The ultimate test to determine if you are one of the most annoying and obnoxious sports fans known to man - the front-runner! It's pretty simple, really. List your favorite team in the sports you follow with a brief explanation why you are a fan. I'll go first to provide a sterling example.

NFL - St. Louis Rams
Was born and raised in the LA area. The Rams were still around back then, and my Dad had been a fan for decades.

NBA - Portland Trail Blazers
Current Oregonian. Dad was born and raised in Oregon (before moving to LA), has been a fan his entire life and passed it on.

NCAA Football - University of Oregon
See above, with the added fact my Dad attended UofO.

NCAA Basketball - University of Oregon
See above, with the added fact my Dad attended UofO (and was on their Basketball team).

MLB - Don't watch/follow

NHL - Don't watch/follow

NFL - Detroit Lions/New England Patriots (Dad was born and raised in Michigan. He raised my brother and I alone, so we grew up rooting for them. See NCAA Football for Patriots)

NBA - Detroit Pistons (See above)

NCAA Football - Michigan Wolverines/ASU (Attended ASU. See above for Michigan. Also cheer for all/most Michigan grads.)

NCAA Basketball - Will cheer for Michigan Wolverines, but don't follow.

MLB - Detroit Tigers (See NFL. Will cheer for Red Sox)

NHL - Detroit Red Wings (See NFL)

MLB: Yankees (basically the only team you get to hear from outside the US. They were the first team I heard of when I got interested for the game. That was during the time they struggled mightly by the way)

NFL: Giants (My interest for the game was sparked in 88 by a video game called TV Sports Football. We didn't get a single frame of football in germany at the time. I always played the Giants mostly because I liked New York and I've been true to them ever since)

NBA: Mavericks (out of patriotism to Dirk)

NCAA Football: Boise State (Don't watch much college sports, but thanks to the Fiesta Bowl they won my heart)

NHL and NCAA Basketball: I have no interest in

Baseball: Chicago White Sox (I live in Chicago and black and white is way cooler than blue red and white. Also the Cubs suck and their fans are yuppies.)

Football: Chicago Bears (I live in Chicago. Only Chicago football team)

Basketball: None. I hate basketball

Hockey: None. I don't follow Hockey.

Tennis: Currently: Federer. Main reason why: I hate Pete Sampras and want to see his record go down.

All time: Goran Ivanesavic Yeah he could be a jerk sometimes to the chair umpires, but I loved his play and the emotion he wears on his sleeve. Him FINALLY winning Wimbledon after so many years of losing in the finals (damn Sampras) was my 2nd favorite sports moment for all of sports. (first being Chicago White Sox world series victory)

I was born in Washington D.C. and lived there for two years. If the redskins were to make it to the superbowl I would probably back them no matter who they were facing though they are not my favorite team.

NFL: Tampa Bay - became my favorite team in 98.
NBA: L.A. - no team is funner to watch
NHL: Pittsburgh
MLB: Boston - team I have fallowed the most since I started playing baseball back in 2000, they were always the team I wanted to win for so long.
Tennis: Nadal

MLB: Cleveland Indians
I didn't care about sports until my parents introduced me to Omar Vizquel in a Cleveland mall. Naturally, after the meeting, I started following his stats, which soon translated into following the entire Cleveland team. Most of my extended family (and part of my immediate family) resides in Cleveland, too. Although I'm Washington born and bred, the Orioles never interested me, even when Ripken was on the team.

NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers
When I first got into basketball, Chris Webber got caught with marijuana possession. To an eight-year-old, marijuana is as bad as rape and murder. So, I quickly attached myself to the Cavs, instead of the Wizards. I'm glad I did, even if they were painful back in the late-90s.

NFL: San Diego Chargers
I was a weird kid (I really have no explanation for this one). My parents weren't die-hard Redskins fans and Cleveland's old Browns franchise moved to Baltimore before I cared about football. I think I had an infatuation with all-things California, so I followed the Chargers. Plus, my older sister liked them! I'm not big on football, though.

NHL: Washington Capitals
See above - I'm a Washingtonian. Also, I used to idolize Bondra and Adam Oates back when I played hockey.

