn't overrated because he has 2 SB rings). I can't stand Roddy White. If he somehow got traded to a team like the Rams I'd be rooting even harder against the Rams that I would in just a random outting between the Saints and Rams. Everyone has to like MJD and Megatron. Fun to watch, pretty intelligent and humble guys.
The only time there was any NCAA feelings towards any non-MSU player in the NFL for me was Deuce, just because I never forgave him for knocking the **** out of Shivers with his helmet when he was on the sideline, busting out the huge fight. 1998 Egg Bowl maybe? Even then, I could care less really... I just didn't accompany everyone else with the "Deuuuuuuuuuuuuuce", I still wanted him to rush for the 1st down. I think he deserved a ring in 2009, for what its worth.
Saints = Mississippi State. I like them equally. That's probably not the consensus on this board, so I understand if people think I'm nuts for liking Archie. Even as a Bear he's still one of my favorite talking heads. No bias in his broadcasting, at least in my opinion. Bear Bryant said Archie Manning was the greatest QB he ever saw play, then Archie said Tebow was the greatest he's ever seen... and both of those guys have seen/fathered great QB's. Always stood out to me.
Exactly. Best example I have, and this is really as low as it gets, is my friend who showed up to the SB party we had when the Saints played the Colts wearing a Manning jersey. Claimed she was Peyton's biggest fan and was a DIE HARD Colts fan because she grew up in Tennessee (like this was some kind of justification). The day he was released she donated the jersey to the thrift store. Watches Broncos games every sunday. Gets in your face about "your" team. Can't name a single Colts players from Manning's time there or any current Bronco other than him.
No, there was a ton of Broncos gear in Knoxville because of Peyton Manning. It was the same reason I saw Broncos stickers on people's cars. If that really were the case I'd see Broncos gear everywhere, no just Knoxville, TN. The reason you see Steelers, 49ers, and Cowboys gear in gas stations in Mississippi is because there is no NFL team in that state so whatever national chain gas station that is just sells nationally recognized franchise merchandise at the counter... usually the 3 greatest dynasties in the league because those are the safest bets.
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Only if the player is a superstar that defines the team
or is the quarterback. In that case, it has to be super common number of Panther fans in Alabama probably skyrocketed 2 years ago.
or is the quarterback. In that case, it has to be super common number of Panther fans in Alabama probably skyrocketed 2 years ago.
That is ******** I know 30% of them and all three of them jumped on that Minnesota Wagon REAL quick. Hell one of them had been a "lifelong" Saints "fan" and was pulling for the Vikings in the Championship game.