So, after a little bit of deliberation on the subject of my favorite Premiership team, I’ve ended up right back where I started… with Manchester City. I sorta rooted for them last season, but didn’t make the firm commitment. And I’m still not sure I’m giving them the firm commitment, but I’m at least going with them on a trial basis.
And for those of you who could care less about soccer and/or my rooting interests for any sport, you can skip this post. I certainly wouldn’t blame you.
In addition to Man City, I briefly flirted with Tottenham and West Ham. I liked West Ham for a few reasons… the movie Green Street Hooligans not insignificant among them. If you haven’t seen it, rent it sometime. And then just stop the movie as soon as Elijah Wood gets back to America and pretend that’s the end. It’s better that way, trust me.
I also liked the “Forever Blowing Bubbles” song, but it occurred to me that I’d never ever have anyone to sing it with. If West Ham wins a big game, and I take to the streets singing “Forever Blowing Bubbles” at the top of my lungs, all it’s going to do is confuse people and excite men named “Bubbles.” So that was a bit of a downer.
The other thing that attracted me to West Ham was the fact that Clint Dempsey could soon be a transfer target of theirs, and I think Clint Dempsey is the man. But you can’t choose a favorite team based on a favorite player. It doesn’t last.
Once upon a time, I like the New York Rangers because Wayne Gretzky played there… and when Gretzky retired, I found that I hadn’t really grown fond of any of the other Rangers, mainly because, at the time, they were an extremely poorly run organization who employed players who had many vaginalistic qualities. Mistake on my part. And rather than “pick another favorite team,” which you just can’t do, I had to give up the sport all together.
I was really intrigued with Spurs, too, but to be perfectly honest, Bill Simmons selecting them kinda turned me in the other direction. Not that I don’t like Simmons, I do, but I just didn’t want to go the same route. It’s a shame, too, because having a logo comprised of a “cock and ball” would’ve made me positively giddy. But it felt like that badwagon was getting a little crowded.
Which brings us back to Man City. The two biggest factors: the uniforms, and the fact that they’re called “Man City,” which lends itself to a nearly endless stream of jokes about my own sexuality, and I didn’t want to pass that up. I’ve already got nearly a year of experience with them, too, so… it’s probably a bad idea to just throw that away.
But again, this isn’t yet set in stone. I’m certainly leaning that way, and I can’t really predict when it will cement itself. Sometimes, you just have to let a favorite team choose you. So I’m adopting Manchester City right now on a trial basis. We’re dating right now. Manchester City and I are seeing each other exclusively, but we’ve decided to hold off on the physical part of our relationship for the time being. But I hope to be putting the wood to Man City a few weeks into the season. We’ll see how it goes.
PostmanE
Completely agree on the Tottenham thing – they were my team in Fifa (and thus, in real life) until Simmons went with them. In Fifa I was forced to take a job with Roma; in real life, I’m not so sure.
July 26, 2006 at 5:30 pm
Antgrad
Oh dear. You know when you wake up in the morning, turn over and then realise what a bad decision you made the night before? Get ready for a deja vu about 2 months into the season.
July 26, 2006 at 7:03 pm
boo boo
If West Ham wins a big game, and I take to the streets singing “Forever Blowing Bubbles” at the top of my lungs, all it’s going to do is confuse people and excite men named “Bubbles.”
That’s just fucking priceless!
July 26, 2006 at 7:06 pm
danks
Southampton will be back in the Premiership next year bitches, and will roll your City bitches.
July 26, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Knots
and we built it on Rock and Roll
July 26, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Trent
Come on you Palace! Sort it out!
At any rate, good luck to you and Man Citeh this year. Let’s hope Claudio sorts it out as well.
July 26, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Delicious Pundit
Dude, don’t give up on the Rangers. I remember those guys up in the blue seats at MSG in their Adam Graves sweaters. They were laying out some big cash to see their sucky organization. Actually, between the hopelessness of being a Ranger fan and the Ranger-Islander derby, it’s probably pretty similar to being a Premiership fan.
Also, me, I root for Crystal Palace, but only because a friend of my wife’s has season tickets.
July 27, 2006 at 12:53 am
Edward
Sorry, Southampton will be back in the Premiership? How? Are the rules changing, or something? Because…and you may not have noticed this…the Saints actually gag on their own balls every time they get on the pitch. Which makes it hard to win promotion.
There are two good things about City. (1) They’re managed by a guy whose nickname is ‘Psycho’. (2) They are not and never will be Man United.
July 27, 2006 at 3:11 am
Trent
Wow, two Palace fans on here. Must be some kind of record.
July 27, 2006 at 6:22 am
Edward
Well, two palace fans in general is a record, isn’t it? Although I was rooting for Palace to stay up two years ago. I have an irrational hatred for Portsmouth, S’hampto and West Brom. I have a rational hatred for Fulham, Newcastle and Boro.
July 27, 2006 at 9:38 am
Jaron
Unless you pick Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal your happiness will be limited to placing fifth.
July 27, 2006 at 11:14 am
Fish
Much like Postman I had picked Tottenham last year as my team, watching them and playing them on the Fifa. I even like a bunch of the players now, but I don’t know how to react to Simmons picking them. I feel so trendy and a little dirty. What to do…what to do…
July 27, 2006 at 12:09 pm
ian
Honestly, what is with all of these Americans picking mid tier Prem sides to root for? If you are going to follow a sport taking place on another continent, don’t you want to support a team that is the title mix? Appearing in the Champions league? A team with world class players on it?
Picture it from the opposite perspective. It would be like a Brit deciding to pick a baseball team and going with Toronto or Philly – decent enough teams but unlikely to actually matter in the end.
Note: This above post doesn’t mean I condone shameless Chelsea bandwagon-jumping.
July 27, 2006 at 3:33 pm
Fish
I like Robbie Keane he is a badass, Aaron Lennon is fun to watch as is Jermaine Defoe. And having a dutch guy with dreads and sunglasses is pretty darn cool. They play in London and are not going to be relegated.
Everyone is an Arsenal, Liverpool, Man U, or Chelsea fan, so I chose to go a different route. Unfortunately for me I picked a year ago and now Simmons picked them too.
July 27, 2006 at 6:52 pm
amstertom
been a City fan since i moved to amsterdam 7 yrs ago, mainly cause only people from manchester are city fans, kind of like people from chicago are sox fans, and suburbanites are cub fans…and i hate united!
but as good as Psycho is, it’s gonna be a looong season for us
July 27, 2006 at 6:55 pm
YNBA
As a Liverpool fan, good on you for picking City. They’re not the best team around, but the rival of my rival is my . . . friend? Or something like that, at least. Welcome to the Premiership!
July 27, 2006 at 7:07 pm
DaveR
Blue moooooon…… you saw me standing aloooooooone….
July 28, 2006 at 9:52 am
Jeff
I know you have already decided on a premership team, but I thought you would really like this site. It is a survey of the number of supporters in england for each team, and has data like “When compared to the average UK football supporter, Chelsea supporters are More than twice as likely (164% more likely) to have been to a beauty salon or spa in the last three months”
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/press-releases/2006/490/
July 28, 2006 at 5:10 pm
Mark
I’ll never understand Americans fascination with the EPL.
I guess it stems from Tommy Smyth being the main commentator in the states.
Sad.
Cimbom!!
July 28, 2006 at 5:50 pm
Mr Twickle
So, it’s City vs Southampton in the FA Cup today then. I note Southampton are STILL not promoted…
Watch Bradley Wright-Phillips score twice today, it’s always the way, especially with the Blaues!
January 28, 2007 at 4:02 am