For over seven years now, I have been a huge Major League Soccer (MLS) fan. My top two favorite teams has to be the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders FC. There are many reasons for me liking these two Western Conference giants. For one, they are both cities that hold special places in my heart. Los Angeles, CA was my place of birth. And Seattle, WA is the home (and hopefully my future home) of my favorite sports teams. But, I was not raised in Los Angeles. For those of you that don't know, I was raised in a little place named Walla Walla, WA up until age fourteen. This is were my story and love of sports begins and returns.
Growing up in Walla Walla meant that my teams to root for included the Seattle Seahawks, the Seattle SuperSonics (R.I.P.) and the Seattle Mariners. Although the Seattle Sounders (NASL, 1974) existed way before I was even born, it was not around during my time growing up in Washington state in the late 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's. Even though I lived in Walla Walla and frequently visited Seattle on family trips, I still had a love for my birth city, Los Angeles. And as a young boy who loved sports, what better way to show support for your favorite cities than by supporting the professional sports teams! In Walla Walla I used to love watching big sporting events that included Los Angeles vs Seattle or vice versa. My favorite Los Angeles teams growing up included the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers. I remember during our yearly trips to Los Angeles from Walla Walla seeing people wearing Los Angeles Raiders gear. I remember people telling me that I was wearing the "wrong t-shirt" because I was wearing a Seattle Seahawks t-shirt. I didn't care, I loved my Seahawks and no one would ever change that. As a matter of fact, I became such a Seattle Seahawks fan that I would wear their colors with pride anywhere I went, especially out of state! Three of my favorite Seattle Seahawks players from the 1990's/2000's included Cortez Kennedy, Walter Jones and of course Matt Hasselbeck (lead us to our first ever Super Bowl in 2005, Super Bowl XL). Yes, I still support and follow my Seattle Seahawks even though I have been living in Los Angeles since late-2003. Although I was one year old when Seattle Seahawks legend, Steve Largent, played his final season. Somehow, I was still a fan from watching old tapes at friend's house and my peewee and middle school football coaches showing us his highlight reels during practice. Not only that, being in "Dodgertown" wearing a Seattle Mariners hat and/or jersey/t-shirt was met with ridicule. But, I would suck it up and take it in honor of my childhood hero and possibly most favorite athlete, Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners. I would wear my baseball hat backwards because of him, I felt cool. I even played outfield because of "The Kid" hoping to catch and negate a Home-Run hit by performing a huge jump and extending my left arm. I even bought both his video games for my Nintendo 64! As for the Seattle SuperSonics, my favorite players had to have been Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and during their final season Kevin Durant. I was happy yet sad when I found out that Gary Payton was now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2003-2004 NBA Season. I was like, "Oh my God! Payton, Bryant, O'Neil, and Malone! They winning the NBA Championship this season!" And they did get far, but ultimately fell behind.
The years of 2003-2004 was a transition into my "new" home in Los Angeles. At first I was resistant to support Los Angeles sports (even though I liked the Dodgers and Lakers) because it felt like I was betraying my childhood, my home. But eventually being a sports fan at heart, I had to succumb to going to live games and eventually becoming a fan. I was a native Angelino by birth anyway so why shouldn't I support my ACTUAL hometown teams?!?! Over the years I slowly started becoming more of a Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers fan. Although I never actually seen the LA Lakers play live in Los Angeles. Years later I started getting back into my love for Soccer. Thanks mostly to the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup/Copa Oro and the 2010 FIFA World Cup: South Africa. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches I started looking at the USMNT (United States Men's National Team) and one player stood out to me, Landon Donovan. A quick internet search lead me to discover that he played for a local team called the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Immediately I planned a trip with my then girlfriend (now fiance) to go watch a game. Our first (and definitely not our last) LA Galaxy game was against the Kansas City Wizards (Now Sporting Kansas City) in 2010 shortly after the FIFA World Cup ended. We became huge fans since day one and never stopped going. Later that same year I was looking at the match schedule and found out that Seattle had a team in MLS too! The Seattle Sounders FC! We immediately bought tickets and it was some of the best live soccer matches I have ever seen. This is when all of my past emotions flooded back in and I got teary eyed. I missed my childhood and hometown teams. I missed my Seattle Mariners, my Seattle Seahawks and my Seattle SuperSonics (who had just became the OKC Thunder a couple of years ago). And now there is a new team called the Seattle Sounders FC? Although, I never worded it out loud, I started following and eventually supporting the Seattle Sounders as the years went by. Some of my favorite matches in MLS is the LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders games. Although, the league insists that LA Galaxy's true rival is the San Jose Earthquakes, I say (as well as most of the fans from both sides), that LA Galaxy's newest and truest rival would have to be the Seattle Sounders. And being a fan of both cities, these are my favorite as well as my most hurtful matches. I love both Seattle and Los Angeles. So whenever I see a "Los Angeles vs Seattle" game in whatever sport, I dub it a "Fight for my Love" game. Loving teams from two cities really makes sports very interesting and fun to watch.
