Jordan Burden
Start Date: April 2, 2017
Sports Affiliated With: Football, Baseball, Basketball, Ice Hockey.
Teams Affiliated With: Philadelphia Eagles, News Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Stars, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia Flyers, Penn State University Football, University of North Carolina Men’s Basketball.
Background Information: I became an Eagles fan when Michael Vick signed with the team when I was 8. I held off on liking the team because I didn’t like Donovan McNabb at the time. Less than a month later when I was in elementary school I wanted to do a project on the Eagles but there were no books in my library. The only other NFL team they had was the Saints and I did a project on the history of the team and my fascination with their history led me to become a fan. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t a Phillies, 76ers, Bulls, or Flyers fan. Philly everything because those are my nearby teams. I’m a Bulls and UNC fan because I was named after Michael Jordan. Since I was 6 I was fascinated with Penn State and their football team came with the fandom. I became a Stars fan when they were announced with the new USFL. I was a Philadelphia Soul fan before the Arena Football League folded.
James Ennis
Start Date: June 26, 2017
Sports Affiliated With: Football.
Teams Affiliated With: Pittsburgh Steelers, University of Wisconsin-Madison(All Sports), Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers.
Background Information: The easiest reason for being a fan of the Badgers, Brewers, and Bucks is because I’m from Wisconsin. White Sox, I was a huge fan because of Frank Thomas. The Steelers were the first team I fell in love with. I just started watching football with no attachment and, living in Wisconsin, I was inclined to like the Packers but they played the Steelers when I was 11 and they had this player Greg Lloyd and I thought he was the coolest because oddly enough I was a Christopher Lloyd fan.
Jason Harris
Start Date: August 2, 2020
Sports Affiliated With: Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Auto Racing, Golf.
Teams/Individual Sports Athletes Affiliated With: Texas A&M University Football, University of North Carolina Basketball, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, New York Yankees, Charlotte Hornets, Joey Logano, Tiger Woods.
Background Information: Became a fan of the Bills(29 years) & Sabres(29 years) bc I was born in Buffalo. Growing up in Western NY, you had no other choice but to be a part of the “mafia.” Became a Yankee(29 years) fan again growing up in NY. It was either the Mets or Yankees and all my friends were Yankee fans. (My first LL team was the Yankees too. We won the championship). The Hornets(10 years) & Tar Heels(17 years) fandom came after we moved to the Carolinas. Basketball wasn’t super big in western NY so I started following the local teams here in NC. Texas A&M(11 years) fandom bc again, college sports weren’t really big in NY. My friends in NC told me I needed to pick a college team (and I was told I couldn’t pick the Heels because they sucked at football). That was during Manziel’s Heisman season, so I rolled with the Aggies. Tiger woods(20 years)… He’s the GOAT and a fiery competitor. Simple enough. Joey Logano(12 years) because we are the same age and at the time he debuted in NASCAR I was trying to find my way into the sport. So I sorta live vicariously through him since it didn’t work out for me.
Glen Izzo
Start Date: October 15, 2020
Sports Affiliated With: Football, Basketball.
Teams Affiliated With: Los Angeles Rams, Charlotte Hornets.
Background Information: Rams I have been a fan of for the 27 years I’ve been on this earth. I am a fan because it is my father’s childhood team. Islanders, I have also been a fan of my whole life. I was raised on Long Island and went to hockey games throughout my childhood. Charlotte Hornets I have been a fan of since moving to North Carolina in 2008. Our family would go to many Bobcat/Hornet games through the years. It’s a tradition that we, as a family go to a Hornet’s game for Thanksgiving.
Liam McCray
Start Date: July 23, 2021
Sports Affiliated With: Football, Baseball, Wrestling.
Teams/Individual Sports Athletes Affiliated With: Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Royals, Oklahoma State University(All Sports), Daton Fix, Jade Carey.
Background Information: Chiefs and Royals; for as long as I can remember since I’m from that area and my whole family is fans of them so I became one too. Oklahoma State; since about 2010 when I found their wrestling team. That team is so fun to watch. And with me liking their wrestling team, it just carried over to all over their other sports. Daton Fix (OSU wrestler); Since his freshman year with the Cowboys because the way he wrestles is so fun to watch, and I got to meet him at the B12 tournament last season. Jade Carey (US Gymnast); Became a huge fan of this past Olympics in Tokyo because she was so talented and fun to watch compete. I also loved her passion and determination to not give up on her dreams.
Darian Thompson
Start Date: July 26, 2020
Sports Affiliated With: Football
Teams Affiliated With: Denver Broncos
Background Information: Broncos I’ve been a fan of for roughly 17 years. I became a fan of the Denver Broncos back in 2005. I was at a friend’s house. I don’t remember much about the game but it was Denver vs the Patriots. Everyone was cheering them on so I joined in, and from then on I became a fan.
John Zimmerman
Start Date: September 12, 2017
Sports Affiliated With: Football, Basketball, UFC.
Teams/Individual Sports Athletes Affiliated With: Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Julian Erosa, Cory Sandhagen.
Background Information: I am a Lifelong Browns fan, and have followed the careers of multiple UFC athletes very closely, specifically Julian Erosa & Cory Sandhagen. I watched my first Browns game when I was around 5 years old, against the Cowboys. We lost. But since then, I’ve been hooked. I think In around 20 years I’ve maybe missed 3 total games. From Delhomme to Mayfield, here we are and here I am (unfortunately). I’ve been a fan of Julian Erosa for around 3 years now, even though he is unranked I’ve never seen a boring fight of his, win or lose. His performance vs Nate Landwehr was a clinic. I’ve liked Sandhagen a while too now, around 4 years. He’s the one guy I continually pick to be the champ at the end of each year, and I am always wrong. He reminds me of a prime Tony Ferguson; very unorthodox striking with elbows that leave everyone battered and bloody in the same way as Ferguson.
