Why I Became a Tampa Bay Rays Fan
The answer is simple.
Revenge.
Revenge against the evil forces of South Florida that deigned to steal our 1992 expansion franchise bid.
Revenge against Chicago, and Arlington TX, and San Francisco.
Revenge against the fools that denied our fanbase that which was truly deserving for us: a pro baseball team, rising up amid the minor league spring training outfits that dotted the Suncoast landscape.
REVENGE!
REEVVVVVEEEEEENNNNGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEE!
...gasp wheeze...
Okay, seriously. I grew up in a sports-loving family where my grandpa rooted for the Cubs, and our family would watch the Phillies spring training games at Jack Russell. So yeah I was into baseball as a casual fan - I can't tell an ERA from an OBP, but I know that one of them better be higher than the other - and I just wanted my own home team to root for.
That said, Revenge feels better.
REVENGE!
REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE! also ice cream, then REVENGE!REVENGE!REVENGE!REVENGE!REVENGE!REVENGE!REVENGE! GIMME AN R!
...
what? I needed to fill the Word Count requirement.