Picking Sides

I cannot speak for the fairer sex but amongst men, which sports teams you support is a major source of identity and socialization.  Yet, for many, this identification is not a choice but rather a result of where you grow up or who your father or mother support. 

But for anyone without a natural choice for a team in a given sport, say a Californian teenager interested in European soccer, how does one choose? 

There are a few factors that are usually considered:

Personal connection

Maybe you went on a vacation to London or maybe your cousin lives in Barcelona.  What’s important here is that you’ve established a personal emotional connection with a club and its city.  For example, I studied abroad in Seville.  My host family supported Sevilla FC and would disown me (if a house mother can do that) if I was to support cross-town rival Real Betis or probably any other club for that matter.  Getting to know the people and the city is as good a reason as any to support a given soccer team.

What kind of fan are you?

There are all kinds of sports fans. I think for the purposes of this discussion, there’s only question that really matters: do I need to win? If you can’t imagine supporting a team without a shot at winning it all, you’re going to have about 5 choices in English soccer and 2 in Spanish soccer.  Sure, many more teams have shots at winning league cups and there are always moral victories (we didn’t get relegated!). But you need to know what you’re getting yourself into and to be blunt, if you’re willing to suffer.

Aesthetic Value

If you’re going to dedicate hours to watching a certain team, you better enjoy what you’re looking at.  For me, specifically regarding soccer, this means the team’s style of play.  Many enjoy the intricate passing and ball movement of Barcelona and Arsenal.  Others prefer the balanced attack of Manchester United. Some even praise the defensive anti-soccer approach of just about every team in the Italian Serie A.

Aesthetics can also mean things like the team’s uniforms, their stadium, or even the weather where they play.  These might seem trivial and many of these components are probably evaluated subconsciously, but nobody wants to spend their weekend mornings watching 11 guys in these uniforms for 90 mins.

These are just a few things a newcomer might and should consider in choosing a side.  I know there are countless.  What are some other reasons to support or not support a team?