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I've always been curious as I don't remember North Carolina before professional sports came to town. Before the Panthers, Hornets, and Hurricanes came onto the scene, what professional teams did North Carolina root for? I know the Triangle pulled for the Redskins, but what about other sports?
Personally I pulled for the Steelers, Mavericks, and Penguins/Whalers.
The hell with the Redskins... never liked those bastids... hated that they were the default NFL team that they showed on TV. They still had a Redskin radio affiliate here in the Triad up until a few years ago.
"hated", what a miserable way to live ones life!
"They still had a Redskin radio affiliate here"
A smart radio salesman traveled the coast all the way to Fl when NO other teams were available, no cowboys, etc. or trh AFL either, which is why there were so many fans along the coast.TV didn't carry many games back then either.
I'm not a big sports person, so I'm probably the wrong person to get into much detail with, but I know the Atlanta Braves have always had a strong fan base here.
I'm not a big sports person, so I'm probably the wrong person to get into much detail with, but I know the Atlanta Braves have always had a strong fan base here.
"Always"? Depends on your definition of the word. Since the late 70's/early 80"s, yes. Before that, no.
Growing up in Raleigh, I'd have to say none. It was all college sports all the time. I don't recall the Redskins being a big thing even. I do recall a bit of interest in the Bulls but only because of Michael Jordan which goes back to intense interest in college sports.
"For many years, Washington games were the only ones the state's TV stations carried on autumn Sundays.
Way back in 1950, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall set out to make his club the South's pro team.
He created an Amoco TV network that beamed Washington games all over Dixie. Starting in 1955, the team trained for several weeks each summer in Winston-Salem and played an exhibition game in Bowman Gray Stadium against the Green Bay Packers.
It must be said, too, that Marshall appealed to the prejudices of some white Southerners.
He kept his team lily white until 1962 when Stewart Udall, then the secretary of the interior, told him to integrate or forget about playing in a new federally built stadium in Washington.
Marshall worked the civic club circuit in the Piedmont. He introduced himself as the ``Robert E. Lee of professional football' and called his team ``The Rebel Redskins.'
He also brought local high school bands, including Grimsley High of Greensboro, to Washington to play at half-time."
A smart radio salesman traveled the coast all the way to Fl when NO other teams were available, no cowboys, etc. or trh AFL either, which is why there were so many fans along the coast.TV didn't carry many games back then either.
Ok... hated was a very strong word for the Redskins... it was/is more like disgusted that they were on tv every sunday before the Panthers. Is that better?
I'll save my hate for that team/school residing in Chapel Hill with the effeminate blue and white. Those Bastards
The 'Skins, err Football team, still have a radio affiliate in both Gastonia and New Bern as of 2018. Looks like they finally dropped Raleigh as a listening market, I know that was still a thing 5-10-ish years ago, probably happened before dropping Greensboro as someone else mentioned.
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