So, I'm kind of weird as a sports fan, and some people might think I'm bandwagon or fairweather but it's really not true. I just happen to root for sports teams in different cities. Most people are devoted to all the teams in one city, but yeah, I'm not like that.

It's mostly because of my dad. Growing up, he rooted for two teams: the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco 49ers. Oh, and for college, the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Reds and Buckeyes because he got his PhD in EE at Ohio State, so he came to be fans of them there. And the 49ers because when he came here they started getting good. Anyway, I had no choice - he rooted for them, so I did also.

But he wasn't either a basketball or hockey fan so I didn't gain allegiances to these sports until way later. Anyway, here are the teams I root for. They're diverse, but I haven't ever wavered my allegiances to them, and I never will.

• Football - San Francisco 49ers - I'm not sure when my dad became a fan, but one of the earliest football memories I have is of the 1982 Super Bowl, the one I think was at Stanford Stadium. James' family came over and we all watched it together. Still remember very early in the game, Wendell Tyler getting stuffed and him spiking the ball in frustration, and getting charged for unsportsmanlike conduct. And the famous goal line stand. But yeah, it was awesome being a 49ers fan because during my childhood, pretty much all the way up until college, they weren't just good, they were great. So it was always fun.
• Baseball - Cincinnati Reds - Again, because of my dad. We went to one game a year at Candlestick, when the Reds came to town, always in the bleachers. But yeah, I was really into baseball cards late elementary school and junior high, and this was around the time when the Reds won the World Series so that was also fun. But yeah, I've supported them since then, even when they sucked. They're my team.
• Basketball - Houston Rockets - This is kind of the most random one. I didn't get to Houston until I was in high school. But, until then, I wasn't really a basketball fan. Mostly because my dad wasn't. And the local team was the Warriors, so there was no real reason to be a fan. They always sucked. I have nothing but pity for Warriors fans. Dunno how they manage to do it. Anyway, my family moves to Houston and I go there and everyone there is a Rockets fan. This is during their championships runs. But yeah, everyone was so hard-core into them, I couldn't help but get caught up in it. I mean, I had no allegiances of my own. So yeah, that's why I'm a Rockets fan. And it's kind of random, but I've still been loyal the past few seasons when they sucked.
• Hockey - San Jose Sharks - I'm still not really a hockey fan. But in high school, the Sharks starting making the playoffs, so a bunch of us slept out for playoff tickets and went. And it was a lot of fun. If you've never been, hockey is way more fun in person than on TV. TV doesn't capture the speed and scope of everything. But yeah, that's when I started being a fan. I don't follow the Sharks like I do my other teams, but still a nominal fan.
• College - Stanford, then Ohio State - So in everything collegiate, I'm Stanford all the way. But, I still have a soft spot in my heart for Ohio State, just because I grew up rooting for them. Especially with college football. I always felt alone growing up because I followed Big 10 Football, and all the news was about Pac-10 football, which I found boring. But yeah, if they face each other, there's no question, it's Stanford all the way.