Panthers, Falcons or Giants?

[Gridiron&Hoops]

I'm from Ireland and I've been watching the NFL every Sunday for years without having a true team to support. Sure, I might root for one team in one game and have certain teams I prefer but I've never quite supported a team like one might with a Premier League team here. Thats what I want to change. I know threads like this are probably way too overused but I do believe that they can make a huge difference, after all I am looking for a team to call my own for the rest of my life!

The difference is, though, that I am looking beyond the NFL. I've got an intention of supporting every team in whatever city I choose. That means going with the NBA and nearby college program that accompanies the NFL team in an ideally nice city that is easy enough to get to from here in the UK/Ireland. After a lot of hard choices and some personal ties I've narrowed down my search to these three:
Carolina Panthers - Led by a young, talented quarterback in Cam Newton. Nice stadium. Looks like a pretty nice city too. The Bobcats are struggling in the NBA but have some potential with Kemba and they do play in a terrific venue. Clemson would be a great college team to support nearby
Atlanta Falcons- Very exciting team. Dome seems to get pretty loud. Hawks are a fun team to watch but I have concerns about their horrible attendance. A whole heap of SEC/ACC teams to root for within a 1-3 hour radius
New York Giants - Lot of history and tradition. Stadium is brand new. Knicks are an elite NBA team with a superstar in Melo and they play in the famous MSG. Concerns are that there are too many teams in New York that the Giants aren't quite as special in the city. Also lack of great college programs nearby. Syracuse and Rutgers are good from time to time. I suppose I would think of supporting Notre Dame because of their large presence in the city.

Any feedback would be welcomed. Help me out, Thanks!

[Pinstripe power]

where do you live? pick which ever will be on tv the most so you can watch them

[Gridiron&Hoops]

Well I live in Ireland and I wouldn't necessarily know which team is on TV most. It's usually just the big games

[Gridiron&Hoops]

Is it true that the Atlanta sports fans are pretty terrible? Can the same be said for Charlotte?

[NYSPORTS98]

Stadium appears to be one of your factors.

Pick the Lions so you can jump bandwagons every October.

[cwick925]

Anyteam but the giants.. Youll turn into a better than everyone else type of person in no time rooting for them

[ring91013144043]

Anyteam but the giants.. Youll turn into a better than everyone else type of person in no time rooting for them

I disagree. I think he should be a Giants fan. Every team has their fair share of crazy irrational homers that everyone, even their own fanbase, hates. It just so happens that the Giants fans who are like that joined this site. If this guy becomes a Giants fan maybe he'll bring some balance to the forum.

[neovenator250]

ANYONE but the Falcons

[NJ Raven]

Giants are probably the most stable and well run of the three, with ATL not far behind. But Carolina is a nice upstart team on the rise if they get the defense fixed.

[Bravo95]

Is it true that the Atlanta sports fans are pretty terrible? Can the same be said for Charlotte?

College sports are a bigger deal in the southern U.S. so I guess you have to consider that. But here's the deal: Aside from maybe Cleveland, no other major sports market has dealt with more tough losses and bad ownership over the last 30-40 years than Atlanta/Georgia sports fans, so the natives are always more negative about the local teams and cautious to really believe "this is their year" than most other cities would. In the last calendar year alone:

- The Hawks were eliminated in a playoff because of a missed free throw in a final seconds of a game.
- A few months later, the Braves were eliminated in one game playoff in part due to a controversial umpire ruling.
- Then the Georgia Bulldogs finished five yards short from reaching their first national championship in 30 years
- And finally, we saw the Falcons came up about 10 yards short from reaching their first Super Bowl in 15 years.

I am from here, and will love these teams until I'm in the grave, but I can't lie to you by saying it's easy being a fan of them. If winning and bragging are what matter most to you, you might be better off with the Giants since their fans are usually knowledgeable and their team has much better luck in big moments. Teams like the Falcons will continue being underdogs and doubted until they actually get it done.

[gbpackers12]

Panthers or Falcons and stick around on the forum so their fan bases are represented around here a little more. If I was just starting out and picking between the 3, I'd pick the Panthers. Newton and Kuechy are two great young pieces.

[NYSPORTS98]

I If this guy becomes a Giants fan maybe he'll bring some balance to the forum.

the same can be said if a few Steelers fan leave.

[UofAZ420]

College sports are a bigger deal in the southern U.S. so I guess you have to consider that. But here's the deal: Aside from maybe Cleveland, no other major sports market has dealt with more tough losses and bad ownership over the last 30-40 years than Atlanta/Georgia sports fans, so the natives are always more negative about the local teams and cautious to really believe "this is their year" than most other cities would. In the last calendar year alone:

- The Hawks were eliminated in a playoff because of a missed free throw in a final seconds of a game.
- A few months later, the Braves were eliminated in one game playoff in part due to a controversial umpire ruling.
- Then the Georgia Bulldogs finished five yards short from reaching their first national championship in 30 years
- And finally, we saw the Falcons came up about 10 yards short from reaching their first Super Bowl in 15 years.

I am from here, and will love these teams until I'm in the grave, but I can't lie to you by saying it's easy being a fan of them. If winning and bragging are what matter most to you, you might be better off with the Giants since their fans are usually knowledgeable and their team has much better luck in big moments. Teams like the Falcons will continue being underdogs and doubted until they actually get it done.

Cant be that bad having all your teams playing meaningful games until the end of the year in all four sports.

[ugafan]

Cant be that bad having all your teams playing meaningful games until the end of the year in all four sports.

It makes every loss year after year that much more painful. We stand by our teams though, more than fans of many other cities can say.

Also, the Falcons and Panthers are much better to talk football with because we have relatively small fanbases(on here) and the vast majority of our posters are knowledgable and sensible.

Giants have a lot of good fans and a lot of bad fans.

[Pinstripe power]

not the giants so you don't have to associate with NYSPROTS98