It’s no secret two of my loves in life are the NFL and Pokémon. I therefore decided to combine the two with a little ‘Choose your starter’ post, where I talk about the different ways you can choose which team you want to follow.
Being from the UK, it’s hard to decide who is best to support, as you won’t be supporting your home town, so what can you think about or look for when deciding who to follow? It’s one thing being interested in the game and enjoying it, but having a team to dedicate your focus to makes the game so much more enjoyable, as every game has an influence on how your team will finish the season. Let’s look at the different things I’ve advised people to think about when choosing their starter.
Holiday Locations
I am a massive New York Giants fan, and the reason I chose that team is because when I made the choice in 2014, the only place I had gone to in America was New York. It was the only place I felt like I had a proper tie to, so that made logical sense. It helped that I knew the franchise had a good history, so there were no immediate drawbacks, but ultimately it just came down to where I had been first. Your decision may be your favourite location, or somewhere you dream of going. There doesn’t need to be much logic, just enough of a link to help you make that decision.
Logos or Uniforms
This is probably not as much of a common reason, but I have always told people you can choose what pushes you towards a team. If you become hooked on the NFL like I did, it won’t be long before you are buying jerseys, hats and scarves etc. Finding a team with a logo you like, and a colour scheme that you think looks cool is actually important because it will help you get more invested in the team you choose. With my wife, I showed her all 32 logos and she happened to choose the Jaxsonville Jaguars logo. She loved the teal and black colour scheme as well, and we have now been to multiple Jags games including one in Jaxsonville.
Team Success & History
Some NFL franchises have been around for over a century, and some have only been around 20 years. If it’s important to you to pick a team with a long history and legacy, then some teams will jump out more than others. The New York Giants were established in 1925, whereas the Houston Texans came about in 2002. The Giants have 4 Superbowls, and the Texan’s have 0. A team that has had success in the past in my opinion makes it more likely they will succeed in the future, as the DNA of the franchise is more solid. If you want a team with six Superbowls, the Patriots are the one to go for, but without Tom Brady, they don’t look quite as hot, so it’s not a guarantee.
Current Best Team
With this one, there is likely to be a lot of debate, although currently anyone who says it isn’t the Kansas City Chiefs is deluded. When you make your choice, you will be more likely to connect and buy into the team if they are more likely to actually win quickly, as nobody likes losing. Going on a betting site and seeing who have the best five odds would be a good starting point into who would be a good choice. There is no guarantee they will win of course, but no team who had the best odds to win the Superbowl going into the season has ever only won 4 games…..don’t fact check me on that!
Current Worst Team
If you want to do the opposite of what I just outlined and actually pick a team least likely to win now, therefore buying into the idea it will be a rebuild and take time to see your team have success, you could just look who the worst teams are. The sense of achievement may then be greater, and teams do turn it around quickly. The Bengals had the worst record in the NFL a few years ago, but got to the Superbowl two years later. Those fans are now hugely optimistic before each season.
Here are a few other quick reasons to choose a team:
- First team you saw live
- Has a very good quarterback
- Family member also supports or has a tie to a team – Work connections to a certain place
- You like the name
- Your favourite film or TV show was set there
The list could go on and on, but ultimately the conclusion I am getting to is that you can choose your own reason. I’ve given a good list of initial ideas for how to choose a team, but it can be whatever you think of and whoever you want it to be. My best advice, pick a team and enjoy it because the NFL to me is my biggest passion, and when you do buy into it, you will love it too.