As a student of Sport and Performance Psychology and eventually wanting to become a Sport and Performance Psychologist I realized that my love for sports and these two cities are not in vein. My favorite teams from both cities has expanded and I am vocal and proud of it. In Los Angeles, I was (and still am) a Lakers fan. But, the Los Angeles Clippers hold a special place in my heart for giving me my first opportunity to step into the professional sports industry. Immediately I became a fan of the LA Clippers by watching all home games with DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford. Finding out that Crawford is native born Seattleite as well as new LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer who lives in Seattle was awesome and I took it as "a sign" that things are going my way. I don't care what people say, last season I was watching so much NBA games by watching the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers respectively. I love both teams, and only wished that Seattle still had an NBA team so I can watch triple the NBA. Last season was also the return of the Los Angeles Rams and I managed to catch most games. But, most of my NFL viewing was for the Seattle Seahawks. The LA Rams are growing on me though I must admit, I just love the game. Also, these last few years I started becoming an NHL fan thanks to Los Angeles/Anaheim having two great teams. The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. I like them both but slowly lean towards the LA Kings side, even though the Anaheim Ducks impressed me more last season. But still, both NHL teams are great and I watch them both whenever possible. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is another team that is growing on me thanks to Mike Trout. And also that is my only chance to watch my Seattle Mariners play in SoCal (unless they play the LA Dodgers in the super rare occasions). And now with new seasons coming up we are going to have two new teams in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Chargers (formerly San Diego Chargers) and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). As a more mature and open minded sports fan, you bet I am going to watch these two teams play. Living in Los Angeles right now is exciting if you are a sports fan or someone who works in the sports industry. I just wished LA had the same love, if not more, towards its teams like other cities do. Los Angeles is a city of champions, yet the stands don't fill up as much as it should. Hopefully this will change soon.
In this section I will list my favorite teams broken down by city. Los Angeles: Galaxy, Dodgers, Clippers, Lakers, Kings, Angels, Rams, Anaheim Ducks. Potentially (most likely), this list will include LAFC and the LA Chargers. Seattle: Seahawks, Mariners and Sounders FC. Seattle SuperSonics (R.I.P.) will always hold a place in my heart. If you count them that is thirteen teams that I follow.
Los Angeles and Seattle are both my cities, my home, my past, my present and my future. I love them both and will continue to do so. I don't care if you say that I need to chose one city, because I truly can not. The only teams that I follow above all others though has to be the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Galaxy and both the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers. Well that is my story of my love for sports and my love for these sports cities. From the beginning to the present.
Much love and respect for both Los Angeles and Seattle.
WRITTEN BY: HENRY P. FLORES
DEDICATED TO: MY NOW AND FUTURE FAMILY, LOS ANGELES and SEATTLE SPORTS FANS, CITY OF LOS ANGELES, and CITY OF SEATTLE.
Growing up in Walla Walla meant that my teams to root for included the Seattle Seahawks, the Seattle SuperSonics (R.I.P.) and the Seattle Mariners. Although the Seattle Sounders (NASL, 1974) existed way before I was even born, it was not around during my time growing up in Washington state in the late 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's. Even though I lived in Walla Walla and frequently visited Seattle on family trips, I still had a love for my birth city, Los Angeles. And as a young boy who loved sports, what better way to show support for your favorite cities than by supporting the professional sports teams! In Walla Walla I used to love watching big sporting events that included Los Angeles vs Seattle or vice versa. My favorite Los Angeles teams growing up included the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers. I remember during our yearly trips to Los Angeles from Walla Walla seeing people wearing Los Angeles Raiders gear. I remember people telling me that I was wearing the "wrong t-shirt" because I was wearing a Seattle Seahawks t-shirt. I didn't care, I loved my Seahawks and no one would ever change that. As a matter of fact, I became such a Seattle Seahawks fan that I would wear their colors with pride anywhere I went, especially out of state! Three of my favorite Seattle Seahawks players from the 1990's/2000's included Cortez Kennedy, Walter Jones and of course Matt Hasselbeck (lead us to our first ever Super Bowl in 2005, Super Bowl XL). Yes, I still support and follow my Seattle Seahawks even though I have been living in Los Angeles since late-2003. Although I was one year old when Seattle Seahawks legend, Steve Largent, played his final season. Somehow, I was still a fan from watching old tapes at friend's house and my peewee and middle school football coaches showing us his highlight reels during practice. Not only that, being in "Dodgertown" wearing a Seattle Mariners hat and/or jersey/t-shirt was met with ridicule. But, I would suck it up and take it in honor of my childhood hero and possibly most favorite athlete, Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners. I would wear my baseball hat backwards because of him, I felt cool. I even played outfield because of "The Kid" hoping to catch and negate a Home-Run hit by performing a huge jump and extending my left arm. I even bought both his video games for my Nintendo 64! As for the Seattle SuperSonics, my favorite players had to have been Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and during their final season Kevin Durant. I was happy yet sad when I found out that Gary Payton was now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2003-2004 NBA Season. I was like, "Oh my God! Payton, Bryant, O'Neil, and Malone! They winning the NBA Championship this season!" And they did get far, but ultimately fell behind.
