Team fans not limited to home state

 

By Lisa Shapiro
Staff Writer
Someone from Missouri recently responded to my column on the Kansas City Royals. She said the Royals is a Missouri team and not a Kansas team. Well, technically the Kansas City Royals stadium is located in Missouri. I am one of many Royals fans from Kansas. If you want to get technical about it, the Royals represents Kansas City and that means both Kansas City, Mo. and Kansas City, Kan. The Royals are both a Missouri and a Kansas team.
Our sports coverage on news stations and in newspapers in Kansas revolves around the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kansas Jayhawks, K-State Wildcats, Wichita Shockers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
If the location of a stadium is such a factor, then why are there Dallas Cowboy fans, New York Yankees fans, L.A. Laker fans and Miami Heat fans spread through out the country? 
The reason why the Royals are a Kansas team to most in Kansas is because we do not have a professional baseball team. There also isn’t a professional football team or basketball team in Kansas. Most Kansans either root for Kansas City Chiefs or the Denver Broncos in the NFL. For baseball, most root for either the Royals or the Rockies. For basketball, most root for the Oklahoma City Thunder. 
Unfortunately, Wichita isn’t big enough for an NFL team, an NBA team or an MLB team and Kansas cannot afford to have either kind of team. I never once said the Royals stadium is located in Kansas. Several Kansans drive to Kansas City, Mo. to see either the Chiefs or the Royals play. I am a Denver Broncos fan. Yes, I am not from Denver, but who else do I have to cheer for? My dad is from Colorado and his love for the Broncos has rubbed off on me. 
I have cheered for the Rockies when they were in the World Series in 2007 because they are a team that is close to home. We   do love our Jayhawks, Wildcats and Shockers. In college sports, Kansas teams and Missouri teams are huge rivals. Therefore, I think Missourians have this impression that Kansans do not like any Missouri teams – period. I have news for you, there are Kansans who go to the University of Missouri and become Mizzou Tiger fans. I have no idea why, but they do and that is something I wouldn’t want anyone in my family do because I despise that team. 
I think it is ridiculous to think that Kansans can’t choose to support a team from another state. I think we Kansans have a right to choose whatever team we want since we don’t have any professional teams. 
Rate this article: 
Average: 1.3 (15 votes)