And when it comes to reading sports card blogs, I'm the exact same way. So it's not surprising that one of my favorite posts each year is Night Owl's 30 Team post, where he ranks all 30 MLB teams based on how much he likes them.
His favorite team is obviously the Los Angeles Dodgers, while his least favorite team is their interstate rival the San Francisco Giants. It's the teams in between along with the cards he chose to represent each team that makes the post interesting.
Every year I mentally contemplate my personal list. This year... I figured I'd share it with you. However I'm not as dedicated as Night Owl. I'll be narrowing my list down to my five favorite and least favorite teams, because I don't really have any strong opinions on the twenty teams in the middle.
Since I'm already copying Night Owl's idea for a post, I figure I'd better at least switch up the baseball card set. He chose the iconic 1993 Upper Deck set, because it's his favorite UD set.
I decided to go with my favorite Topps design: 1956. Unfortunately, I don't have the pleasure of owning that set, so I'll be using cards from the 2005 Topps Heritage set I picked up a few years ago.
#1: Oakland Athletics
2005 Heritage #155
This shouldn't be too big of a surprise. If asked to rank my favorite sports franchises, the A's would still be ranked #1. I have been a fan of the Green and Gold for as long as I can remember.
#2: San Diego Padres
2005 Heritage #349
Another no-brainer. I've been a Tony Gwynn and San Diego Padres fan since the mid 80's.
#3: Houston Astros
2005 Heritage #261
There's definitely a huge gap between #2 and #3. I'd never go as far as calling myself an Astros fan, but I am a huge Jose Altuve fan. Plus it was really cool seeing them win their first World Series title last November. If the A's and Padres can't win the World Series... I'd have no problem seeing the Astros win back to back titles.
#4: Seattle Mariners
2005 Heritage #7
He's back. And because of that... the Mariners have climbed my team rankings. Seattle is one of my favorite cities and they're one of the seven remaining MLB teams without a World Series title.
#5: Atlanta Braves
2005 Heritage #273
I've watched more Braves games over the years than any other team outside of the A's and Giants. It's been more than a decade since I've had TBS, but throughout the 90's, I spent a lot of time watching Chipper, Maddux, Glavine, and company. Good times.
Okay... now that you've seen the cream of the crop... let's shift to the bottom of the barrel:
#26: Los Angeles Angels
2005 Heritage #33
Back in the 80's, I kinda liked the California Angels when they had guys like DeCinces, Downing, Carew, Boone, Grich, and Lynn. Fast forward 30+ years, I'm not as big of a fan. Although I'll quietly be rooting for Ohtani this season.
#27: Texas Rangers
2005 Heritage #375
The Dallas Cowboys are one of my least favorite franchises in all of sports and they play about a mile away from the Texas Rangers. I guess you can say this is a prime example of being guilty by association.
#28: San Francisco Giants
2005 Heritage #61
It wasn't long ago that I despised the San Francisco Giants. Their popularity in the Bay Area has skyrocketed over the past few decades, while the Athletics fanfare has been on the decline over the same period of time.
I don't necessarily hate them anymore. But I wouldn't be surprised if this is the highest you'll ever see them on my rankings.
#29: Los Angeles Dodgers
2005 Heritage #30
When it came down to the Giants and Dodgers, I had a tough time choosing between which team I liked/disliked more. I don't hate either team, but I don't like them either. It came down to who I'd root for if I were at a game... and now that the Dodgers have built this super team, I think I'd end up cheering for Buster Posey and the Giants. Unless Kershaw was one the mound. I love watching that guy pitch.
#30: New York Yankees
2005 Heritage #400
Night Owl always reserves (I think) the final spot on his chart for the San Francisco Giants. On my list... that spot will always be claimed by the New York Yankees and I have twenty-seven reasons to back it up.
Well... there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this post, because that's about two hours I'll never get back. I tip my cap to all of the bloggers out there who write detailed posts with tons of scans. I'm gonna go back to short and simple posts. That's more my style.
Until then...
Who are your least favorite sports teams?
Happy Tuesday and sayonara!
16 comments:
Mine are pretty obvious and boring. I'm an avid Chicago fan so any rivals/nemesis of my teams, Cardinals, Mets, Dodgers, Padres, Packers, Vikings etc. I grew up hating the White Sox. Since, in my lifetime the Cubs have never faced them in the World Series I have no animosity toward the Yankees. I am pretty sick of the Patriots, though I liked them just fine in 1986. ;)
In baseball, I'd have to say it is the Nationals, with the Phillies right behind. As a Mets fan, it is easy to hate those two teams.
In football, it would be the Ravens, then the Steelers. I can't say that I actually wish for a Black Sunday to happen when those two teams play, because I would never actually wish for that, but I can never figure out who I would prefer to win when those two teams play.
