Blogathon # 14: My favorite Sports Team…

Time Posted: 3:31pm EST

I spoke too soon, cause no sooner did I post that last entry, both boys woke up from their naps and are watching taped episodes of Backyardigans and Lazytown off the DVR.

So with that, it’s time to attack another question:

Why you are a fan of the teams you follow?

This one is going to be easy to answer, cause the teams I’ve always followed was based more on geography than anything else. The teams I support and have followed since forever are the Toronto Bluejays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Buffalo Bills. These teams get my support because they are my hometown teams. I’ve watched them play all the time on TV and many times in person since I was young and they’re the only teams I remember rooting for. Out of all of them, I would say I’m a Jays fan first, Leafs fan second, then Bills and then Raptors. The Jays rule as I’m a big baseball fan. It could be any two team in the league playing and I’d enjoy it but I have more fun watching when my Jays are one of those teams. Speaking of the Jays, they’re taking on the White Sox later tonight, so I’ll have something to listen and watch while writing up my entries.

I have been watching Blue Jay games in person for a long, long time. I remember those cold April games in the mid-80’s, long before the Dome was build. Sitting out there on the steel benches of Exhibition Stadium. I went with a few school classes to a game or two, and then went during the summer with my Dad when we attended the Canadian National Exhibition (C.N.E). Here a pic of the old stadium…

Old Exhibition Stadium… this photo brings back some memories.

I can still remember sitting on those cold steel benches about a thousand rows behind the first base line and having all the leg room a little kid could want. Even though I was in the nose bleeds, I still had my ball glove with me… hoping that someone at the plate was strong enough to pop a fowl ball that high and give me something to take home. I remember watch the great Jays of the mid and late Eighties. George Bell, Ernie Whitt, Llyod Mosby, Jesse Barfield, Tony Fernandez and Dave Steib. Those were good times, but the fans didn’t like being out in the cold and rain that much, so we needed a new stadium. In 1989, The Jays moved away from the cold benches of Old Exhibition and into the comfy confines of the new and super advanced SkyDome…

(The SkyDome… as you can see a bit of an upgrade for Toronto fans…)

This place was at the time the only dome to have a fully retractable roof, and that made it a nice improvement from the outdoor benches we had to sit on. Just a nice timbit of useless information, the fans originally wanted to call the new staduim the Conn Smythe Dome, named after the original and much loved owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs… Hokey fans should know that name since the Playoff MVP award in the NHL is named after him. The idea was turned down because they were afraid that people would call the stadium the Conn-Dome. Funny stuff, eh?

The Jays have had some decent seasons, but haven’t made the playoffs since those two championship years in 92 and 93. That’s a little tough to take, but it’s hard for the Jays to make the playoffs when two of the two spending and compeditive teams are in your division. But that doesn’t stop me from cheering for this team or any other team I like. But first and foremost, I’m a Jays fan first… everything else is secondary.

Peter

This year, the blogathon is going to the dogs!

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