12/5/14

Fandom: Does Living in a Certain City Make You a Fan?

In Pittsburgh, many people are fans of the Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers. One of the main reasons why this is so is that these people have grown up supporting these teams. It is, however, not uncommon to be a fan of a different team. For example, Toronto has the Blue Jays, Raptors, and Maple Leafs. Since hockey is number one in Canada, wouldn't you think that most Torontonians would be Maple Leafs fans? No. I have noticed that several people are fans of the rival Montreal Canadiens since they are considered Canada's team. Also, I have noticed several Torontonians who are Pens fans. I have another example that I have also witnessed. I got to approximately 25 Pirates games every year. The past two seasons, there has been a couple who sits next to me. They usually bring their infant son with them. When they come to games, I notice them decked out in their Pirates apparel. This is how it usually is unless the Colorado Rockies are in town. I learned that they are actually from Colorado, but they live in Pittsburgh. I can say that I am a Pirates, Penguins, and Steelers fan, but I also have an affinity for the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays as well. I find it quite interesting how people living in different cities can be fans of teams in other cities.