I can’t stand the Yankees or ‘Bama. Since I’m a Detroit fan, I don’t really care for most of the teams in the AL Central or the Cardinals or Giants.
I find it very interesting that two of the other four AL West teams are in your top five and the other two are in your bottom five. Such a polarizing division!
I'm an anti-Yankees guy, but the teams I *really* want to see lose are the Flyers and Islanders.
I really can't stand the Miami Heat. Never have, never will. It doesn't stop me from collecting their cards or watching their games, but I want them to lose when I watch them. 99% of other teams, I'm just happy to enjoy watching the games.
I don't have any NHL team I dislike, but I would say the Ducks are my least favorite.
In NASCAR, I can't stand Joe Gibbs Racing. All the drivers I dislike tend to end up there, last year they had three of my 4 least favorites in the sport. This is a problem that only really began in 2005. They actually won the first race I ever saw, what luck!
Lovin the Braves move back into a respectful position.
I don't know why, but I love it when everyone ranks the Yankees last or close to last.
People assume the Giants will always be last on my list, but that's not necessarily the case. I've detested the Yankees for a lot longer and there have been several times when I've considered placing them last. There's always a chance.
But there's also the Diamondbacks, a team that's done so many stupid things in such a short period of time that I won't put it past them to do something so massively idiotic that I place them last.
Least "favorite" teams?
NFL lately the Patriots, but always number 1001 oops er number how many teams are there 32? Oh yeah since I'm a lifelong Redskins fan the Cowboys have been my number last team. I can still respect some of the players but I despise the team. Not a huge fan of the Eagles either but glad they beat the Pats in the Super Bowl this year.
Baseball I used to really really hate the Yankees now I just dislike them a lot (The Cowboys I think are now the only team I might go as far as to "hate"). As a Nationals fan the Braves and Phillies are low on my list as well. The Marlins some years ago I sort of liked but now I dislike, ditto with the Mets. Oh no love for the Diamondbacks and not really the Astros or Angels.
Hockey the only team I like are the Caps. I might learn to be a Las Vegas Golden Knights fan just because they are brand new. I dislike the Penguins and Bruins.
Basketball my only fave team is Bullets, now Wizards very tired of Celtics, Bulls
OH this post also reminded me of this song by the Go-Gos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68DHXqQXM64
I used to hate the Yankees, but they've been downgraded to "disdain". I think that's largely because I haven't lived on Long Island in over 20 years and don't have to deal with Yankees fans being in my face every day.
Growing up in the shadow of New York City, a lot of adults around me were bitter and resentful towards the Dodgers, and I believe I picked up on that. I still have strong feelings against the Dodgers.
The Nationals organization and fans can be very arrogant even though they've never won a postseason series. They round out my bottom three.
Seeing Night Owl's lists and enjoying them, and yours, makes me want to do the same thing as I find it fascinating and it might help me to think about those teams in the middle -- it would be hard to rank some of them because I just don't know a lot about them. Hmmmm. Will have to ponder. Because I'm in the Boston market (geographically, not the restaurant!), I'll have to say Boston Red Sox are my least favorite team. They lost me in 2011 with the Chicken-and-Beer thing that short circuited their season. I still like going to games at Fenway... how could I not!
Red Sox, entire NFC East except my Giants amd especially the Patriots
hackenbush - padres? how can you hate one of the worst teams in baseball ;)
angus - steelers vs. ravens. hmmm... it'd be interesting to see how the majority of browns fans would vote.
jeremya1um - i'm starting to feel the same way about 'bama. don't hate them... but i enjoy rooting against them.
p-town tom - lol. figured someone would point that out.
brett alan -in hockey... i can't stand the kings and red wings
billy kingsley - don't watch basketball... but if i had to pick a team i dislike, it'd be the celtics. the ducks would be my 3rd least favorite nhl team.
john miller - i miss watching the braves on tbs. they were so loaded back in the day and watching maddux was like watching an artist at work.
the lost collector - lol. you're the kid who keeps talking in class, so the rest of the class has to stay in during recess ;)
night owl - i'll believe it when i see it ;)
captkirk42 - i'm like that with the yankees. despise the team, but respect some of the players. as for those knights, how cool would it be if they won the stanley cup during their first year in the league.
shlabotnikreport - glad you brought up the fans. they're honestly the biggest issue for me.
peter k. steinberg - man, i hope to one day attend a game at fenway. and even though i dislike the yankees, i'd love to go to a game at yankee stadium too.
sport card collectors - i didn't like the patriots for years, but i've kinda grown to admire brady and his greatness.
Think George Orwell. ;)
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