You Decide: Who To Root For On My Summer Vacation

[Popeyejones]

As I said last week, I'll always be a 9ers fan but refuse to root for Chip Kelly. So, as long as he's their coach. I need a team to root for on my summer vacation. Wanna help me decide my interim team?

Rules:

1) Strong preference for an AFC team so as not conflict with my usual fandom while on vacation.
2) No bandwagons: Strong preference for a team that didn't make the playoffs this year.
3) The team doesn't have to be good, but there has to be something to like them or something to root for.

Leading Candidates Right Now:

1) EDIT: This was Oakland but is now Jacksonville

Upside: They're a long-term laughinstock that's pointing in the right direction, have an offense that's a ton of fun to watch, and I was more all-in for Allen Robinson than I've been all-in for anyone in the past few years, and was devastated when the 9ers didn't take him (was referring to him as somewhere between Golden Tate w/ size and Michael Crabtree with athleticism).

Downside: To root for Jacksonville means to acknowledge the existence of the only state in the union more backwards than Alabama. Hmmmm.

2) Bills

Upside: I moved to Toronto a few years ago, so they're close by. I also really like Tyrod Taylor, and they're not a good team but they're a fairly complete one given how mediocre they are.

Downside: Rex Ryan. I'd rather not have the coach of my team on my summer vacation be impossible to believe in or take seriously.

3) Titans

Upside: I really enjoy watching Marcus play, DGB might turn into something, and I really love how much Delanie Walker has cleaned up his game and become an integral part of his offense.

Downside: Absolutely everything else about the Titans.


HELP! :lol:


ELIMINATED BY JACKSONVILLE:

Raiders.

Upside: I was born and grew up in Oakland and Berkeley, and SHOULD be a Raiders fan, except they were in LA during my formative years. They have some nice young pieces in Mack, Carr and Cooper, but still have a ways to go. I also think it's funny b/c it would annoy other 9ers fans.

Downside: If I'm unlucky they might leave Oakland before Kelly leaves S.F. Also, they're the Raiders, and Mark Davis is somewhow even a worse owner than Jed York.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

Thought about Miami..??? If it werent for the putrid uniforms, that team seemed to be on the way up. But there is the thrust...I hate their flashflood uniforms...ugh. Probably go with the Titans. They seemed to be on the cusp of doing something good until they Washed out of school. Ravens/?? They may be better. And they dont have too many bad reputations yet......Sheesh, this is hard. Go Ravens.

 

[HawkGA]

Browns. It will make you appreciate when you can go back to being a Niners fan.

 

[SeatownJay]

Jacksonville.

 

[Popeyejones]

^^^^ Oooh, that's a great call.

They're a long-term laughinstock that's pointing in the right direction, have an offense that's a ton of fun to watch, and I was more all-in for Allen Robinson than I've been all-in for anyone in the past few years, and was devastated when the 9ers didn't take him (was referring to him as somewhere between Golden Tate w/ size and Michael Crabtree with athleticism).


The only downside is to root for Jacksonville means to acknowledge the existence of the only state in the union more backwards than Alabama. Hmmmm.

Serious, series contender though.

Okay, Oakland off the list, now replaced by Jacksonville.

 

[nanomoz]

The Flaming Thumbtacks uniforms are some of the worst I've ever seen. Hard to root for that laundry. Oakland? It seems like an internal bay area conflict waiting to happen.

Bills, yeah. Good choice. Their makeup kind of resembles Seattle/SanFran over the last few years.

What about the Brownies? New leadership? Good coach with ties to the Bay Area. And they're unlikely to ever end up in the Super Bowl playing against your primary team.

 

[rideaducati]

Root for the Browns...then you can pay attention to another one of Baalke's screwups.

 

[Chapow]

Jacksonville.

Jacksonville gets my vote too.

Bortles quietly had a very nice season and between him, the Allen brothers, Julius Thomas, T.J. Yeldon, Denard Robinson, and Luke Joeckel there's a lot for Jags fans to be excited about.

They also play in a pretty bad division so even an 8-8 or 9-7 season and you could be rooting for a playoff team.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

San Diego Chargers.

Positives: Best uniforms in the history of football (the throwback powder blues), a team from your native state, good QB albeit a bit of a douche, great weather if you're inclined to go to a game in person, first class city in terms of food, beaches, etc.

Negatives: been shitty the last couple of years, Spanos is an ass, may move to LA.



But damn, those uniforms!!



Backup plan if they move to LA: KC Chiefs......former 9er QB, good looking unis, good coach, winning team.

 

[DTexHawk]

Ravens.

Already used to cheering for a Harbaugh (and this is the better one.).

 

[kearly]

Baltimore. Totally Baltimore.

Trolling aside, they are going to be the bounce back team of 2016, and at their best with Steve Smith (he opted against retirement), they are a fun as hell team to watch.

If you don't mind rooting for a winner: Pittsburgh. As a Hawk fan troll, what could be better than rooting for the team that Hawk fans hate the most? A team that is also very, very good when healthy. And I know this is Hawk fan heresy, but the current Pittsburgh offense is fun as heck to watch. Their defense is starting to play hard again. The only thing keeping Big Ben from another ring is his health. It's getting harder and harder for me to hate them, because the way they play the game the past couple years is so much fun.

 

[drdiags]

Browns. That way your 9ers brothren cannot claim you are a bandwagon jumper but rather a truly disgusted fan of the team. We had a guy jump ship for the Browns when Holmgren left. He has come back in the past few years and doesn't catch much flak.

Plus I am hoping that Hue Jackson is successful with that team, he has a chance if he can get a QB.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

.........I am hoping that Hue Jackson is successful with that team, he has a chance if he can get a QB.

Agree completely.

 

[Maulbert]

The Chiefs. Their last SB title came before the merger, they finally won a playoff game for the first time in 21 years, their playing the hated Patriots next week, and considering you're a niner fan, you have to appreciate Kansas City's attempt at making a home for wayward SF QBs (Montana, Bono, Grbac, Smith).

 

[Uncle Si]

J-E-T-S

Jets
Jets
Jets

 

[pmedic920]

Texans, hands down. They fit the criteria.

And can both be exciting and will let you down.
Shouldn't feel much different than the 9ers

 

[hawknation2015]

Definitely the Raiders.

 

[ivotuk]

I love Gus Bradlley and would say Jaguars, but Marty Schottenheimer is one of my all time favorite coaches. The man is pure class and has taken 3 teams to the playoffs. His last job, he took the Chargers to 14-2 and got fired. Pisses me off he was treated that way and I dislike Spanos aka "Lord of No Rings." (A nickname given to him by other owners).

I remember when the Browns were really good and that fanbase deserves some success after Modell moved their team to Baltimore. It was around that time that Bill Bellicheck was the head coach with Nick Saban as an assistant. And that spring they drafted Ray Lewis on their way to a Lombardi....poor Browns fans.

I like Hue Jackson too and want to see him succeed. But he needs to concentrate on Coaching and leave the GM duties to someone else. Hopefully he gets the support he needs from the owner and makes the Browns a winner.

He certainly started out well by dumping Johnny Highball.

 

[Sports Hernia]

The Browns. No one can ever accuse you of being a frontrunner if you're a Browns fan.

 

[RedAlice]

The Browns. No one can ever accuse you of being a frontrunner if you're a Browns fan.

Gotta agree with this. Great question, btw!

Browns have so much possibility, new coach....yet, still can totally fail. It will be fun hoping and watching!

Plus, I think Manziel is out.