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Hi, there!
If you can't figure it out from the teams I support, I'm a SoCal transplant, originating from Brooklyn. However, any similarity between the L.A. Dodgers and me is strictly coincidental. I'm not a Dodger fan. I grew up hating the Dodgers for leaving and was a Mets fan. Since arriving in SoCal in 1993, it's been hard for me to latch on to area teams I could support, but I started following the Angels, Ducks, and Clippers casually. I started following the Angels, in earnest, in 2000. I don't like being a front-runner and I think a lot of SoCal sports fans are exactly that.
My penchant for rooting for the underdog has had me rooting for the Clippers
for years. I've been following them fairly closely since 2001. With the
arrival of coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr., DTS (Donald T.
Sterling) looks like he's finally serious about holding onto some young
talent.
I continue to follow the Clippers full-time with one eye on the Knicks
from the old days.
In 2006, the Clippers had their best season in franchise history in California,
advancing to the Western Conference semi-finals against the Phoenix Suns.
My favorite Clippers are Elton Brand and Corey Maggette.
My favorite Knicks are former Clipper Quentin Richardson and former Knick Allan Houston.
I can't give up my roots. I was fortunate to become a hockey fan during the 1980 Winter Olympics. Ken Morrow was a member of that team and went on to become a player for the Islanders. Since I lived on Long Island at the time, I followed his exploits there. Man, I didn't realize how lucky I was. Billy Smith, Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Bobby Nystrom – These are just some of the players who taught me about NHL-style hockey. The Islanders went on to become a modern dynasty in sports winning the Stanley Cup four years in a row from 1980-1983. They've gone through some rough years but they now have ownership which seems committed to winning. I hope that's true.
My favorite Islander is owner Charles Wang.
In 2002, I would sit up in the middle of the night, watching the FIFA World Cup from Korea and Japan. Although I didn't understand much of what was said, as I was watching on Univision & Telefutura, the excitement of the matches came through. Team USA getting to the quarterfinals didn't hurt, either.
After the Cup matches, I've been slowly growing accustomed to watching MLS. The level of play (and the announcers) aren't as good, but it's still somewhat fun to watch.
My favorite players are Landon Donovan and Herculez
Gomez of the Galaxy,
Carlos Ruiz from FC Dallas and
former Team USA captain Claudio Reyna.
The New York football Giants are one of the legacy franchises in the National Football League. The Giants have a storied history in the NFL. Their history dates back to 1925. The football Giants won the NFL Championship in 1934, 1938, and 1956. They won the post-merger Super Bowl in 1986 and 1990.
I started following the Giants circa 1968 at the tail end
of the coaching reign
of Allie Sherman. He was replaced by Alex Webster.
Over the years, I remember such players as former placekicker Pat Summerall, Fran Tarkenton, Pete Gogolak, Tucker Frederickson, Bob Tucker, and a little known running back/kick returner Rocky Thompson, (#22).
In 1978, Giants fans were also subject to a notorious play known as "The Fumble". Quarterback Joe Piscarik ripped defeat from the jaws of victory by fumbling the ball on the Philadelphia Eagles' xx-yard line. Herm Edwards returned the fumble for a touchdown allowing the Eagles to win the game.
My current favorite players are Eli Manning and Tiki Barber.
When the Brooklyn Dodgers abandoned what would normally be the fourth-largest city in America (and the New York baseball Giants abandoned the city for San Francisco), New York's National League baseball fans were left without a team. That was rectified when the New York Mets were born in 1962.
[If you look closely at the Mets' team colors, you'll see the orange of the baseball Giants and the blue of the Brooklyn Dodgers.]
My current favorite Mets are Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Carlos Delgado and manager Willie Randolph.
In 2000-01, I attended about 70 games at The Short Circuit a/k/a Edison Field. I also attended my first game ever at Dodger Stadium on Memorial Day 2000 when the Mets came in to play (,and watched my favorite Met, Rey Ordoņez, go down for the season). Dodger fans are much more into the game than fans at the Ed.
When I went to the 2000 season opener at the Ed and I was WAY outnumbered by the number of Yankee fans in the seats than Angel fans. When the Bronx Bombers came in for their sole visit to the Ed in 2001, the atmosphere was much different. The Yankee fans and the Halo fans went at each other back and forth through most of the game. Friday, 24 August seemed like a coming of age.
As usual, I'd like to see Angel fans applauding their players, booing their opponents, and getting off their @ss when the pitchers have opponents down two strikes. Make some f'ing noise without the Jumbotron telling you to.
In 2002, the Angels won their first-ever World Series defeating the San Francisco Giants.
My current favorite Halos are Garret Anderson and
J.C. Romero.
Los hermanos Molina have been separated.
For Mikeylito.com year-end awards for the Angels, click here.
My favorite college team is the Duke Blue Devils.
I didn't go to Duke.
However, I figure if Notre Dame can have subway alumni, so can Duke.
Of course, the Blue Devils are known for their basketball squad.
Current favorites are DeMarcus Nelson and Josh
McRoberts.
Favorite alumni include Brand, Maggette,
Houston's Shane Battier, Orlando's J.J. Redick,
the Clippers' Daniel Ewing and Grant Hill.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Duke football team.
Then, again, nobody else does.
Seriously, though, I intend to follow them more closely so I can harass the coach,
Ted Roof.