The years of 2003-2004 was a transition into my "new" home in Los Angeles. At first I was resistant to support Los Angeles sports (even though I liked the Dodgers and Lakers) because it felt like I was betraying my childhood, my home. But eventually being a sports fan at heart, I had to succumb to going to live games and eventually becoming a fan. I was a native Angelino by birth anyway so why shouldn't I support my ACTUAL hometown teams?!?! Over the years I slowly started becoming more of a Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers fan. Although I never actually seen the LA Lakers play live in Los Angeles. Years later I started getting back into my love for Soccer. Thanks mostly to the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup/Copa Oro and the 2010 FIFA World Cup: South Africa. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches I started looking at the USMNT (United States Men's National Team) and one player stood out to me, Landon Donovan. A quick internet search lead me to discover that he played for a local team called the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Immediately I planned a trip with my then girlfriend (now fiance) to go watch a game. Our first (and definitely not our last) LA Galaxy game was against the Kansas City Wizards (Now Sporting Kansas City) in 2010 shortly after the FIFA World Cup ended. We became huge fans since day one and never stopped going. Later that same year I was looking at the match schedule and found out that Seattle had a team in MLS too! The Seattle Sounders FC! We immediately bought tickets and it was some of the best live soccer matches I have ever seen. This is when all of my past emotions flooded back in and I got teary eyed. I missed my childhood and hometown teams. I missed my Seattle Mariners, my Seattle Seahawks and my Seattle SuperSonics (who had just became the OKC Thunder a couple of years ago). And now there is a new team called the Seattle Sounders FC? Although, I never worded it out loud, I started following and eventually supporting the Seattle Sounders as the years went by. Some of my favorite matches in MLS is the LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders games. Although, the league insists that LA Galaxy's true rival is the San Jose Earthquakes, I say (as well as most of the fans from both sides), that LA Galaxy's newest and truest rival would have to be the Seattle Sounders. And being a fan of both cities, these are my favorite as well as my most hurtful matches. I love both Seattle and Los Angeles. So whenever I see a "Los Angeles vs Seattle" game in whatever sport, I dub it a "Fight for my Love" game. Loving teams from two cities really makes sports very interesting and fun to watch.
As a student of Sport and Performance Psychology and eventually wanting to become a Sport and Performance Psychologist I realized that my love for sports and these two cities are not in vein. My favorite teams from both cities has expanded and I am vocal and proud of it. In Los Angeles, I was (and still am) a Lakers fan. But, the Los Angeles Clippers hold a special place in my heart for giving me my first opportunity to step into the professional sports industry. Immediately I became a fan of the LA Clippers by watching all home games with DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford. Finding out that Crawford is native born Seattleite as well as new LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer who lives in Seattle was awesome and I took it as "a sign" that things are going my way. I don't care what people say, last season I was watching so much NBA games by watching the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers respectively. I love both teams, and only wished that Seattle still had an NBA team so I can watch triple the NBA. Last season was also the return of the Los Angeles Rams and I managed to catch most games. But, most of my NFL viewing was for the Seattle Seahawks. The LA Rams are growing on me though I must admit, I just love the game. Also, these last few years I started becoming an NHL fan thanks to Los Angeles/Anaheim having two great teams. The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. I like them both but slowly lean towards the LA Kings side, even though the Anaheim Ducks impressed me more last season. But still, both NHL teams are great and I watch them both whenever possible. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is another team that is growing on me thanks to Mike Trout. And also that is my only chance to watch my Seattle Mariners play in SoCal (unless they play the LA Dodgers in the super rare occasions). And now with new seasons coming up we are going to have two new teams in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Chargers (formerly San Diego Chargers) and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). As a more mature and open minded sports fan, you bet I am going to watch these two teams play. Living in Los Angeles right now is exciting if you are a sports fan or someone who works in the sports industry. I just wished LA had the same love, if not more, towards its teams like other cities do. Los Angeles is a city of champions, yet the stands don't fill up as much as it should. Hopefully this will change soon.
In this section I will list my favorite teams broken down by city. Los Angeles: Galaxy, Dodgers, Clippers, Lakers, Kings, Angels, Rams, Anaheim Ducks. Potentially (most likely), this list will include LAFC and the LA Chargers. Seattle: Seahawks, Mariners and Sounders FC. Seattle SuperSonics (R.I.P.) will always hold a place in my heart. If you count them that is thirteen teams that I follow.
Los Angeles and Seattle are both my cities, my home, my past, my present and my future. I love them both and will continue to do so. I don't care if you say that I need to chose one city, because I truly can not. The only teams that I follow above all others though has to be the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Galaxy and both the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers. Well that is my story of my love for sports and my love for these sports cities. From the beginning to the present.
Much love and respect for both Los Angeles and Seattle.
WRITTEN BY: HENRY P. FLORES
DEDICATED TO: MY NOW AND FUTURE FAMILY, LOS ANGELES and SEATTLE SPORTS FANS, CITY OF LOS ANGELES, and CITY OF SEATTLE.
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