Who Do NEPA Residents Favor In Sports...NY or Philly

[notkaplan]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Nobody ever said Monroe County was full of smart people...

Touche'

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Nobody ever said Monroe County was full of smart people...

Ouch! Get him, Summering! Break out your Tae-Bo moves and karate chop his derriere!

[JCannon]

Philly

[go phillies]

Since Monroe County is full of Mets fans, they must be masters at the Heimlich manuever from all the choking...

[CHIP72]

I've never lived in northeastern PA, but I did grow up just south of there (Lehigh Valley), both of my parents grew up in NE PA (father in Bloomsburg, mother in Berwick), and I've also studied this issue both formally and informally for a number of years (my master's thesis was about pro football fansheds in Pennsylvania). Here's my 2 cents about NE PA fan patterns (thinking specifically about Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area and the areas in NE PA that don't have heavy transplant populations):

BASEBALL
The 2 most popular teams by far are the Phillies and Yankees. I think they are fairly close in popularity, probably with a small edge to the Phils. Obviously the Yankees have some fans who were NYC area natives that moved to NE PA, but many Yankees fans in NE PA are native to the area. Back in the 1950's when my father was growing up, the Yankees were covered a lot on radio/TV in NE PA. I think my father and his best friend growing up nicely illustrate NE PA baseball fan patterns - my father (as well as his father and one of his brothers) was a Yankees fan growing up, though the Phillies were his National League team, and his best friend was a Phillies fan.

In areas that have a huge percentage of non-NE PA natives (i.e. Monroe and Pike Counties), there are obviously higher numbers and percentages of Yankees and Mets fans. There aren't many native NE PA Mets fans though, and there are hardly any native Pirates fans either.

FOOTBALL
There are 3 teams that are particularly popular - the Eagles, Steelers, and Giants, in that order. Like the Yankees, the Giants also were covered a lot on radio/TV many years ago and there are a decent number of native NE PA Giants fans. Many people in the traditionally blue collar NE PA can easily identify with a team called the Steelers. There aren't many Jets fans in NE PA besides transplanted New Yorkers.

HOCKEY
I suspect the Flyers are still the most popular team by a fairly solid margin, but the Penguins have probably gained a lot of fans in the last 10 years due to the farm team. Prior to the late 1990's, there were few Penguins fans in NE PA. Unlike the Yankees and Giants, there are few NE PA native Rangers fans; most Rangers fans are transplants.

BASKETBALL
The 76ers and Knicks are the most popular teams, though these teams (as well as the hockey teams) are nowhere near as popular as the popular football and baseball teams.

[Pike]

What I don't understand is
1) Why are there so many Steeler/Penguin fans but so few Pirates fans?
2) Why are there are more Steelers fans than Giants fans?
-I would think since the Giants are much closer and since people commute to NY not PIT...they would have the most of any?
3) Why there are so few Rangers fans?
-Again, I would think since the Rangers are closer and people commute there, they would have a lot.

Do a lot of people in NEPA criss-cross?
-Root for Philly in one sport and NY/PIT in another?

[njmike]

Always was and always will be a New York fan---Baseball mostly.

[MovingOutOfNJ]

Forget the Rangers... GO DEVILS lol

For the comment on why people would prefer a Pittsburgh Team over a NY team if the drive to NY is closer...
my favorite baseball team is in Arizona.. Just the way my allegiances drew out.

I think the choice to root for a team in pittsburgh as opposed to NY may stem from PA Pride/Loyalty/Brotherhood if you may.

Growing up across the river from NY you kind of get tired of most of the teams....

i.e. i like the yankees, hate the mets... i hate the giants and the jets (patriots fan)...hate the knicks and the nets (suns fan) and i was never big on hockey but have to pick the devils over the rangers and the islanders.

again.. im an nj native and i like the phillies in the national league , mainly because Phillies Fans hate the Mets too :-D I can get along with them on that.

I like the eagles for the same reason (beat the giants)

My comments really are just that i dont really think, with the advent of national TV and Sunday Ticket packages etc... that fans are limited to their geographical areas any more to pick their favorite team.

[rcb1966]

Luzerne County - Eagles, Sixers, Phillies, & Flyers. Pittsburgh is second. NY based teams third. I do root locally for SWB Pens & SWB Yankees.