I think a person becomes a fan of a team that they were exposed to in some way or other, be it because of the region, or someone in the family, or a friend. When my dad first moved to NY, he had a thing for the Yanks. Eventually, he and his young family settled in Brooklyn and grew to appreciate, and even like, the Dodgers. Dad moved the family to LA not long after the Dodgers moved, so the family grew up rooting for them, even though Dad still had a bit of a thing for the Yanks. So I grew up with the Dodgers on TV, and everything Dodgers because of the local connection to them.
On the other hand, we weren't a football family, so my early exposure to the NFL came via TV, or people I knew. On the TV, the Cowboys were often on, as it was the time they were becoming America's Team. I had a friend who I'd throw the ball around with who would pretend to be Roger Staubach leading the team to victory. So the Cowboys seed was planted even though I had no connections to Texas. My sister went to UCLA, so at about the time I was becoming a football fan, the 'Boys drafted one Troy Aikman, out of UCLA; yet another somewhat obscure connection. So naturally I gravitated to the Boy's because of my early exposure to them and have been a fan ever since ('89), even though I grew up in Rams, and for a brief time Raiders, territory. And if my kids ever become baseball or football fans, I feel they will be fans of the Dodgers and/or Cowboys because of their exposure to them through me, even though they spent their lives in "enemy" territories (from Arizona, to Denver, to N. Cali/Bay area).
However, once I became a fan, I couldn't dream about changing my allegiance. I may boycott certain aspects of the team, ala with the Dodgers and McCourt, but, as with the Dodgers, I continued to root for them and remain a fan of the team.
I think changing teams is simply bandwagon garbage.
"For the overwhelming majority of us, it's not as irrational as you make it. It's simply a case of "root, root, rooting for the home team",....cause if they don't win it's a shame."
By that same extension, if you went to a Kings games at Staples & it was against the Angry Penguins would you root, root for the home team 'cause if they don't win it's a shame? Or would you root for the Angry Penguins because that's more a part of your youth? You grew up rooting for the Penguins. It stands to reason you would favor the Penguins over your latest adopted city.
So it's not all about going with the flow, Ron. Some people {Boron for one} remain Dodger fans even though they may move far away. Going with the flow is weak, IMO. Los Angeles is a magnet for people from all over the country. The world really. I've found most sports bars cater to out of towners. Or recent immigrants to LA. It's a place where they can meet up with fans of the cities of their origin. Or at least fans who aren't devout LA fans. Maybe you should give that a try & stick with your teams a bit more than you apparently do. There's no shame in wearing a Pirates cap in Los Angeles. The guy next to you might be wearing a Braves cap. I seriously doubt those fans have adopted the Dodgers as a fall-back option in case their teams lose.
"But, I'd always root for LA to have homefield - so that I can actually attend the games."
That would tip the balance for you? No childhood memories? No hero worship of players you grew up watching & the teams they played on? Just whether or not you have the option of attending the games? It's an 'event?' Not a celebration? Sorry. I just can't imagine thinking that way. If I moved to St. Louis {which I hear is a great baseball town with a storied franchise} I know I would still root for the Dodgers every time against the Cardinals. Whether the Cards were vying for first place, or the Dodgers were in the cellar.
"..(that question assumes that the "sac" in your name means that you live in Sacramento, and feel connected to that area)..."
Yes, but for some reason, I don't feel connected to the area.
My first and foremost allegiance is to the Cowboys, but I also do root for the Raiders as my AFC team (but that came about from their time in LA, not my current proximity to them), but I don't know how I would respond if Sac got a team. I may develop a liking to them, but I don't think I would become an actual "Fan" of them. I hate the Kings, for example, but that may be because of the Lakers, even though I'm not really a basketball fan.
For some reason, I've always hated the local teams of whatever city I lived in. But that may also have something to do with the teams I liked. For example, I lived in Omaha for a time, and their closest pro NFL team were the Chiefs, who were division rivals of the Raiders (incidentally, I hated the Cornhuskers during my time there). Same when I lived in Denver (but I've always hated the Broncos), which also had Dodger rivals, the Rox. And when I lived in AZ, the Cards were still in the same division as the Boys. And of course the Dbags being Dodger rivals. And now I get the wonderful Gnats, and the Niners, whose NFC championship games with the Boys in the 90's helped me develop a deep rivalry-type hatred for them.
But in my adult life, the homerism many of the local people have for their local teams really bugs me (wierd, I know) and is one reason why I end up hating the local teams (that's why I absolutely hated the Huskers). So I really don't know if I'd be able to root for a local team even if they didn't have a rivalry with my favorites.
In hindsight, I may be the exception to the rule.
"It's an event and a celebration,.........and a game."
If it's just a game why are you here everyday? Seriously. I'm not trying to be a smart alec. Why do you 'needle' fans like Bulldog & Al about their teams? Why do you question the loyalty of fans like Frida because she doesn't have the MLB TV package? If it's just a game to you do you flip the board over when you lose at Monopoly?
So on the one hand we're all supposed to be loose & casual. On the other you take swipes at people who live in different cities or root for the Knicks & or Rangers, in addition to the Dodgers. That makes no sense. The Dodgers came from Brooklyn, not Pittsburgh. If anyone would have the right to root for the Dodgers & two New York teams it would be New Yorkers. Right?
"If you loved St. Louis more than any city in the world, and you were pround of your home - you'd probably root for the Cards and the Dodgers. But, I'm not interested in extensively speculating on your personal reaction. We'll just have to wonder."
Thanks for not drawing any conclusions on what I might do. Oh, wait. You just did. Then you took it back. But it's still there. So which is it? I can be proud of my home & my heritage at the same time, Ron. I know me better than you do.
You may be right. I always felt like a visitor, too. The only place I liked and felt a connection to - though I didn't realize it until after I left - was Tucson. Which may explain why once the Cards moved to the NFC West, my dislike for them went away. I even find myself rooting for them from time to time, but I don't dislike them the way I still dislike the other teams of the cities I lived in - even their college teams (except U of A).
So there may something to how feeling connected to the city influences your connection to the local team.
I think changing teams is simply bandwagon garbage.__________________
Couldn't agree more.
And 1 team per customer
So it's not all about going with the flow, Ron. Some people {Boron for one} remain Dodger fans even though they may move far away. Going with the flow is weak, IMO. Los Angeles is a magnet for people from all over the country. The world really. I've found most sports bars cater to out of towners. Or recent immigrants to LA. It's a place where they can meet up with fans of the cities of their origin. Or at least fans who aren't devout LA fans. Maybe you should give that a try & stick with your teams a bit more than you apparently do. There's no shame in wearing a Pirates cap in Los Angeles. The guy next to you might be wearing a Braves cap. I seriously doubt those fans have adopted the Dodgers as a fall-back option in case their teams lose.__________________________
And this a winner post! You get all the bacons!