Opinion Is it okay to have a "second team"?

[Mr_Plow]

Yes.
Mine is the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Someday soon the Red Wings will make the 2nd round of playoffs...

Who am I kidding, if Carlton made finals 25 years in a row life would be awesome.

 

[TeeJay Blue]

I find it okay to have a second team. I have a second team. I don't follow them as hard. It is rather a case of me not minding them succeed.

Does that make me a traitor? HECK NO! I'm a passionate blues fan through and through. My team goes before any other and I would kill just to see them make history once more in my lifetime.

 

[Cripps17]

I recall watching Collingwood v Bulldogs Round 13 2014. It was a decent match as a neutral, and I loved how the Dogs went about their footy. I hadn't paid them much attention prior, but recall telling my partner that if I was ever to enjoy following another team, this Bulldogs team might just win me over. As an aside, it was also the only time I'd watched Liam Jones and therefore was quite buoyed with his acquisition.

Anyway since that game I've watched and grown to like the Dogs over the past couple of years. I haven't watched them weekly, but certainly enough to be accustomed to their players, style of play, and story. Entering this finals series then I was quietly cheering them on while not giving them much chance. Then came the wins and what a way to make the grand final - an almost perfect finals series heading into the grand final. Probably silly but the universal support during grand final week annoyed me a bit, if only because my quiet support of almost 3 years now had been lumped amidst a general population hoodwinked by a fairy tale notion.

I sat down to watch a team play off yesterday for the ultimate prize after closely witnessing their rise and almost feeling I had been apart of their journey. As the universal love proved, no one could begrudge them success and surely only Sydney supporters would be unhappy with a win. Then of course they won, and my first and prevailing though after all this was **** them. Seriously **** their bullshit favoritism with the umps, **** their young players tasting the success champions like Simpson never will, and **** their supporters knowing a feeling I've not known since reaching double digits.

Whether or not it's 'ok', and while I may be happy for family supporters, I've certainly learnt I couldn't give a **** about any other than the Blues.

 

[thylacine60]

As an added query to the OP, who would you follow if Carlton fell over? For me it's either Dogs or - please kill me - Norf.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

No one. I'd just follow the sport.

 

[mediumsizered]

As an added query to the OP, who would you follow if Carlton fell over? For me it's either Dogs or - please kill me - Norf.

If Carlton fell over, I would get my winter weekends back.

 

[mikeythemoocow]

Northern Blues or gtfo

 

[Das2Blue]

I must be getting old , 30 years ago people never said they had a 2nd team, now today some young lady tells me Bulldogs are her 3rd team behind Essendon and Carlton...that is just wrong on so many levels

 

[mickelboy182]

If you have a second team you're not really a true supporter in my eyes. Goes for any sport. Having soft spots for certain teams is one thing, trying to claim them as your own is another.

 

[Neku]

If you have a second team you're not really a true supporter in my eyes. Goes for any sport. Having soft spots for certain teams is one thing, trying to claim them as your own is another.

I'm a bit confused about the difference between a second team and a soft spot... which is why I put second team in quotation marks, I'm not really sure how to define it.

 

[Weiterbot23]

Absolutely not

 

[Dramoth]

Northern Blues or gtfo

Preston Bullants (or the Preston Red Legs if you are old enough) or GTFO...

But honestly... in the old VFL, I used to have a soft spot for Fitzroy because we were friends with the Wilson's and the Serafini's... but I never supported them.

But realistically... I do support other teams... the Bullants, Perth Glory, the Eels, Manchester United, the Raiders.

But realistically... apart from the Bullants... all the other teams are just distractions for when Carlton isn't playing.

 

[Mr_Plow]

If Carlton dissolved I'd follow lawn bowls or something.

 

[perthblue]

Not really sure how/why you'd have a second team. some neutrals celebrating the Dogs flag like it was their own club was pretty baffling.

if I'm watching a neutral game then I'll generally pick a side to barrack for on the day, this is usually a fairly arbitrary selection.
but really it's Carlton or die.

 

[perthblue]

if Carlton folded I would only tune in for the finals. otherwise my passion & support would be diverted to the Perth Demons.

 

[perthblue]

Are there any circumstances under which you'd stop barracking for the club?

I think if we were caught cheating the cap again I'd find it hard to get on board

 

[Navara79]

Melbourne Victory is my second team

 

[GoBlues!]

I'm a bit confused about the difference between a second team and a soft spot... which is why I put second team in quotation marks, I'm not really sure how to define it.

You're confused because you sort of follow two teams.........pick one ffs and you'll be okay.

I'm happy for the long suffering Bulldog fans breaking their 62 year drought, and also the way they went about it (from 7th, and knocking off the Hawks saving us from the un-****ing-bearable gloating from Hawk supporters). Also admired the coaching style of Beveridge and the team culture he's developed. But it ends there - being happy for a game result in GF is not supporting a second club.

I hope we generate our own winning culture/style and kick their arses next year.

 

[Smegger]

As an added query to the OP, who would you follow if Carlton fell over? For me it's either Dogs or - please kill me - Norf.

Norf! go out and neut yourself.

 

[sosos]

My second team is whoever Richmond are playing.

 

[2ndeffort]

One of my best mates is a Fitzroy supporter, tells me they havent lost a game in years! He doesnt recognise Brisbane as Fitzroy and refuses to follow any other footy team, he is an AFL member and he just goes along to games but doesnt have a team anymore. if Carlton folded this is what I would do.

 

[Blue Doormat]

My second favourite team all through the 80s was the Saints. They were a home for old blues and never really threatened to challenge so it felt safe to support them. Oddly enough my support disappeared when they got good and we were really poor. I think that makes me a bad sport but I don't care. When it comes to anything Blues related my maturity and objectiveness disappear.

So until the Blues come good and I'm in a position to deal out pity, no, it's not ok to have a 2nd team.

 

[Neku]

You're confused because you sort of follow two teams.........pick one ffs and you'll be okay.

I'm happy for the long suffering Bulldog fans breaking their 62 year drought, and also the way they went about it (from 7th, and knocking off the Hawks saving us from the un-*******-bearable gloating from Hawk supporters). Also admired the coaching style of Beveridge and the team culture he's developed. But it ends there - being happy for a game result in GF is not supporting a second club.

I hope we generate our own winning culture/style and kick their arses next year.

I don't want to be misconstrued, I'm definitely a Carlton supporter 100%, I watch all of their games, keep up with the news, I'm a dedicated Carlton fanatic!

I do have a fondness of North Melbourne in the sense that if Carlton weren't in the top 8, and north were, I'd want north to win the final over any of the other teams due to them being my mums team and me not minding them, but I don't watch all of their games or follow them like I do the blues. Some people call it having a soft spot, others think of it as a second team, I don't know what to think of them as, I just would rather them succeed than any of the other clubs who are playing (besides Carlton of course), but it would still obviously suck because Carlton wouldn't be at the top

 

[Bluella]

Am I missing something in the interpretation of 'second team'? A second team is just the most-favoured of the other 17 teams, not something to rival one's support of the first team. All this self-righteousness about people not being true supporters because they like one other team above the 16 others is horseshit.

 

[Neku]

Am I missing something in the interpretation of 'second team'? A second team is just the most-favoured of the other 17 teams, not something to rival one's support of the first team. All this self-righteousness about people not being true supporters because they like one other team above the 16 others is horseshit.

That's what I always thought it was.