NCAAB: University of Maryland
See above. I live in Maryland, about five minutes from DC. Had it not been for the exciting UMD/Duke games of the late-90s, I'd probably attach myself to Georgetown - my dad's college.

NCAAF: Ohio State University
See above. About 2/3rds of my relatives went to OSU. Plus, my grandfather briefly played on the team, before transferring schools. And they're good! Being a Cleveland fan is hard enough, but imagine if none of my teams won anything.

NCAAH: Cornell University (duh)

NHL: The Oilers. I live in Edmonton, and have all my life.
CFL: The Eskimos. See above.
NBA: The Suns. Nash is a Canadian, and so am I.
NFL: The Steelers. Not really sure, maybe just cuz Roethlisberger is a man-beast.
MLB: Used to be the Expos, until they left. I hate Toronto.

Don't follow any college stuff.

Raptors in the NBA and Jays in the MLB, easy to see why, I'm Canadian and I pretty much only get those teams' games. I also take the Yankees side in terms of the great divide, don't ask me why, I always have.

Football, um, I'm not really exclusive to anyone, I don't really like football that much, but I guess I'll go with the Steelers. I like "Ben". I also somewhat cheer for the Giants, again I've just always taken the NY side in that rivarly and I like seeing them succeed or some reason.

Hockey, the Leafs. It pains me to say that. Though I have a hard time getting every one of their games so I'm not as exclusive as I am to say the Raptors.

Come on. Are you serious?

I hate the Leafs even more than I hate the Flames, I think.

NFL-The Patriots, and I have to say for the fairness of this thread I have really only been a fan from '97 but also its because before that I was six.

MLB-Red Sox, my one true love. Again not old enough to live through the truly terrible stuff but I had to deal with '03, oh how I hated '03.

NBA-Celtics, Again a recurring theme here. In case you were wondering I stayed by them through the terrible years and am too young to know there winning ways.

NHL-Flames, don't ask me why I think when I was little I liked the name and they have since been my NHL team though I don't gollow the sport closely.

College-Boston College-Used to be UMASS until I realized their games were never on so I picked the next closest college team, GO MATTY ICE.

Tennis:Roddick, he'll break out someday just watch its coming,

I can't help it, they're such a crazy mess that I end up rooting for them. They're like the goofy kid that's been beat up for sixty years and can't do anything about it. Maybe it's just the extra media exposure, but it feels like they're one of the few teams with color and personality... players like Tucker don't come around much anymore.

But for the most part, they were the team I cheered for when I was younger... so it's stuck. I don't hate when the Oilers do well, but for some reason their finals run didn't give me half the excitement or butterflys I expected. I think I got more excited about Calgary's actually, because it was the first time I'd been around for a Canadian team in the final.

NFL - Detroit Lions/New England Patriots (Dad was born and raised in Michigan. He raised my brother and I alone, so we grew up rooting for them. See NCAA Football for Patriots)

NBA - Detroit Pistons (See above) Also the only AZ team I like. Grew up with the Gorilla and their old theme.

NCAA Football - Michigan Wolverines(See above for Michigan. Also cheer for all/most Michigan grads.)

NCAA Basketball - Will cheer for Michigan Wolverines, but don't follow.

MLB - Detroit Tigers (See NFL. Will cheer for Red Sox because Curt Shilling is my favorite ball player and its my bros team.)

NHL - Detroit Red Wings (See NFL)

The Wolverines are the team I care about most.

Hmmm...

I'm tempted to rank the levels of front-runners here, but I think I'll just keep that to myself.

All in all, I'm pretty impressed with everyone's allegiances.

MLB: Boston Red Sox - I have family in MA and as a kid they got me hooked and I've been a huge, huge fan since then.
NBA: Phoenix Suns - This one's just recent. I'm a big fan of everyone on the team (especially Amare Stoudamire).
NCAAB: Florida Gators - Born and raised in FL so they became my team when I was young. My best friend and his family are huge fans (parents graduated from there) and I got to learn a lot by watching games and such at their house. I've been following ever since.
NCAAF: Florida Gators - See above.
NFL: Buffalo Bills - My dad has always been a fan so he got me hooked on them.
NHL: Philadelphia Flyers - My aunt is from PA and is an obsessed hockey fan. She got me hooked on the Flyers. I was a big Eric Lindros fan back in the day.

