Fear the Crab

For anyone here with even a passing interest in professional sports, the impetus to choose a franchise to root for can sometimes involve complex mathematical calculations. Hawai`i is not the only state without a professional team, but unlike states on the continent, neighboring teams aren’t a simple stone’s throw away.

I think many people here do follow certain teams based on proximity. California can be considered the “closest” neighbor, and by consequence a number of professional teams in that state have been “adopted” by Hawai`i locals. I know a telephone book’s worth of people who cheer for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, and an equal number for the San Francisco 49ers. The Los Angeles Lakers in basketball is always a popular choice.

Baseball seems to have a more widespread audience here. I’m not sure if it’s a result of the long history of little league baseball in Hawai`i, with its tradition of borrowing professional names like Cubs, Reds, and Pirates. It seems likely that you might have some kids who would turn to the professional teams for inspiration. However, I played little league, and I didn’t find myself cheering for my team’s professional counterparts.

I’m sure popular culture goes a long way in attracting the fair-weather fans. I’ve seen many Yankees and Red Sox hats being flaunted about. Basketball jerseys from the Spurs, Suns, Cavaliers, and Heat are worn both on and off the court. Football apparel from the Eagles and Patriots seem quite popular.

I haven’t mentioned the possibility that people who move to Hawai`i from other states bring their favorite teams with them. The sheer number of transplants from military assignments alone is enough to bring a diversity of die-hard fans, and it is only added to by the amount of people who come to the islands for their own personal reasons.

I was asked why I chose the teams that I follow, and with one exception, my choices were made by video games:

~ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I’ve liked this football team since they wore the creamsicle colors and were the laughing stock of the league. For those two reasons, I chose them when I started to play Tecmo Super Bowl III, because I liked whooping ass against the stronger teams. The Bucs have since strengthened my commitment with a Super Bowl win.

~ Detroit Red Wings: There aren’t a lot of hockey fans in the islands, and I won’t go into the many theories as to why this is so. Despite the lack of media coverage here, I’ve liked the Red Wings because of their long history as one of the Original Six. Their logo and simple color scheme of red and white is probably the cleanest and most recognizable in the sporting world. My appreciation for them was solidified in part by NHL 2K, where it became VERY easy to distinguish the many players on the ice. I’m quite happy that they’ve just won their 11th Stanley Cup.

~ Seattle Mariners: The only team I cheer for NOT decided by video games. I started to follow the Mariners from my college days at Puget Sound in Tacoma, and Seattle was the state favorite. I entered into the mix with players like Ken Griffey Jr, Randy Johnson, and the iconic Jay Buhner. I had long hair at the time, and it was always a joke that I would attend one of the games on “Buhner Buzz-Cut” days to get it all shaved off.

Represent!