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I would argue currently the Twins are the most popular team in Minnesota although it alternates from time to time. Throughout the 70's and early 80's the Vikings were clearly the dominant team. From 87 up until the time Kirby Puckett died the Twins dominated as they won two World Series' in this period. From the mid 90's up until 2001 the Vikings were more popular, especially in 98. Then the Twins got good again in 2002 and they've been huge ever since with players like Hunter, Santana, Mauer, and Morneau. If you wanted to go way back, the Gophers football team was hugely popular from 1900 to the early 1960's in which they won 6 national championships although they're nothing more than a blib in the sports scene now.
Isn't it also becoming interesting as to starting to have larger numbers of transplants arrive instate and what that does in terms of fan supports from where they came from?
Yeah, as a transplant myself, I know of more than a few other Buckeye fans living here in SC. Plus for the NBA, despite losing LeFraud, I'm still a Cavs fan, don't really follow MLB all that much any more, but when I do, it's the Indians; and for the NFL the Browns. I will say though that having lived here over 3 years now, I do casually follow the Gamecocks and have watched 3 of their 4 games this season (no way I was going to pay to watch them beat up Furman, heck, I didn't even watch more than 10 minutes of the Buckeye beat-down of Eastern Michigan this past week!) moreso b/c it's good for the city/state morale when they do well - and I just give their fans props for being so loyal & passionate despite essentially being a mediocre program since they started (they are literally like right at .500 in the history of their program). The same for the Panthers since they are on TV here every week. Bobcats, not so much, but I do hope they do well - just not when they play the Cavs!
As for Ohio, think you got it right w/the Buckeyes. All the pro teams are split w/the franchises in opposite corners of the state. I will say, you'll find a fair amount of non-Buckeye fans in the Nati' as they are loyal Bearcat fans, but for the most part, Ohio State football is king of sports in the state.
I am assuming this may be a Duke perspective; honestly the UNC/Duke rivalry just seems plain awesome. I have seen a match up at UNC and want to see a game at cameron (FWIW I am not a Duke fan but a huge fan of college basketball; this coming from a huge Big East and Nova fan, the best wildcats in sports).
See, but the thing is that in NC, it's not just Duke fans who don't get on board with UNC. NC State fans are often even BIGGER ABC's (Anybody But Carolina) than Duke fans, as there are more of them (NC State is a much bigger school than Duke) and they are more often FROM NC than Duke fans/students. Plus you have Wake Forest and others all cancelling out some of the UNC hype, meaning they can't possibly be the STATE's team.
I'd say that the Panthers are probably a better bet, since they don't have an institutional counterpart to draw away from them. You'll find lots of Panthers fans in NC, and very few people who hate the Panthers. That's just not true of UNC or any of the other schools.
For many of the same reasons, the Bears are definitely tops for IL. The Cubs, Sox, and Cardinals all divide baseball loyalties in IL, but the Bears are pretty much it for Football (since the Rams are still establishing themselves in the STL area...).
Now, for SC, there aren't really any pro options, and basketball is secondary, so it'd have to be either USC or Clemson football. I tend to give the edge to the Gamecocks, if only because it's a bigger school and it's in the heart of the state. Some of the cancel-out effect mentioned above still applies, but given that there is no unifying team, let's go Gamecocks.
Location: Cleveland bound with MPLS in the rear-view
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Originally Posted by MN55
I would argue currently the Twins are the most popular team in Minnesota although it alternates from time to time. Throughout the 70's and early 80's the Vikings were clearly the dominant team. From 87 up until the time Kirby Puckett died the Twins dominated as they won two World Series' in this period. From the mid 90's up until 2001 the Vikings were more popular, especially in 98. Then the Twins got good again in 2002 and they've been huge ever since with players like Hunter, Santana, Mauer, and Morneau. If you wanted to go way back, the Gophers football team was hugely popular from 1900 to the early 1960's in which they won 6 national championships although they're nothing more than a blib in the sports scene now.
There was 1 year that the T-Wolves were the most popular -- 2003. The year KG, Spreewell and Cassell were supposed to be enough to take on LA. I didn't like the officiating of that entire series and since then and because of recent convictions, I find the NBA to be a farce and a media tool and I don't think it's a legit competition anymore, so I don't care for it much. Except I like to see "real" players play well, like Kobe, Chris Paul, LeBron (even though I don't like him), etc.
I would say the Phillies in Pennsylvania ever since their 2008 World Series win.
Although the Phillies win is well celebrated.....PA is overwhelmingly a Football state thru and thru
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