Shack, I, too, pick NY over NE. Especially in baseball. Though the Red Sox are an older team, the Yankees define baseball nostalgia. If that's what American culture is about, sign me up.

Being from Michigan justifies liking the Pats?

I'm lost.

MLB: Sox
NFL: [ats
NBA: C's and LeBron

Where did Tom Brady go to school?

The University of Michigan.

That's all I needed to start liking them. But my/our love has grown for them since.

Since when have you held back???

I kinda wanna hear.

exalcty. remeber watching him play as a Wolverine

NFL - Cowboys [Also like the Colts (Great players & coaches). Hate the Pats]
NBA - Mavs [Also like the Suns (cause of ex Mav S.Nash). Hate the Spurs]
MLB - Hate the Yanks...like any team that beats them.
NCAAF - Longhorns (Hate USC & OU)

NFL - Green Bay Packers
I was a Jets fan up until they got rid of Boomer Esiason. He was the only one I liked. I saw Favre play around 95 or so and grew attached.

MLB - New York Yankees
Live in NY.

NBA - New York Knicks
Live in NY.

NHL - New York Rangers
Live in NY. Hate the Islanders even though I'm from Long Island.

NCAAF - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
NY's adopted team. And I'm Irish and Catholic. And my brother goes there.

NCAAB - Villanova Wildcats
I attend the school. It just sucks I came the year they suck. Used to love St. Johns Red Storm.

Golf - Tiger Woods/John Daly
Front runner here but I root for the American guys. Daly is just hilarious.

MLB: Boston Red Sox - Hometown team.
I've been following them since at least 1992 when I was seven when I sat behind home plate and got Scott Cooper, Mike Greenwell and Mo Vaughn trading cards. Edit: Small one. It was earlier than '94.

NHL: Boston Bruins - Hometown team.
I'm not sure what the year was when I went to my first game, but my first memory of the team is when I went with my father to a Bruins/Flyers game at the old Boston Garden. I remember it so much because I went prepared with earplugs. If I remember correctly, the game ended in a 5-5 tie. I sat with my dad in the last row of the balcony and was so oblivious to what was going on, I was confused when the crowd went nuts when they scored a goal. My dad screamed, "WE GOT ONE!". Been hooked ever since.

NBA: Boston Celtics - Noticing a pattern?
I remember one of my first games. My dad got two tickets to go see a playoff game against the Charlotte Hornets back in 1993 when they had Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Mugsy Bouges. You could never do this now, but something held me up from seeing the beginning of the game, and my dad was holding both tickets by accident. My mom ran up to the ticket guy explaining the situation and he let us run into the Garden and we found my dad and I stayed for the rest of the game. I guess security was lax back in '93.

NFL: New England Patriots - Completing the pattern.
I don't remember anything about the Patriots before 1995 with good reason. I know I watched football because I remember watching Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys and Steelers, but I know I was watching around the '94 era. My first real memory of the team though was the year they went to the Super Bowl. I remember having a big AFC Championship party and went nuts when they beat the Jaguars. I remember not having a Super Bowl party a couple of weeks later and wanting to kill Brett Favre. Just the way he ran around the field like a complete douchebag really pissed me off. But I've come to respect him since (especially when he lost to Elway). I've been onboard since the Bledsoe/Parcells era and I don't plan on jumping off. The same can be said for the three other teams on the list (minus the Bledsoe/Parcells part of course).

Age breakdown

Red Sox: 5 years of age ('92)
Patriots: 7 years of age ('94)
Celtics: 6 years of age ('93)
Bruins: 5 years of age ('92)

I've been an avid Boston sports fan since 1992 and I'm damn proud of it.

All Cleveland. I have family in Jersey so the New York teams are usually my 2nd fav in the sport (besides the Knicks).